‘Married at First Sight’: Domynique and Mackinley Were a Terrible Match

Domynique and Mackinley have made their choice. On the March 1 episode of Lifetime’s Married at First Sight, the Nashville couple agreed to separate after just two weeks of marriage. The swift end to the relationship wasn’t a huge surprise – there were rumors the couple split prior to Decision Day. But given how quickly they flamed out, it’s fair to wonder what the experts were thinking when they paired these two together. 

The ‘Married at First Sight’ experts thought Mackinley and Domynique had similar attachment styles 

Mackinley, 34, is an introverted entrepreneur in the cannabis industry. He moved to Nashville from Michigan to find love. Domynique, 25, is an associate sales broker whose mother initially signed her up for the show. Though she’s young, she describes herself as an “old soul.” She said she was done with dating and ready to settle down with a more mature guy. Married at First Sight experts Dr. Pepper Schwartz and Pastor Cal Roberson thought they were perfect for each other. 

“Domynique and Mackinley are a great match because they possess similar attachment styles in relationships,” Pastor Cal explained. 

“They like independence and don’t want a spouse who is overly needy,” he went on to say. “Additionally, Domynique is looking for an older and more emotionally mature partner, which she will find in Mackinley. And Mackinley is looking for an optimistic and outgoing partner, like Domynique, who can help bring him out of his shell and expand his horizons.” 

Mackinley and Domynique didn’t click on ‘MAFS’

Though Pastor Cal and Dr. Pepper had high hopes for Mackinley and Domynique, the two never really clicked. There was an initial attraction when they met at the altar, especially on his side. However, problems emerged on the honeymoon. 

Mackinley was picky and demanding during the trip from Nashville to Jamaica, when he got upset after the airline assigned him a middle seat, Domynique claimed during an appearance on Married at First Sight: Afterparty. And she was disappointed that he wasn’t as adventurous as she was. Mackinley tried to be a good sport and go along with his wife’s efforts to pull him out of his shell. However, her criticisms soon began to grate on him. 

Once they returned to Nashville, Domynique couldn’t hide her disappointment that her new husband was living in a family friend’s basement. And she grew increasingly frustrated with what she felt was his negative energy. Though they were supposed to move into their shared apartment together, she balked. 

“Honestly, I’m just kind of over it … I want a divorce,” she told Pastor Cal during his sit-down with her and Mackinley. 

Later, some of the rest of the Nashville cast attempted to get the pair to change their minds. But they decided to part ways rather than trying to work things out. 

The experts got this ‘Married at First Sight’ couple totally wrong 

Both Mackinely and Domynique told Pastor Cal that they were disappointed with the person the experts matched them with. But he insisted they had more in common than they realized and were throwing in the towel too soon. 

At the same time, the MAFS expert seemed to admit that he and Dr. Pepper may have misjudged Domynique’s readiness for a lifelong commitment.

“I suggest that if this is your decision that you take ample time to explore life to do whatever the heck you want to do before you choose to get into another serious relationship,” he told her. “Maybe, just maybe, 25 was too young. Do you think?”

Domynique didn’t agree with Pastor Cal’s assessment. But it seems clear she underestimated the amount of compromise getting married at first sight would require. She also didn’t know how to cope with a partner whose personality didn’t match her own. Meanwhile, the experts should have predicted that Mackinley’s less-conventional living situation and lack of Nashville ties would have been an issue for a person seeking stability in a relationship. Mackinley may have also oversold his desire to be married to someone who would push him out of his comfort zone. Ultimately, Mackinley and Domynique might have looked good together on paper, but they ended up being a horrible mismatch in real life. 

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