Married At First Sight’s Ryan Donnelly was trapped in a ‘toxic’ relationship on the show, and his closest friends claim they tried everything to convince him to escape – but he refused.
Speaking to Daily Mail Australia on Wednesday, Ryan’s best mates Adam and Karla admitted they were ‘worried sick’ about him and attempted to stage a getaway from the controversial experiment.
‘Don’t worry about the curfew, just stay the weekend. What are they going to do? Kick you off the show? You’re the main star here!’ Adam recalled telling Ryan, urging him to ‘bend the rules’ and leave his MAFS wife Jacqui Burfoot behind.
According to Karla, Ryan was ‘miserable’ but refused to abandon the process, believing things would get better.
‘He actually cared about her. Even though she was constantly making him feel worthless,’ Karla revealed.
Adam, who was in daily contact with Ryan, said his mate’s mental state deteriorated dramatically.
‘Every day, it was just a new form of depression. You could hear it in his voice, he was just getting worse and worse,’ he continued.
Ryan’s friends also exposed shocking behind-the-scenes claims about MAFS production tactics, with Adam alleging that showrunners coerced Ryan into staying by convincing him that the experiment would be worth it in the end.
‘They whisper sweet things in your ear, just like she was,’ Adam said, suggesting producers subtly manipulated Ryan into continuing the ‘marriage’ even when it was destroying him.
Ryan admitted that publicity teams later warned him against exposing the truth about how the show ‘convinced’ him to stay.
‘They called me the other day, asking me not to mention that publicity convinced me to stay,’ he told Daily Mail Australia.
Adam and Karla then teared into Jacqui’s alleged ‘manipulative’ ways, claiming she was only on the show to boost her profile.
‘She had this plan from the start. She was gonna play victim no matter what. Try to come out as the independent, strong woman – and now that the edit hasn’t gone her way, she’s completely unravelled,’ Adam said.
Karla added: ‘She was love-bombing Ryan, then taking it away. It was all an act. One minute, she’s showering him with affection, the next, she’s throwing him under the bus on camera. It was disgusting.’
When confronted about the claims, Ryan agreed, revealing Jacqui had been trying to control their public narrative long before the show aired.
‘She always had an agenda. She wanted to get the most free clothes, be the best-dressed, and stay on the show for maximum exposure,’ he claimed.
Even fellow contestant Katie Johnston reportedly reached out to Ryan, saying she was ‘so glad’ she left when she did.
‘She told me, ‘I feel so sorry for you. I don’t know how you survived being with that!’ Ryan revealed.
Ryan’s friends believe Jacqui’s real motivation was to stay on TV at all costs.
Despite repeatedly claiming she felt ‘unsafe’ and ‘wanted to leave’, she continued writing ‘stay’ at commitment ceremonies, seemingly contradicting her statements.
‘That’s what I can’t wait for Sunday night to expose,’ Carla said.
‘If she felt so unsafe, why did she keep writing stay? It makes no sense.’ Adam agreed, adding, ‘She always needed to be the victim. She was just waiting for her ‘hero’ moment, where she could play the survivor.’
Reflecting on the relationship, Ryan now believes he ‘dodged a missile’ by getting away from Jacqui.
‘At the dinner party, I walked in with a new suit, a fresh start, and I thought, ‘I’m taking charge of this b**ch.’ And I just told everyone exactly what happened. Their jaws hit the floor,’ he recalled.
According to Ryan, even fellow contestants Jeff Gobbels and Rhi Disljenkovic were stunned by Jacqui’s antics, with Rhi allegedly telling Ryan she was ‘shocked by the lies’ Jacqui had been spreading.
As the drama unfolds on screen, it’s clear that the fallout between Ryan and Jacqui is far from over.
With WhatsApp messages, behind-the-scenes secrets, and claims of manipulation now in the spotlight, fans are questioning just how much of MAFS is truly reality.
Adam ended the chat hopeful, saying: ‘The screenshots speak for themselves. All those WhatsApp messages show exactly how she was love-bombing Ryan, keeping him hooked, then turning it all around on him. She wanted the fame, nothing else.’
Ryan, meanwhile, is preparing for the reunion episode, where he’s set to ‘expose everything’ once and for all.
‘Everyone will see the truth soon enough,’ he promises.
