‘Married at First Sight’: 5 of the Most Toxic Couples
It’s no secret that most Married at First Sight relationships ultimately end in divorce. Most couples who meet and marry on the Lifetime reality show eventually go their separate ways. Sometimes, people just don’t click, despite their best efforts to make things work. In other cases, one partner torpedoes the marriage with their controlling behavior, gaslighting, or rigid demands. And sometimes, the particular combination of two people is a disaster waiting to happen. That’s what happened with these five Married at First Sight couples, who are among the most toxic to appear on the show.
Brandon Reid and Taylor Dunklin from ‘Married at First Sight’ Season 10 took out restraining orders against each other
Washington, D.C. couple Brandon Reid and Taylor Dunklin have the distinction of being one of two couples to have their marriage annulled rather than going through a divorce. (The other is Meka and Michael, also from Married at First Sight Season 10.) Though there were some sparks between them at the beginning, the honeymoon period was short-lived.
Brandon was a poor fit for a reality TV marriage, as he didn’t like being filmed. He gave Taylor the silent treatment on their honeymoon and cursed out the production crew. Brandon also thought his wife had a “bad attitude” and “negative energy.” And he was understandably upset when she posted on Instagram about being a single woman, even though she was married.
To the surprise of no one, Taylor and Brandon split on Decision Day. But sometime later, they ran into each other at a bar and got into an altercation. Both were arrested and ended up taking out restraining orders against the other, Taylor revealed during the MAFS Season 10 reunion special.
Chris Williams and Paige Banks’s marriage was painful to watch
Chris Williams from Married at First Sight Season 12 is already on our list of the show’s worst husbands. The Atlanta entrepreneur played mind games with his wife Paige Banks from the beginning. After the two had sex on their honeymoon, he told her he didn’t find her attractive. Soon after, he dropped a bomb when he revealed his ex-girlfriend was pregnant with his child.
To the surprise – and concern – of many viewers, Paige opted to stay with Chris, But his constant manipulation eventually became too much, and by Decision Day, she knew she wanted a divorce. Chris made a last-ditch attempt to lure her back into the marriage, but she resisted.
Married at First Sight expert Dr. Pepper Schwartz recognized that she and the other experts had made a huge mistake with this match. She told Paige her husband was “an extraordinary narcissist” and said she didn’t want her “to take that garbage.” But Dr. Viviana Coles, another season 12 expert, pointed out that Paige chose to remain with Chris for the entire eight weeks, and implied that she had to take responsibility for her choice.
“She chose commitment!” Coles said in an interview with Bustle. “She chose it in spades! So how can we tell someone in one breath to be committed to their partner and work through things and also say, ‘Um, you need to run’? It’s a difficult position to be in, for sure.”
Noi and Steve from ‘MAFS’ Season 14 were quietly toxic
When it comes to toxic couples from Married at First Sight Season 14, viewers might think of Lindsey and Mark or Chris and Alyssa. But even though Noi Phommasak and Steve Moy didn’t have big on-screen blowups, their marriage was quietly toxic.
Noi’s parents were refugees and her family struggled financially. She made it clear she valued security in a relationship. So, many MAFS fans were baffled when the experts paired her with Steve, an unemployed sales engineer. Steve’s opaque finances and lack of interest in getting a 9-to-5 job were major issues for Noi. But Steve downplayed her worries, claiming he had plenty of money in savings. However, Noi later said he was never transparent about his finances.
Meanwhile, Steve had an issue with Noi’s social media use, particularly when she posted that she “deserve[d] better.” Noi’s communication style was another problem; she had a tendency to shut down during conflict, even walking out of the apartment after an argument about cooking pasta. She also didn’t want to move in with her husband after Decision Day. To many viewers, she came across as immature.
Still, Steve and Noi wanted to try to make it work. They both said yes on Decision Day and were still together at the reunion. But soon after, Noi took to Instagram to reveal that they’d split, writing “divorce feels good.” He claimed he was blindsided by her announcement and wanted to make things work, but she alleged that he was the one who wanted to end the marriage.
“You are not heartbroken, so stop acting like this for everyone else,” Noi commented on Instagram. “You made this choice.”
Since then, Steve has shared several lengthy posts about their breakup on his social media. Meanwhile, Noi has moved on with someone else, based on a recent Instagram post.
Alexis and Justin’s relationship turned ugly
We should have known that Alexis Hall and Justin Williams wouldn’t work out when she revealed she’d previously matched with her husband on Hinge, but that they’d never gone on a date. This Married at First Sight Season 15 couple had a serious lack of sexual chemistry. But that wasn’t the only issue in their marriage.
After Justin’s dog attacked Alexis’s dog at their first meeting, she demanded that he give up his pet. A heartbroken Justin agreed to send her to a training camp, but her ultimatum left him resentful, especially because she didn’t seem overly concerned with how it affected him. He also didn’t like that his wife still wanted to spend her weekend nights at the club with her friends rather than with him. Meanwhile, Alexis found her husband needy and overly emotional. She also felt he wasn’t always honest with her.
Despite the tension, Justin and Alexis said yes on Decision Day. Moments later, they started arguing, and they reversed their decision less than a day later. Then, during a post-breakup confrontation, he claimed that she said he couldn’t get an erection, adding that if he had performance issues, it was because her “PH balance was off.” The mud-slinging was ugly, and it was a relief to see this marriage come to an end.
‘Married at First Sight’ Season 6 couple Molly and Jon’s relationship had a shocking twist
Molly Duff from Married at First Sight Season 6 earned a spot on our list of the show’s worst wives. Fans were shocked by her cruel remarks to her husband Jonathan Francetic during their brief marriage, which ended before Decision Day. When the two got into an argument after Molly started talking to a guy at a bar, Jonathan started recording their conversation, including the moment when she called him “disgusting.”
Molly tried to deny she’d done anything out of line, but once expert Dr. Jessica Griffin heard the recording, she called her out. Griffin’s job was to help Molly and Jon work through their issues, but patching things up was impossible. The marriage was likely doomed no matter what, but few were prepared for the next twist. After season 6 ended, Francetic and Griffin announced they’d started dating. The two came in for plenty of criticism from viewers who thought Griffin had crossed a professional line by starting a relationship with someone she’d counseled. Molly also side-eyed the relationship.
“It kind of sucked, because I was like, ‘Ok, this is someone that I had been confiding in the whole time,’” Molly said during a 2023 Married at First Sight: Where Are They Now special. “[Jessica] was supposed to be fighting for our marriage together. And then, kind of out of the blue, seemingly, they’re suddenly together.”
Francetic and Griffin’s relationship had an unusual start, but it was apparently true love. The two married in October 2022 after several years of dating.
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