Trigger warning: This post deals with themes including trolling and suicide.
Ever since footage emerged of Married At First Sight‘s Jackson Lonie kissing a woman that’s not his girlfriend Olivia Frazer on a night out in Melbourne, questions regarding it’s realness have been rife.
Was this a full blown cheating scandal or could this have been a move orchestrated by the couple and their publicity agent?
Now, former Bachelor stars Laura Byrne and Brittany Hockley have weighed in and have an interesting theory as to why they think this was no publicity stunt.
“I know there’s going to be a lot of you who don’t agree with me and that’s ok but for someone who’s been in the reality TV world for a long time, I just do not buy this,” Laura revealed on her and Brittany Hockley’s podcast Life Uncut.
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“I don’t think anyone’s going to set up a publicity stunt that undermines their relationship because the most valuable thing that Olivia and Jackson have coming out of MAFS is that they are in love. When you’re a reality TV contestant and you come out of a show and you’re actually in a happy couple, it’s almost like you two versus the world, you two against everything and the two of them are so much more valuable together than what they are if everybody in Australia thinks he’s a cheater and she’s a piece of s—.”
Brittany also remarked that since Olivia and Jackson left the reality show as the season’s villains, there would be no motive to incite more hate amongst MAFS fans.
“My personal opinion is I cannot see why anyone would want to blow themselves up anymore when you’re in the situation Olivia is in. I don’t think there’s anything to be gained by doing a publicity stunt that your partner just cheated on you when you’re already in the depths of despair. Nothing good can come from that and like you said Laura, people want the happy ever after, you are stronger together – she wouldn’t want to throw any more wood on the fire.”
Laura and Brittany shared on their Life Uncut podcast that they don’t think the MAFS cheating scandal was a publicity stunt.
(Image: Instagram)The podcast duo also urged fans and followers to not necessarily show compassion for Olivia, but to stop the hate and trolling towards her, especially since the former MAFS bride admitted to feeling suicidal.
“I guess one of the really important parts of this is that there have been numerous people who have committed suicide off the back of reality TV,” Laura remarked.
“This hasn’t happened in Australia yet but I guarantee it is a matter of time until we take it too far, until the public bullies them into a point where they feel as if they don’t have an out and that nobody wants them to exist and that they are nothing, that they are scum.”
Villain edit: Olivia and Jackson are the only couple still together after this year’s season of MAFS.
(Image: Nine)Domenica Calarco, who starred alongside Olivia and Jackson on MAFS, is one of the many people suggesting the kiss was a publicity stunt conducted by their talent agent, Max Markson.
“Max Markson publicity stunt right here,” she commented on a Facebook post about the kiss, adding, “Kris Jenner works hard, but Max Markson works harder.”
There is no concrete evidence Max had anything to do with the scandal.
At this stage it appears that Olivia and Jackson are still together.
Footage emerged of Olivia picking her boyfriend up from Sydney airport after he flew in from Melbourne, though there has been a talk.
“We’re still together… I have told him to have a big think about what he wants,” she told the Daily Mail.
If you or someone you know has been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, help is always available. Call Lifeline on 13 11 14.
