Contrary to its premise, Married at First Sight has never inspired much confidence in its viewers. The hope of finding everlasting love almost always takes a backseat to awkwardness, explosive drama, and questionable matches. So it’s actually quite shocking that a number of participants have walked away from their reality TV stint with a storybook ending. We’re taking a look at the ten most talked-about couples in the show’s history to answer the question: where are they now?
‘Married At First Sight’ Is On Its 12th Season On Lifetime
Married at First Sight, which currently airs on Lifetime, originally debuted on FYI in 2014. Now in its twelfth season, the reality series scores huge ratings for its wacky concept: multiple couples, who are matched by a panel of relationship experts, agree to marry upon meeting. After eight weeks, the newlyweds must decide whether to stick it out or part ways.
Viewers follow the couples’ journeys during their trial period, and needless to say, drama usually ensues. Some matches are disastrous, while others are unexpectedly promising. Of the 40-plus pairings that we’ve seen, here are the ten most memorable couples in the series’ history.
Elizabeth and Jamie
Season 9 introduced us to sassy Southerner Elizabeth Bice and Silicon Valley tech guru Jamie Thompson. Give this couple credit for surviving a myriad of challenges—not only did they marry under unusual circumstances, but they also survived the California wildfires and coronavirus together.
The pair’s on-screen relationship had its heated moments, and the MAFS experts were enlisted to help them improve their communication skills. The end result is a couple that’s still going strong. They recently relocated to Santa Barbara, where Thompson firmly remains Bice’s number-one man crush.
Deonna and Greg
Deonna McNeill and Greg Okotie are another success story from the ninth season. Not only are they still married, but they have a growing family! In February 2021, the couple welcomed their first child—a precious baby boy named Declan—into the world.
“Truly a blessing to be married to this woman and for her to carry our first of eight children…?? jk (maybe),” Okotie wrote in a separate post. “Crazy how your life can change when you trust and take a leap of faith ??.”
But fans shouldn’t expect to see too much of their bundle of joy. McNeill said they’ll probably keep details about Declan under wraps and shield him from social media.
“We signed up to be public figures, but our child really didn’t so to be able to keep some things private and to ourselves will allow for our child to be able to make those decisions when they grow up,” she said.
Zach and Mindy
A promising marriage between figure skating coach Mindy Shiben and fitness trainer Zach Justice quickly took a nosedive when the groom confessed that he wasn’t attracted to his bride. The drama reached new heights when Justice confessed that he had been sharing details of their relationship with Shiben’s gal pal Linsday.
The couple’s journey was a bust and predictably ended in divorce. But Shiben—a fan favorite—still found happiness. She is currently living her best life as an ESL teacher in Mexico.
In February, she answered fan questions on Instagram. “Are you happy that you went on the show MAFS?” asked one user.
“Definitely,” said Shiben. “Even though I didn’t get what I went into the show hoping for, it was a blessing in other ways. Lots of lessons learned. I am glad. I’m blessed. I’m truly glad I did it.”
As for Justice, he appears to be building his brand as a fitness influencer. He makes no mention of his time on MAFS on his Instagram account.
Iris and Keith
Iris Caldwell and Keith Manley didn’t survive Season 9 of MAFS, but at least they served as a model for honest communication. Manley just didn’t believe that either of them was mature enough for marriage, and both walked away without hard feelings.
Today, Caldwell is a Christian influencer who slays on Instagram. She also partnered with the Christian dating app Date Upward to show that she hasn’t given up on finding love.
Manley has spent his post-MAFS life traveling and promoting his first book, Life is Just…
“We are so used to seeking dependence because attachment feels like an escape from loneliness, he wrote in a September 2020 Instagram post. “But what if dependence only serves some of us as a distraction from getting to know our true selves, without the approval of others? What if some of us were meant to walk alone?”
It sounds like he’s in less of a rush to get hitched again, and he seems perfectly content with that.
Cortney and Jason
Even though Season 1 couple Cortney Hendrix and Jason Carrion divorced after five years, they are still a success story that outperformed our expectations.
