In the latest developments from Australia's hit reality series Married At First Sight, couple Jacqui Burfoot and Ryan Donnelly find themselves embroiled in a web of controversy and allegations following their tumultuous time on the show. The couple, who faced numerous challenges throughout their experiment, split after airing serious accusations against each other that paint a vivid picture of their crumbling relationship.
Jacqui Burfoot has accused Ryan Donnelly of being "physically threatening" and "intimidating" during their time together. Speaking on TikTok, Jacqui recounted a particularly disturbing incident, stating, "The thing that scared me most was, if you think back to week two with the shoes on the bed incident, after I got my diary cam out, my little mobile phone, and filmed him... He physically threatened me and intimated me and I ran out of the room sh-- scared." This shocking revelation comes as both stars attempt to navigate their turbulent journey on reality television.
The controversy deepened during a homestay episode aired on March 18, 2025, when Jacqui expressed disappointment over the dynamics of her visit to Ryan’s home in Campbelltown. She described her experience as "boganic," accusing Ryan's friends of staging a premeditated attack against her during a bar confrontation. "Last night was hard to watch. It was harder at the time. It was clear Ryan had primed his friends, and they had pre-meditated an attack to take out their anger on me," Jacqui lamented. "He didn’t stand up for me and almost enjoyed watching them yell at me." Ryan quickly responded to Jacqui's claims, deriding her assertions and labeling her conflicting narratives as falsehoods. "Whacky Jacqui cannot even spell simple words, let alone make herself one percent believable at this point," he retorted on social media.
Meanwhile, tensions regarding their living arrangements also surfaced, as both participants reportedly utilized rental apartments during the filming. An insider revealed that these apartments were not Jacqui’s actual residence, with Ryan adding that they were told to maintain the façade that these were their homes. "Her actual place was a rental apartment with two other housemates," Ryan noted, claiming that the filming crew could not fit in her real living space.
In another striking claim, Jacqui disclosed that she filed a police report against Ryan just days after their homestay, alleging he had shared explicit screenshots of a personal nature on social media, which constituted revenge porn. Following this claim, she stated, "FYI, I filed a police report against Ryan... I encourage anyone to disengage with this content as nobody deserves to go through this." Ryan's response to these claims pointed to what he termed Jacqui’s “rogue crusade.” "From the moment [our wedding] episode concluded, Jacqui began her rogue crusade. I've been accused of being an abuser," he stated.
Their journey took an even more dramatic turn during the intimacy workshop, a pivotal moment that showcased Ryan’s problematic comments. Among the remarks made, he confessed, "But I gotta say...she gives awesome h***." His candid, explicit commentary caused shockwaves among the other grooms. Although Ryan later apologized for his “crass, ungentlemanly-like” choice of words, the impact of his comments lingered, leading to discussions at a following dinner party where Jacqui expressed her irritation over Ryan's earlier photo ranking challenge and his lack of attraction towards her.
After visiting Ryan's home, Jacqui noted the chaos of the environment and even compared it to the loneliness some elderly people experience when living alone for years, saying, "I just think he’s been alone here for seven years and maybe he isn’t aware of how lonely he is." Her poignant remarks resonated as she attempted to dissect the various challenges they faced as a couple, reflecting on both Ryan's habits and their interpersonal conflicts.
Despite their disagreements, the couple continued to vow to stay together during the show, but behind the scenes, Jacqui's emotional turmoil hinted at a fracture that has seemingly become insurmountable. Recent reports suggest that post-filming, Jacqui was spotted with another participant, Clint, enjoying each other's company in Tasmania, which raises questions about her current relationship status with Ryan.
As the saga unfolds for viewers on MAFS Australia, the complex dynamics between Jacqui and Ryan mirror wider issues of communication and mistrust, both on-screen and in relationships off-screen. With accusations flying and tensions running high, the viewer response has reflected a mix of sympathy and disbelief as the couple's story continues to develop. The public eagerly awaits to see how this unfolding drama will conclude.
