Jamie Otis and Doug Hehner are the original Married At First Sight couple that all fans root for, but that doesn’t mean they don’t experience marital issues as well. Jamie and Doug are the longest-lasting husband-and-wife duo to come out of the experimental dating show. Naturally, that comes with its obstacles. From heated calls with their counselor to their plans to make sure that they never get a divorce, here’s everything about Jamie and Doug’s marriage today.
Jamie and Doug first met on their wedding day on Married At First Sight season 1. That inaugural season paired up hopeful romantics living in New York and northern New Jersey. At the time, Jamie was a 27-year-old nurse and Doug was a 31-year-old software salesman. From the beginning of their blind marriage, the couple knew that they’d have to put in the effort to make their relationship work. When they met at the altar, there wasn’t much chemistry between Jamie and Doug. By Decision Day, however, Jamie and Doug had cultivated a loving marriage that they were determined to see through. Right off the bat, the couple experienced some difficulty trying to expand their family when Jamie endured a miscarriage. Fortunately, Jamie gave birth to Henley Grace on August 22, 2017. They then welcomed their second child, Hendrix Douglas, on May 10, 2020.
Even though Jamie Otis and Doug Hehner are successfully building a family together, their marriage after Married At First Sight has still required some maintenance. Following Hendrix’s birth, Jamie took to her Instagram (seen below) to make a vulnerable post about her post-partum depression diagnosis. Jamie was brave in sharing her mental illness struggle despite admitting that she was “petrified.” During this period, Jamie explained that Doug was a supportive partner. While they may be sources of support for each other, Jamie shared that they’re still struggling in their marriage as well. In an emotional Instagram post from August 10 (also included below), Jamie wrote: “We just finished a heated call [with] our therapist.” Jamie confessed that the couple’s conversation with their therapist consisted of “anger, yelling, [and] blaming” at first. Jamie and Doug’s update post ended on an optimistic note, however, as the Married At First Sight alumni wrote that they are “trying to figure out our next steps TOGETHER.”
Jamie wrote that she’s fighting for her marriage and she isn’t afraid to let her fans in on how difficult the battle has been. In addition to sharing some of the heartbreaking moments on her social media, Jamie also shared a positive post about her relationship with Doug. Jamie revealed that one way she and Doug have avoided getting divorced is “by having FUN together.” Jamie asserted that her marriage will work as long as she focuses on enjoying the time she spends with her family. Jamie wrote, “We are gonna spend more time doing the things that made us fall in love.” By having fun, Jamie and Doug can work through marital issues.
No marriage is perfect, not even for the OG couple of Married At First Sight. While they might not always get along, Jamie and Doug have been open and honest about their struggles. Additionally, Jamie and Doug have put effort into making sure they are still having fun together and enjoying each other’s company to ensure they aren’t headed for divorce. Although their marriage has seen dark days, Married At First Sight fans can rest assured that Jamie and Doug are putting their best foot forward.
