Married at First Sight, season two, has deteriorated rapidly into a series fraught with deceit, fakery, unprofessionalism, and now, potential serious danger. Many fans are asking today why the show’s four
“experts” have fallen silent on social media after a restraining order was issued to one of the cast members. Previously, at least two of the experts seemed to spend every waking hour tweeting, Facebooking, arguing with the audience, and generally being obnoxious. Now that something has happened that might indicate a woman’s life is at risk, the experts, who are supposed to be supporting these couples, have absolutely nothing to say.
The first season of the show, which pairs two strangers to marry each other sight unseen, reportedly was successful, with two out of the three matched couples choosing to remain married over a year later; at least that rosy picture is how producers are presenting it to the viewers, anyway.
Season two of MAFS has not been so lucky. One couple, Davina Kullar and Sean Varricchio, have already decided to divorce, and rumors from alleged show insiders state that both of the remaining couples have chosen to split as well. If true, it would be fair to say that season two of MAFS has been a miserable failure. Some in the viewing jury are still out on Jaclyn Methuen and her husband Ryan Ranellone, who chose to stay married at the season finale but are rumored to have since broken up. However, it may be safe to assume that Jessico Castro and Ryan De Nino, couple number three, are officially finito.
That is because Jessica reportedly took out a restraining order on Ryan over the weekend. He posted the court documents to social media for all the world to see, sending fans into an absolute furor-and with good reason. Viewers had previously witnessed firsthand Ryan’s explosive temper and blatant disrespect for his wife during numerous episodes of MAFS. The first warning light for fans was when Jessica was admiring towels that had been made into doves on their honeymoon bed and he callously destroyed the tableau. He seemed to think it was a joke, but Jessica looked upset. Later, fans were shocked when he screamed at his new wife, telling her “I don’t like what I see” while pointing to her. In another scene, he appeared to threaten her physically, yelling “you want to cross lines? Because I’ll cross a different line you don’t want to cross right now!”
While his behavior appeared to change overnight after he spoke with the experts, some fans were still wary of him. It looks as though savvy audience members were right to be concerned, as insiders have assured VGN that the restraining order is real, and that it is definitely crucial to Jessica’s safety and well-being.
Domestic violence is no laughing matter, nor should it be fodder for gossip or lighthearted discussion. It should be discussed though, and it should be exposed. Since June 12, neither Dr. Logan Levkoff, the show’s sexologist, not Dr. Joseph Cilona, the show’s clinical psychologist, have been present to support the cast or to clarify fan questions. Dr. Logan is no longer able to be reached on Twitter by VGN as she consistently blocks anyone who questions her. Dr. Cilona has not offered any words of wisdom either. Once, Sean Varricchio called Dr. Cilona “the man with the best advice.” It seems that only applies to giving out support to Sean, though, who appears to have never intended to stay married and was reportedly selected for MAFS because he is friends with a previous cast member.
The two experts who had been most active on social media had plenty of time in the last several weeks to engage fans on Twitter, Facebook and fan forums. They were certainly busy bees, insisting they had been oh-so-careful with background checks; insinuating that fans of the show were the real liars, denigrating the audience and the media; and calling all rumors about the show “unfounded” even though it was proven, for example, that Sean was arrested for DUI and that he violated his probation during filming. Oh, and let us not forget the experts’ nasty habit of blocking people right and left.
Yes, they were as active as could be, but now that s*** has gotten real, they have left the building. At the time this article was written, neither Levkoff nor Cilona had been on social media for the last three days. During their silence, they have not only refused to acknowledge the restraining order, they have allowed Jessica to be slut-shamed by Ryan’s friends. They have said nothing in her defense, nor have they provided any explanation about why their supposed “thorough background checks” and psychological profiles have been so disastrous.
Their refusal to address the facts about the restraining order is unconscionable. As psychologists and as the paid professionals responsible for the biggest decision of these people’s lives, it is incumbent upon them to own up to their mistakes, to denounce domestic violence, to offer public support for Jessica and to retract what many fans feel are the lies that have been told in defense of the MAFS brand.
Dr. Levkoff, in particular, as a woman, should be ashamed of herself. Icing out the people who have questioned the production process is bad; potentially lying about certain casting issues is also terrible, but staying silent on the restraining order is the worst behavior of all. It is understandable that Levkoff wants to maintain her hefty paycheck, but is it worth it if that check turns into blood money? It is a serious consideration, especially now that, as TMZ reported, Ryan allegedly threatened to kill Jessica and her entire family.
This situation is no longer in the realm of a fun reality show. In previous articles about MAFS, VGN has gossiped and indulged in the rumor mill. We have speculated about who would stay together and who would divorce. We have delved into the backgrounds of the cast, and we have even questioned whether Married at First Sight is fake or not.
Regardless of production consisting of what many fans consider to be a large amount of faux elements, this restraining order is not fake. It is all too real; a reality that everyone wishes was not true. A reality that deserves an answer from the experts about how they could have let this occur; how they could have allowed someone like Ryan slip through the cracks. This is a reality that must be addressed by the experts immediately, with a full explanation. Most importantly, this reality must not be repeated.
Experts: Own up to your mistakes. Say something. Support Jessica. For once, honor your oath of “first do no harm.” Ensure that going forward, you will do your very best to ensure that this will never happen again.