Married At First Sightis known for its bold concept of matching and marrying couples who meet for the first time at the altar, making it a hotbed of some of the most historical controversies. These jaw-dropping scandals have shocked theMAFSviewers, from explosive arguments to shocking betrayals that stole the spotlight.The recent installment ofMAFSwasn’t a letdown when it came to dramatic scenes,despite being labeled as one of the biggest disappointments in the franchise’s history.
There were lots of dysfunctional couples, and all of them seemed disinterested in making their marriages work. In the past couple of seasons, it has been almost inevitable that there would be a couple ofcringeworthy moments and bad pairings, which didn’t start duringMAFSseason 17. Season 4, for example, saw theMAFSexperts match Derek Schwartz and Heather Seidel.
These two were the definition of a water-and-oil relationship and started arguing as soon as their honeymoon began. Their romance took a quick turn for the worse, thus becoming one of the worst marriages in the series. While the social experiment has had some heartwarming love stories, likeWoody Randall and Amani Smith fromMAFSseason 11, it has also served some of realityTV’s most shocking scandals, leaving many glued to their screens.
10MAFS Expert Dr. Jessica Griffin Marrying Participant
The Relationship Was Scandalous
Dr. Jessica Griffin was known for her expertise in mental health and relationships. She was one of theMAFSexperts in seasons 6,7 and 8, guiding couples on their relationship paths, including matching them with their right partners. Amidst her clients was Jon Francetic, a participant inMarried At First Sightseason 6. Therefore, Dr. Jessica caused quite a stir when she revealed she was dating Jon,considering she had helped pair him with Molly Duff, even though they called it quits on Decision Day.
Their dating was controversial in theMAFScommunity, questioning Dr. Jessica’s professionalism, ethics, and credibility as a therapist.Jon and Dr. Jessica married in 2022and are still together, and they regularly offer webinars on their websiteon how to have healthy relationships. The matchmaker also practices psychology and offers relationship advice.
9Chris Williams' Bombshell Pregnancy Reveal
Chris Treated Paige Badly
Chris Williams fromMarried At First Sightseason 12connected with Paige Banks, with the pair choosing to divorce on Decision Day. Chris revealed to his wife that he was expecting a child with his ex-fiancee Mercedes Myrick, which was shocking. Chris had proved to be a controversial character from the start after stating he wanted a “submissive” wife and that he’dbeen engaged to someone else before joining the social experiment.
Regardless of these red flags, theMAFSexperts still paired him with Paige, who was in for a whirlwind, leaving her to handle the big baggage Chris brought onboard. Paige deserved better, considering Chris confessed to not being fully attracted to her, adding that she was “different” from what he was used to. It was hard to see someone as brilliant as Paige receive such terrible treatment.
8Domynique Kloss & Clint Webber’s Kiss
Domynique Wasn’t Ready For Marriage
InMarried at First Sightseason 16, experts matchedDomynique Kloss with Mackinley Gilbert, and it was pretty obvious their relationship was doomed from the start. While Mackinley seemed committed to the process and even tried accommodating his new wife, Domynique didn’t give back the same energy. Being 25, Domyniqueseemed too young to go through this processdespite convincing the experts otherwise.
Eventually, Domynique and Mackinely left the show. Domynique was far from done despite her divorce from Mackinley. However, upon her return to the program, she had one person in mind— her crush, Clint Webber. The experts had matched Clint with Gina Micheletti, who had divorced. The twoshared a kissthat left many shocked. Unfortunately, their connection fizzled out quickly, and there was no indication that the relationship continued outsideMAFS.
7Ryan De Nino’s Hot Mic Moment
The Most Shocking Moment In MAFS History
Ryan De Nino, from the second season ofMAFS, was one of the most controversial cast memberson the show. Ryan married Jessica Castro, but the couple had a tumultuous relationship throughout the season. Things went south months afterMAFShad finished filming whenRyan threatened to go after Jessica and her familyand make them disappear.
The disturbing allegations led to Jessica having restraining orders against him. However, Ryan denied the allegations after the restraining order was made public. This highlighted one of the biggest scandals on a show where cast members were allegedly thoroughly screened before getting on the show, as it showed Ryan had previous anger issues thatMAFSexperts didn’t pick up on.
6Krysten Collins' Explosion At The Experts
She Was Done
Krysten Collins first appeared onMAFSseason 15 and married Mitch Silverstein while on the show. Their relationship was rocky, as Mitch had revealed he wasn’t physically attracted to her. He also struggled with stating comments to Krysten, leading to several problems throughout their time together. Still,Krysten showed patiencebut reached a breaking point on Decision Day. Krysten expressed her frustration towards the experts, mainly about the pairing when all theMAFScouples came together.
She felt that the experts didn’t consider her desires and paired her with someone who wasn’t committed to a serious relationship. She disregarded Dr. Pepper Schwartz’s advice, who tried to mend things between Krysten and Mitch, noting she was done and didn’t want to continue with the relationship (viaLifetime). TheMAFScast member stated it was unfair that the experts were ignoring her feelings, which was fair to ask since Mitchhad criticized Krysten throughout their relationship.
