Married At First Sight has been known for casting some controversial stars on the series, and some of the more difficult-to-watch MAFS cast members have made the show look bad through the years. While Married At First Sight has been one of the major players in reality TV dating since its debut in 2014, the series has welcomed some incredibly controversial cast members over the years. While the casting team at MAFS isn’t looking for the type of controversy some cast members bring, they wind up finding more than they bargained for.

The cast members involved with MAFS are asked to give the casting team a thorough look at their backgrounds and relationship history, but their time on the series isn’t predetermined. After they’re matched up with their MAFS spouse, cast members are trusted to be able to handle their relationships with the help of the Married At First Sight experts. Currently comprised of Dr. Pepper Schwartz, Dr. Pia Holec, and Pastor Cal Roberson, the Married At First Sight experts do their best to help the couples, but don’t always have the tools to solve their problems.

In the most recent seasons of MAFS, the experts have struggled in putting the couples together to create successful matches. While this is partly due to the chemistry and bond of the couple themselves, the cast members themselves are also to blame for the issues that come up during their marriages and create conflict. Though Married At First Sight isn’t typically setting out to create couples that don’t last throughout the experiment, their success rate in the last several seasons has been dismally low. Though it’s likely better off if couples who don’t work don’t stay together, it’s been disheartening.

For Married At First Sight participants who join the show actually looking to find a partner, many feel that it’s their last resort. The MAFS casting page even explains that the show is hoping for people who feel as though they’re at the end of their rope in terms of romantic relationships. By looking for desperate people, the casting team of Married At First Sight has to have some inclination that the people they’re bringing onto the show could have some personal issues.

As the Married At First Sight casting team bring new potential cast members to the table, looking at their past behavior should be top priority. While cast members can be deceptive during the casting process in a way that’s unavoidable at times, it’s clear that the casting team can also turn a blind eye to the behaviors of Married At First Sight cast members if they think the entertainment value is there. That attitude is what has caused some of the most controversial MAFS cast members to become part of the show.

10

Brennan Shoykhet

Married At First Sight Season 17

Brennan Shoykhet entered into his marriage with Emily Balch on Married At First Sight season 17 hoping that he’d be finding the romance of a lifetime. Unfortunately, Brennan realized quickly that he wasn’t interested in Emily romantically, and the tune of his time on the show changed. Throughout MAFS season 17, Brennan hid his real feelings from Emily, withholding his distaste for her and making her uncomfortable while trying to keep his perception on screen positive.

Though Brennan’s dishonesty was a sticking point for Married At First Sight viewers, his behavior outside of his marriage was what made him controversial on screen. During the MAFS season 17 reunion, it was revealed that Brennan and the rest of the husbands of the Denver season had been working together in secret to create story lines they could play out on camera. Brennan’s dishonesty and consistent denial of his actions made him one of the most controversial stars of the season.

9

Domynique Kloss

Married At First Sight Season 16

Joining Married At First Sight season 16 for the opportunity to find an unconventional match, Domynique Kloss found herself married to Mackinley Gilbert and quickly realized she wasn’t prepared. At only 25 years old, Domynique was one of the younger participants on MAFS season 16, and the age gap between her and her MAFS groom was nearly a decade. Though the partners seemed to get along at first, it rapidly became apparent that they were struggling to relate to one another.

Mack and Domynique’s relationship was a continuous power struggle, as Mack felt that he was happy to be working at their marriage, while Domynique wasn’t sure she wanted to. Though she was able to talk about marriage in a theoretical sense, Domynique struggled in the actual, physical relationship she found herself in on the series. Ending their marriage early, Domynique was too immature for the experience, creating controversy surrounding her participation in the experiment overall.

8

Mia Bally

Married At First Sight Season 7

Although her marriage to Tristan Thompson during Married At First Sight season 7 wasn’t always difficult, Mia Bally’s time on the show was tremendously controversial for a few reasons. Mia and Tristan’s relationship got off on the wrong foot almost immediately, when Mia was detained at the airport on the way to the couple’s honeymoon. After her MAFS background check had cleared, court documents had been filed against Mia for alleged stalking and fraud.

While Mia’s relationship with Tristan continued past the allegations, the couple had some fights regarding the incident throughout their time on Married At First Sight. Though it has come to light after the show that Mia was the victim of an ex-boyfriend in a previous relationship, her controversial beginnings on MAFS were surprising for viewers. Mia and Tristan chose to stay married after the experiment, but ultimately divorced after appearing on Married At First Sight.

7

Zach Justice

Married At First Sight Season 10

Although Zach Justice entered into his marriage with Mindy Shiben on Married At First Sight season 10 hoping that it would be the best relationship of his life, he didn’t have the experience he was looking for. Zach and Mindy’s relationship seemed like it could stand the MAFS test at first, but things began to crumble quickly after they began. While Zach was hoping he’d find himself attracted to his new bride, he didn’t feel a spark between them and didn’t know how to proceed.

Though Zach was hopeful that attraction would blossom between himself and Mindy if they pursued a friendship, Mindy wasn’t aware that he wasn’t feeling anything toward her. By staying quiet, Zach pushed Mindy into a tailspin and made her question herself unnecessarily. By the time Mindy realized something was off between them, Zach had closed off nearly entirely, putting of his wife and Married At First Sight viewers all at once.

