When Jalen Noble first shared a video tour of the guest house on his new Texas property back in January 2025, it was meant to be a slice-of-life update: a peek into his renovation plans and his budding ranch lifestyle. But what followed was a cultural firestorm. The video garnered 7.4 million views, over 600,000 likes, and thousands of comments—many of which speculated that the structure was a former slave quarters, given its age and location in the South.

Rather than responding immediately, Noble stayed mostly quiet—offering only a short comment: “I’m sure this house has a lot of history,” which itself racked up 33,000 likes. Since then, he’s continued sharing content about his renovations, animal care routines, and daily life on the ranch. Meanwhile, backlash intensified, with dozens of think pieces and response videos criticizing both Noble and his girlfriend, popular beauty and lifestyle creator Monet McMichael, for treating the property like a “content playground.”

Now, after months of silence, Noble has finally responded—thoughtfully and directly—in a new TikTok titled “Guest House Part 2.”

“There Are No Ties to Slavery on This Property”

In the video, Noble shares that he hired both a genealogist and an architectural historian to better understand the property’s origins. According to Jalen, their findings confirmed that the structure in question was originally an early settler’s cabin, later converted into a hunting lodge, and now serves as a guest house.

“I also found out that someone with the last name Noble used to live here, which I thought was pretty cool,” he adds. Built in 1850, the guest house clearly has age and history, but Noble states plainly: “There are no ties to slavery on this property.”

More than that, he speaks candidly about what it means to own a property like this as a Black man in America: “I feel an overwhelming sense of empowerment every time I see it. 175 years ago, we were not able to own homes like this—and now I do.”

A New Era of Restoration

Jalen’s Texas property includes a main house, guest house, barn, chicken coop, and a livable Airstream, offering a layout that blends homesteading with modern living. “It’s a dream setup for somebody like myself,” he previously shared. “I get to be curious and learn all the things that come with owning a ranch.”

Rather than demolishing or distancing himself from the guest house, Noble shares plans to renovate and refresh the guest house, starting with a new porch and trellises adorned with star jasmine. The interior will see modern updates too—like new windows, door replacements, and functional kitchen upgrades.

“I kind of feel like I’m playing real-life Sims,” he jokes. “There are so many small details that I want to change that will make a huge difference.”

Long-term, Noble says he might eventually integrate the guest house into the main home to create more space for a future family—but for now, it will remain a guest suite and a work-in-progress.

Cultural Backlash, Controversy, and Historical Preservation

The controversy surrounding Noble and McMichael underscores how personal lifestyle content can quickly become a flashpoint when it intersects with cultural memory and historic trauma.

For many viewers, particularly Black viewers, the visual of a preserved 19th-century structure in Texas — positioned as a guest house — triggered understandable questions about the land’s past. Given that the house was built in 1850, during a period when slavery was legal and widespread in Texas, some assumed the structure had once been quarters for enslaved people. In the absence of clear historical information, speculation flourished.

This conversation taps into a larger ongoing dialogue about the ways Black creators engage with historical spaces — especially in the South — and the complexities of restoring or occupying land that may hold generational pain. Some critics questioned whether it was appropriate to romanticize or “reclaim” such spaces without directly addressing their history.

Jalen’s decision to consult experts before speaking out may not have quieted all voices, but it signals a willingness to ground his narrative in research rather than assumption, and to acknowledge the complicated truths that can come with owning land in America.

What Comes Next

In less than 48 hours, Jalen’s new video has already earned over 3 million views and started generating supportive responses from followers who appreciate the clarity, the accountability, and the intention behind his renovation plans. And while the internet rarely offers unanimous approval, his statement marks a shift in tone—from speculation to ownership, in more ways than one.

“I’m currently in my renovation era,” he says at the start of the video. And with this new chapter, it seems he’s also renovating how we think about the past—and what it means to build something new on top of it.

Watch Jalen’s full response here:

@alwaysjalen