‘Married at First Sight’: 5 of the Worst Husbands of All Time
Married at First Sight doesn’t always end in happily ever after. Sometimes, it’s more like a nightmare. Just ask the unlucky women who ended up matched with these five men, who’ve earned the dubious honor of being among the worst husbands in Married at First Sight history. Thanks to their gaslighting, stonewalling, and (in one case) threats of violence, these guys stood out for all the wrong reasons.
Chris Williams from ‘Married at First Sight’ Season 12 played mind games with Paige Banks
Poor Paige Banks. The Atlanta accountant was hoping to find the love of her life on Married at First Sight Season 12. What she got was something else entirely. The show’s experts matched her with Chris Williams, a self-assured finance manager and entrepreneur who turned out to have a shady past.
Things got off to a rocky start for Paige and Chris right after the wedding. Though the two had sex on their honeymoon, Chris told her afterward that he didn’t find her attractive. But the real bombshell came when he revealed that his ex-fiancé was pregnant with his child. What followed was a rollercoaster of a marriage, with Chris waffling over whether to stay with Paige or reunite with his ex and Paige struggling to figure out where she stood with her husband.
Though Chris didn’t appear to be seriously interested in being married to Paige, he was also unwilling to cut her loose entirely. The constant manipulation left her feeling confused and drained, especially when he announced on Decision Day that he wanted to stay married. Thankfully, the couple eventually ended up getting divorced.
Brandon Reid hated being on camera
Season 10’s Brandon Reid may have wanted to get married at first sight. But he apparently overlooked the part of the process that included being on TV.
Brandon really didn’t like being filmed, which became obvious during an incident when he cursed out the show’s producers after getting frustrated over a lack of privacy. His marriage to Taylor Dunklin was marked by conflict, and it was no surprise to anyone when the two split on Decision Day. But that wasn’t the end of things. An off-camera altercation between Decision Day and the reunion special led to both Brandon and Taylor getting arrested and then taking out restraining orders against the other.
Taylor had her own issues, and some Married at First Sight fans would put her on the list of worst wives in the show’s history. But given Brandon’s attitude, it’s fair to say the decision to cast him was a major misstep.
Matt Gwynne refused to sign divorce papers
Matt Gwynne didn’t want to be married to Amber Bowles. But he didn’t want to get divorced, either. The Married at First Sight Season 9 husband cheated on his wife during their brief marriage, which led to them splitting up before Decision Day. That’s when things got really weird. The former pro basketball player (he played in Europe) refused to sign divorce papers. The two married in 2019, but in 2020, when they both appeared on the Married at First Sight: Where Are They Now? special, they weren’t yet legally divorced.
Matt claimed he’d been out of the country, which was why he hadn’t signed the papers. It wasn’t until July 2020 that he finally put pen to paper and gave Amber the divorce she’d been requesting for more than a year.
MAFS fans weren’t impressed by Matt’s behavior during his time on the show, and an incident after filming ended suggested they were right to be skeptical. In November 2021, he was arrested after allegedly breaking into the home of a woman he was dating, Page Six reported.
Zach Justice got emotionally involved with his wife’s friend
Strong marriages are built on mutual trust. But Married at First Sight Season 10 wife Mindy Shiben’s trust in her husband Zach Justine was broken early on. She discovered that he’d been exchanging texts and phone calls with one of her friends where they discussed his and Mindy’s marriage. And that wasn’t the only issue for the couple. He also refused to move into their shared apartment and bluntly told her he didn’t find her attractive.
Zach’s emotional affair with his wife’s friend was the final nail in the coffin of their already dying relationship. He and Mindy called it quits. But that wasn’t the end of Zach’s sketchy behavior. During the show’s reunion special, he revealed that he’d gone on a date with Katie Conrad, another season 10 cast member, shocking Mindy, Katie’s ex Derek, and the show’s fans. Later, Mindy called out Zach for dragging his feet on granting her a divorce, though he claimed she was the one delaying the process.
Ryan DeNino threatened his wife Jessica Castro
More than a few Married at First Sight husbands have engaged in questionable behavior during their time on the show. But long-time fans know that none were worse than season 2’s Ryan DeNino. The Staten Island business owner married Jessica Castro, a receptionist from Queens. To say their explosive six-week marriage ended badly would be an understatement. During the reunion special, Jessica accused him of cheating on her (on Valentine’s Day, no less). And there were apparently some disturbing off-camera moments that left the Married at First Sight cast member genuinely terrified.
In July 2015, Jessica filed for a protection order against Ryan. In court papers, she said he’d threatened both her and her family with violence. “I will break you into f***ing pieces,” he allegedly said, according to the filing (via Us Weekly). “I will make your whole family disappear.”
Ryan also reportedly threatened his ex while taping the reunion special. “She’s f***ing dead. When I get back to Brooklyn, she’s f***ing dead,” a live mic captured him saying. After that incident, the show’s producers provided Jessica with security.
How to get help: In the U.S., call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or text START to 88788.
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