6

Clare Kerr

Married At First Sight Season 17

Another Married At First Sight season 17 hopeful, Clare Kerr came into the experiment hoping to find something with her MAFS groom, New Zealand native Cameron Frazer. Clare, a therapist who was hoping to put herself first during the experiment, seemed like she had a connection with Cameron in the beginning of their marriage. While Clare and Cameron were looking for different things, it was clear they both wanted to find stable ground with each other.

Unfortunately, Clare felt manipulated by Cameron throughout their marriage and the manipulation wasn’t something that she was talking about on camera. Because of the lack of discussion surrounding her feelings on the way Cameron was behaving, Clare came off like she was erratic, over emotional, and confusing. She was a controversial member of the season for her behavior, and for keeping quiet about what the guys of Married At First Sight season 17 were up to.

5

Molly Duff

Married At First Sight Season 6

During her time on Married At First Sight season 6, Molly Duff found herself married to 28-year-old financial associate Jonathan Francetic. Molly, who was 25 at the time and working as an insurance adjuster, was hopeful that her marriage to Jonathan would bring new love into her life. Though she wasn’t certain about her connection with her new husband after their wedding, she decided to stick it out and see where the experiment would take her, not knowing she’d become the villain of the season.

Molly’s behavior during her time on MAFS season 6 was difficult to watch. She consistently belittled, undermined, and bullied Jonathan. Though she denied that she was being difficult in the relationship, even bordering on abusive in moments, Molly was caught yelling on camera when Jonathan filmed her without her knowledge during a conversation. He was able to catch her poor behavior on camera, and after showing it to the experts, Molly had a lot to explain about herself.

4

Luke Cuccurullo

Married At First Sight Season 8

Married At First Sight season 8’s Luke Cuccurullo married Kate Sisk during the experiment, hopeful he’d be going into a marriage that would make both his and his brides’ lives better. Though he said he’d come into the experiment with an open mind, Luke quickly changed his tune when he got to know his bride. Explaining that he wasn’t interested in Kate after just a few days of marriage, Luke wasn’t sure where to go if he wasn’t looking to continue the relationship.

Despite feeling like things were over, Luke stayed in the relationship for the majority of the experiment. He shared that he didn’t feel any physical attraction Kate, even going as far as mentioning that he felt physically ill after kissing his bride on their Married At First Sight wedding day. After being physically intimate with Kate, Luke shared that he felt she was dead inside, making him both incredibly controversial for the MAFS audience, and one of the harshest husbands to appear on the show.

3

Katie Conrad

Married At First Sight Season 10

While Katie Conrad came into Married At First Sight season 10 looking for the relationship of a lifetime, she became one of the most controversial cast members the series has ever seen. Katie, who married Derek Sherman during the early moments of the season, felt that she had a decent shot staying married to her MAFS husband and creating a loving relationship with him. Though the couple had their issues throughout the season, it wasn’t exactly shocking to viewers.

Katie and Derek’s relationship wasn’t one of the more difficult throughout MAFS season 10, which is why it was shocking when her behavior came to light and the controversy surrounding her began. After choosing to stay married on Decision day, Katie and Derek continued their lives, but shortly after, he shared that he felt Katie had been cheating on him with her ex-boyfriend. Despite Katie denying the allegations, it felt obvious after analyzing her behavior throughout the season that Derek was correct.

2

Chris Williams

Married At First Sight Season 12

As one of the members of the cast of Married At First Sight season 12, Chris Williams was the villain of his own season and has become one of the most controversial cast members the show has ever seen. Chris, who married Paige Banks during his time on the show, was excited to have the opportunity to go into a relationship sight unseen, but his past crept up on him quickly after he said “I do”. Chris’ marriage came to its first roadblock when his ex-fiance announced she was pregnant with his baby, and Chris chose to take care of the matter away from Paige.

Though the couple continued their marriage, Chris was detached and made it uncomfortable for Paige to ask questions about his situation. He consistently put her down, swearing he was trying to improve the relationship while simultaneously putting Paige down frequently. He would share that he didn’t find her physically attractive, wasn’t interested in her, and didn’t want to be with her in the future, but Chris also chose to stay married on Decision day despite his complaints.

1

Ryan De Nino

Married At First Sight Season 2

As one of the earliest participants of Married At First Sight, Ryan De Nino married Jessica Castro on MAFS season 2. Though his behavior didn’t seem openly problematic during the early moments of the season, Ryan and Jessica’s marriage wasn’t harmonious in the way either of them thought it would be. Dealing with fights and disagreements in general, Ryan and Jessica struggled to put the pieces back together after things got rocky for the pair.

While Ryan and Jessica had some more typical fights during their initial weeks of marriage, it became clear with time that Ryan had some anger issues to deal with surrounding his MAFS bride. He would often threaten Jessica, name call, and belittle his Married At First Sight wife on camera without a second thought. Though things never got physical on camera, it was reported after the fact that Ryan had been rough with Jessica, making it a positive that they wound up splitting after choosing to stay together on Decision day.