“Although we’ve decided to go our separate ways, we continue to love and support one another and still share a common goal to remain friends,” Carrion said in a 2019 statement to People.
Today, the ex-spouses are both happily remarried. Carrion wed fellow reality TV star Roxanne Pallett in January 2020, but they’re not active on social media. Hendrix married an accountant last October who goes by Sherm. He doesn’t provide his full name to media outlets.
“I’m just looking forward to being a wife again — but a better wife,” Hendrix told People. “I feel that I am the best version of me that I’ve ever been, and I’m really proud of the person I’ve become…”
Chris Williams and Paige
Perhaps one of the worst (or best) casting decisions in the history of MAFS is Chris Williams from Season 12. The groom has been an unsympathetic villain from the get. Chief among his wrongdoings: telling wife Paige Banks he wasn’t attracted to her (shortly after having sex!), dropping the bombshell that his ex-girlfriend is pregnant with his child, and prematurely asking for a divorce.
Banks’s decision to stick things out has left everyone scratching their heads. At the end of their season, Williams shocked Banks by announcing his intention to get back with his ex-fiancée to see if their relationship was better than his and Banks’.
Amber and Matt
For the second-worst MAFS cast member next to Chris Williams, look no further than Matt Gwynne. His marriage to Amber Bowles in Season 9 was a certified disaster. The couple didn’t make it very far due to Gwynne’s infidelity and secrecy, but the good news is that Bowles is better off without him.
The divorcee recently shared news that she purchased her first home. “I’m just over here feeling 30, Flirty, and Thriving!!!!” she wrote in an Instagram post.
Meanwhile, Gwynne is living in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he works as a “corporate actions analyst.” By the looks of his Instagram, he’s happy being a bachelor and leaving MAFS in the past.
Jamie and Doug
Season 1 partners Jamie Otis and Doug Hehner are proof that MAFS is more than a reality TV stunt. In May 2020, Otis gave birth to their second child, Hendrix.
Their daughter, Henley Grace, was born in August 2017, but Otis suffered three devastating miscarriages on the way to assembling her happy little squad.
It’s heartwarming to see how far the couple has come since Otis first walked down the aisle. (Quick refresher: she cried at the wedding because she wasn’t attracted to him.) Today, she’s nothing short of grateful for being matched with Hehner.
“When it comes to me [and] our kids, I never have to worry about anything other than LOVE (and a few corny dad jokes) from him,” she wrote on Instagram.? “He endlessly plays sick so our daughter can be his doctor [and] ‘check his temperature.’ He changes diapers, brings me water while I’m nursing, cooks me meals at midnight (just happened last night) every.single.time.asked.”
“I was never more in love with someone and in awe of someone than watching her give birth to our son,” Hehner told People.
Nick and Sonia
Nick Pendergrast and Sonia Granados tied the knot in Season 4. In July 2019, Pendergrast revealed that he had become partially paralyzed after a tragic work accident.
Although his marriage to Granados ultimately failed, she squashed their differences and offered unconditional support for her former spouse.
“Please know that I have been praying for you and your babies for months,” she wrote on Instagram. “I pray that you know you aren’t alone and that there are so many people who love and value you… I know you will.”
Pendergrast had moved on two months after their divorce was finalized. As he makes a journey towards recovery, he has the support of his new partner, Heather Yerrid, and their twins, Logan Joseph and Layla Rae.
Based on her Instagram posts, Granados seems to be in good spirits after her time on the show. She frequently shares pictures of herself with her friends and family. She also hosts a podcast.
Luke and Kate
If viewers were hooked on following Season 8’s Kate Sisk and Luke Cuccurullo, it’s definitely not because they had high hopes for the couple. The two were a fundamental mismatch—but then again, which woman would be the right fit for a guy who’d say he’s repulsed by his wife?
Sisk has moved on and stays focused on her career. She currently runs the lingerie retailer Hidden Intimates.
Meanwhile, Cuccurullo is trying to make it as a portrait photographer. Word was that he had fallen in love with a new woman since his divorce, but he hasn’t posted a couple’s pic since February.