Summary
Married At First Sighthas some incredibly sweet moments throughout its run, but it also hasshown some of the most problematic, troubling moments in reality TV historyon the show. Adapted from a Danish series of the same name,Married At First Sighthas a simple premisethat’s created some of the most dramatic reality TV moments of all time. Matching singles who have never met or laid eyes on each other in the past,MAFScreates couples who appear to be compatible and brings them together to marry, sight unseen.
Created by thesame team behind Netflix’sLove Is Blind,the stakes onMarried At First Sighttend to be a bit higher. The participants meet and get married immediately before entering an eight-week trial period where they get to know each other and decide if they’re actually compatible. Throughout their time together, the couples deal with the regular trials and tribulations of married life, but the drama on the show tends to be somewhat more pronounced. As singles who have had a hard time finding someone before, the baggage they bring into their relationships tends to be bigger.
ForMarried At First Sightparticipants, it’s typical that coming into their newfound relationships, there are some skeletons in their closets that cause them to struggle in their marriages. While some come into theirMAFSexperiences having been single for a long time, others come into the show with relationships that have ended very recently. Regardless of what the issues they enter into their relationship with,MAFSmarriages can be fraught with problems that the couple doesn’t always have the tools to solve. Evenwith theMAFSexperts helping themthrough their communication, issues arise frequently for the couples.
Despite knowing that they’re coming into a reality TV show that will document their every move,manyMAFSparticipants air out their issues freely on the show. The participants tend to talk to the experts, who are currentlycomprised of Dr. Pepper Schwartz, Dr. Pia Holec, and Pastor Cal Roberson, and their partners about their problems, but sometimes there are bigger issues than they want to share. Some of the most dramaticMAFSmoments come from participants withholding their problems until it’s too late.
Even thoughsomeMAFSparticipants struggleto keep their cool during difficult conversations on the show, they do tend to be open about what’s going on in their marriages. For mostMarried At First Sightcast members, being on TV keeps them from doing anything too problematic or troubling on camera, butsome don’t seem to understand that their dirty laundry will be aired on national television. Here are the most problematic situations inMarried At First Sighthistory.
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10Alyssa Ellman’s Wedding Meltdown
Married At First Sight Season 14
One of the mostcontroversial stars inMarried At First Sighthistory, Alyssa Ellman, struggled in her marriage throughout her season. Alyssa met herMAFShusband Chris Colette at their wedding ceremony but quickly realized that he wasn’t what she wanted for herself. Though her relationship with Chris was almost immediately something she was uninterested in,Alyssa kept her feelings to herselffor the most part throughoutMarried At First Sightseason 14, even when she was belittling and berating her husband.
Though Alyssa has had her fair share of problematic moments on screen, her worst moment was during her wedding to Chris. While she tried to keep herself composed,Alyssa understood within moments of meeting herMarried At First Sighthusband that she didn’t want to be with him long-term. She had a breakdown that was troubling forMAFSviewers, who didn’t understand how she could be so certain that Chris wasn’t for her so quickly.
9Expert Dr. Jessica Griffin Dating Jon Francetic
Married At First Sight Season 6
WithMarried At First Sightemploying experts who are meant to be professional support for the couples, there is a clear line that the therapists and emotional support professionals aren’t meant to cross. This has been a big part of the experience since the beginning ofMAFS, but became an even more serious rule afterMarried At First Sightseason 6. MAFS participant Jon Francetic, who was married to Molly Duff on the show,found himself in a bad marriage during his time onMarried At First Sight.
While Jon and Molly were incompatible, it appears that after working with her throughout the season,MAFSbrought Jon a match in Dr. Jessica Griffin, one of the show’s experts. Having joined the series duringMarried At First Sightseason 6, Jessica was new to the series and hadn’t experienced anything like it in her work before. While the couple didn’t get together until afterMAFSended, Jessica and Jon’s relationship and eventual marriage has been controversial for the series.
8Domynique Kloss Dating Clint Webb
Married At First Sight Season 16
DuringMarried At First Sightseason 16, Domynique Kloss and Mackinley Gilbert were matched up as a couple, as were Clint Webb and Gina Micheletti. Both pairs were struggling in their marriages throughoutMAFSseason 16, and while Clint and Gina wound up sticking it out to the end,Domynique and Mackinley didn’t need to wait quite so long to know their final answer. While Dom and Mack chose to leave the experiment midway through the season, Clint and Gina ended things on Decision Day.
After the disastrousMarried At First Sightseason 16 ended with just one couple making it through the experiment together, a bomb was dropped on viewers during the reunion special for the season. WhenMAFSseason 16’s reunion special came out, it was revealed thatDomynique and Clint had started dating after their marriages ended. With an age gap of 15 years, it was odd to see the couple together, especially after they’d been in completely different relationships during the season.
7Dr. Pia Calling Chloe Brown & Michael Shiakallis Inauthentic
Married At First Sight Season 17
Married At First Sightseason 17’s Michael Shiakallis had a historic second wedding arranged after his first of the season fell through, but his time with hisMAFSbride Chloe Brown wasn’t always respected by the experts. While Michael and Chloe’s relationship had less tim to flourish, the pair still had one of the most stable partnerships throughout the season. Even after choosing to divorce on Decision Day,Michael and Chloe have remained friendsand continue to respect one another after their marriage dissolved.
Though Chloe and Michael have been great to each other afterMAFSseason 17 came to an end, their time on the series was criticized by Dr. Pia. Knowing thatMichael and Chloe’s relationship had formed quickly, she seemed to feel that their connection wasn’t genuine. Dr. Pia created some major issues by calling Michael and Chloe’s relationship inauthentic.
6Mitch Silvester Publically Saying He Didn’t Like How Krysten Collins Looked
Married At First Sight Season 15
Married At First Sightseason 15’s Mitch Silvesterstruggled in his marriage to Krysten Collins from very early on in the process. Though the experts felt thatKrysten and Mitch would be a great match, it quickly became clear that they wouldn’t be a good fit on the show. Even so, the pair were making the most of their relationship while they sorted out what they wanted to do next.
Krysten and Mitch had their own existing issues in their marriage, but a lack of physical attraction was clear to everyone. Mitch made it obvious duringMAFSseason 15’s honeymoon trip, when he opened up about just how physically unattractive he found Krysten. Mitch’s behavior was pushing the limits ofMAFS, let alone their relationship.He made Krysten uncomfortable, hurt her with his words, and though he apologized later, never really made up for the issue.
5Justin Hall Giving Away His Dog
DuringMarried At First Sightseason 15,Justin Hall and Alexis Williamswere a huge part of the entertainment value of the season. Justin and Alexis’ connection may not have been great, but they did have quite a bit of chemistry going through the season, which led many to wonder if they’d stick out their marriage and attempt to make things work. While most relationships, inside or out ofMAFS, require sacrifice,Justin’s decision to sacrifice something precious to himwasn’t met with positive feedback.
DuringMarried At First Sightseason 15, Justin began his marriage with a dog who he loved. Alexis also had a dog coming into the relationship, and while both were excited and positive about their dogs meeting, Justin’s dog wasn’t able to get along with hisMAFSwife’s. WhenJustin’s dog was violent with Alexis’ dog, he chose to give her away and re-home her rather than seeing if she could adjust to the change.
4Michael Shiakallis' Runaway Bride
Married At First Sight season 17’sMichael and Chloe may have struggledthroughout their time on the series, but Michael had already dealt with some of the worstMAFShas to offer. Applying to be on the series like the rest of the cast, Michael and his co-stars were all excited at the idea of being married anonymously, and his original wedding was supposed to be a huge deal. Michael, who many feel isone of the quirkiestMAFScast members of all time, was excited to build a new connection.
Though Michael was ready for something new and serious, his original bride didn’t seem to feel the same way. Though she walked down the aisle at their wedding,Michael’s original bride chose not to marry him, leaving him at the altar. While Michael was stunned, it was clear that his bride had been feeling her own reservations as well.
3Chris Williams' Behavior Toward Paige Banks
Married At First Sight Season 12
A bizarre match from the start, Chris Williams married Paige Banks onMarried At First Sightseason 12and their issues were quick to arise. While Paige was hopeful she’d be able to stay married from her matchup on the show, Chris used to criticize her from the beginning of their time together. Belittling Paige and calling her names,Chris went on to share that his own actions were likely going to impede on their relationship.
While Chris’ behavior was strange in the beginning, things got even weirder when his ex-fiance shared that she was pregnant with his child. ThoughChris was trying to make his relationship with Paige work, he was also hopeful that he’d be able to be in his future child’s life. From his inability to be kind to Paige to the outside entanglements he had, Chris’ behavior was tough to watch.
2MAFS Season 17 Group Dupe
Married At First Sightseason 17’s castwas one of the most diabolical inMAFShistory, especially after revealing what they did throughout the season during their reunion. ThroughoutMAFSseason 17,the couples were oddly detached from one another, all struggling to make their relationships work in an odd way. It didn’t appear like any of them were able to keep themselves afloat, which was strange considering they all seemed to like each other well enough.
After a confusing, disappointing season, the cast ofMarried At First Sightseason 17 made a shocking announcement at the reunion for their season. Sharing with host Kevin Frazier thatthey’d duped the audience and producers by pre-planning their storylines before the cameras arrived, theMAFSseason 17 cast shocked everyone with their deception. Creating a lackluster season with minimal drama, theMarried At First Sightseason 17 cast shouldn’t have taken matters into their own hands.
1Ryan De Nino’s Reunion Hot Mic Moment
Married At First Sight Season 2
Married At First Sightseason 2’s Ryan De Nino was one of the highly discussed cast members in the early season of the series. While Ryan and hisMAFSwife Jessica Castro chose to stay together on Decision Day despite some disastrous arguments, what happened during theMarried At First Sightseason 2 reunion made viewers terrified for her safety. Throughout their marriage, Ryan had been difficult with Jessica,threatening her frequently and then apologizing, saying he was simply joking around.
After theMarried At First Sightseason 2 reunion revealed that the pair were still together, they were both asked about the difficulties they’d had in their relationship. Jessica answered honestly, sharing that there were times herMarried At First Sighthusband wasn’t easy to deal with. Unfortunately,Ryan didn’t like her answers and was heard threatening Jessica’s life with his microphone on, which led to harsher criticism of their relationship.
Married At First Sight
Cast
Based on the Danish version of the series, Married at First Sight is a reality show/social experiment that gives singles a chance to find a lifelong partnership with one particular caveat: they must agree to marry a stranger arranged the moment they meet. Experts provide counseling and guidance as they help couples navigate their new marriage with their unknown partner and highlight the journey of the newlyweds from wedding to honeymoon to beginning their new lives together. At the end of eight weeks, couples will decide to stay married or divorce.
