‘Married at First Sight’: Olajuwon and Katina of Season 14 Announce Divorce – What Potentially Led to Split
Another couple from Married at First Sight have called it quits. After spending the season berating his wife for her lack of domestic skills, Olajuwon and Katina said yes on Decision Day and appeared to still be going strong. In a recent Instagram post, they announced their split. What led to the breakup is unclear, but their time on the show may give a hint as to why they couldn’t make it last.
Olajuwon and Katina announce divorce
The Boston couple shocked many when they opted to stay together on Decision Day, as their marriage was a rollercoaster filled with emotional and intense disagreements. Some were even more shocked when they revealed they were still together at the reunion special. Olajuwon gifted Katina an upgraded ring. The experts and their co-stars congratulated them on their progress.
The couple released a joint statement on Instagram confirming they are going their separate ways. “After one year of marriage and careful thought and consideration, we have decided to part ways,” the statement began. “However, this was not an easy decision to make. We leave our marriage with enormous love and respect for each other. We only ask that, at this time, our privacy is respected. It appears comments for the post may be disabled.
Their last post together on both of their respective Instagram accounts is from Sept. 14. In the time leading up to the announcement, Olajuwon has been sharing updates about his dog’s health and posting workout videos.
The couple struggled with lifestyle differences and Olajuwon’s critical behavior
Very early on, Olajuwon was viewed as emotionally abusive toward his wife. He constantly criticized her for not being as domestic with cooking and cleaning to his liking. Katina communicated that he spoke harshly to her at times, which he seemed to lack empathy or understanding.
In one scene, Dr. Viviana blasted Olajuwon for his views on how subservient his wife should be. “Did you not eat before you were married?” Dr. Viviana asked during their joint session. He responded: “I talk to her about laziness…It’s just really —” Dr. Viviana interrupted and asked, “You think she’s lazy?” According to Olajuwon, Katina does exhibit behaviors he feels are lazy. “When it comes to our marriage, just caring for the other person, the effort isn’t there,” he responded.
She continued: “It almost sounds like you have this idea of what marriage looks like. You have this idea of what a husband looks like, what a wife looks like. And unless she looks 100 percent like that off the bat, you’re gonna talk down to her. You’re gonna say she’s not grown. You’re gonna say she’s lazy. That’s what it’s coming across as.”
Katina previously said Olajuwon grew from watching his flaws on television
Watching the season back was not easy, but Katina ignored social media users’ reactions and prayers that she leave Olajuwon. For her husband, she says it was an eye-opener.
“A lot of people don’t get the opportunity to see how they are so when you get to watch yourself and how you come off, it’s like ‘Oh wow.’ You’re either going to be somebody that’s like ‘I don’t care’ or you’re going to be someone who’s going to be like ‘I really don’t like that about myself.’ So, for Olajuwon, he was like, ‘What? This was mean!’ It was kind of like an out-of-body experience for him,” she explained during an interview on the Are You My Podcast.