5Justin Hall’s Handling Of The Dog Attack
It Ended His Marriage
Justin Hall appeared onMAFSseason 15, and the experts matched him with Alexis Williams. There were many dramatic scenes between the couple. Justin wanted a loving wife, while Alexis was searching fora partner who would dominate the relationship. Justin had been celibate for two years before connecting with Alexi, so after getting married, the twosome had several intimacy issues.
They also seemed disconnected from their expectations of what a marriage should be about. Surprisingly, Justin and Alexis said yes on Decision Day but continued having issues. One of the major problems that caused a massive rift between them waswhen Justin’s dog, Mya, attacked Alexis' dog. Although it was an unfortunate event, Alexis took things out of proportion, which led to their divorce.
Alexis made Justin choose between her and his dog. At first, he agreed in hopes of making hismarriage work and re-homed Mya. However, the couple decided to get a divorce at the end of the season. Justin is now in a happy relationship and also reunited with Maya after going through behavioral training.
4David Norton Arrest Record Coming To Light
Married At First Sightseason 3 introduced a diverse cast, among them David Norton. His journey was captivating and intriguing, way beyond reality TV. The IT consultant married Ashley Doherty, and David’s past began to surface as the show progressed. It was reported that he hadpushed his ex-girlfriend to the ground in 2007, which led to his arrest.
However, David denied the claims, statinghe had never been convicted of any crime.MAFSoften highlights the benefits of transparency and trust. Therefore, David’s criminal record coming to light swayed many people’s opinions. Ashley was shocked after learning of her husband’s past, and they eventually broke up. Ashley and David found other partners and seemed happy in their marriages.
3Lauren Goodger’s Racial “Joke”
It Was Hurtful & Offensive
Lauren Goodger’s initial connection with Orion Martzloff was based on their commitment to acknowledge their cultural backgrounds. The reality star married Orion, who was proud of his heritage as a Native American. Although their cultures connected them,a conversation about it created a huge rift between the couple.
The dialogue started when Lauren addressed the use of a racial slur, which Orion admitted to having used before when quoting different hip-hop lyrics but was apologetic about it. Orion candidly opened up about some of the racial slurs aimed at Native Americans, with Lauren saying she would never use the term"red skin" and didn’t understand its negative connotation.While Orion stayed quiet, Lauren said, “Oh, I just looked at your skin,” then laughed, which made the situation worse.
Undeterred by her apology, the remarks drew a wedge and threatened their chemistry, which affected their marriage. It was shocking to see a couple that had connected over their culture drift because of it. Another surprising detail was howLaurenwould make such an offhand commentconcerning the discussion they were having and then laugh about it. Overall, their personalities just didn’t seem to match.
2The MAFS Season 17 Group Dupe
They Played Their Cards Wrong
TheMAFSDenver season will go down in historyas one of the worst seasons in the franchise. The chaotic season saw no lasting marriages, but the season did produce plenty of drama. Before the cast displayed their animosity towards one another, during theMAFSreunion, they worked together to fool the producers and viewers so they could control the narrative. TheMarried At First Sightcouplesstruggled with a few issues, including religious beliefs, intimacy, and general negativity.
However, there were bigger problems than just a couple of bad matches. During the reunion, Brenan Shoykhet, who had married Emily Balch, revealed that the participants worked together in an attempt to control the series' narrative. He stated that their goal was to ensure that the producers weren’t the only people in charge of spinning the narrative,but the cast members would, too.
10 Things That Need To Happen In Married at First Sight Season 18 (Can The Show Redeem Its Credibility?)
After a massive flop of Married At First Sight season 17, a few things would make MAFS season 18 enjoyable, thus keeping the viewers entertained.
Despite theMAFScast working together to portray themselvesin a positive light, it ended up backfiring on them, which was a huge embarrassment for them. There were accusations of lying and manipulation, and by the time the reunion was happening, the female portion of the cast had formed a united front against their male cast members. Still,trying to deceive the production was one of the most sinister aspectsof the group, putting the show’s credibility into question.
1Tristan Thompson’s Fraud & Stalking Allegations Against Mia Bally
There Was Dishonesty In their Marriage
Mia Bally was one of the most controversialbrides fromMarried At First Sightseason 7. What should have been the adventure of a lifetime after she married Tristan Thompson (not related to Khloé Kardashian’s baby daddy) ended up being the most heartbreaking scenes afterMia was arrested at the airport on their way to their honeymoon. Apparently, she had an active warrant for her arrest, leaving Tristan pacing at the airport, wondering what she had done. It was later revealed theMAFScontestant had a felony warrant for three counts of stalking by her ex-boyfriend Jared Evans.
She also had another charge of unauthorized use of a credit card. This was shocking not only to Tristan but to theMAFSaudience. Mia had presented herself as a God-fearing woman who attended a weekly bible study and couldn’t kiss her husband on their wedding day. That was the beginning of the end of their marriage. Despite Mia insisting it was a case of mistaken identity, she later came out clean to Tristan, and with the intervention fromMarried At First Sightexperts.Mia and Tristan divorced a few months after their wedding.
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.
