Married At First Sight reached boiling point at the third dinner party when Hayley and Michael’s illicit affair was brought to light.
As if the affair, whether it was a kiss or not, wasn’t enough, we even learned that Hayley’s husband David scrubbed the toilet with her toothbrush in a new level of scandal.
But there was one other moment at the dinner party that caught viewers off-guard, and it was when Stacey unleashed on Hayley for taking advantage of her “vulnerable” husband.
Stacey was rocked when she heard about Michael’s cheating scandal.
(Image: Nine Network)While Michael point-blank denied that there was a party pash whatsoever, Hayley admitted to kissing David after the drunken night. But when presented with the information, Stacey backed her husband all the way.
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“It’s his word against hers, who’s lying?” Stacey told the camera.
“Michael is genuinely a good guy and I can never take that away from him. He would move mountains for me, like I can’t just forget that glimmer of hope.”
“I am disappointed at Michael but he’s also heartbroken as well, we’re both left heartbroken. Why can she walk away smiling? How dare she get away with this.”
Stacey slammed Hayley for taking advantage of her “vulnerable” husband.
(Image: Nine Network)But fans were left aghast when Stacey not only shouted at Hayley for ruining her marriage but let her husband completely off the hook.
“Why were you even out with my husband alone? You’ve just ruined a relationship, yes he’s a d—head and he parties but you’ve taken that for granted. You were encouraging vulnerable Michael,” Stacey said at the dinner table.
Yes, the v-word shook viewers to their core with many taking to Twitter to express their anger and frustration over the language Stacey used.
“Sorry but for everyone to attack Hayley, especially Stacey to protect “vulnerable Micheal”, is f—ed up. It’s as much Michael’s fault as it is Hayley’s,” one fan wrote.
It’s true, affairs take two to tango and no one party is more to blame than the other. However, it isn’t an uncommon occurrence for women to blame ‘the other woman.’
From Princess Diana, Prince Charles and the then-Camilla Parker-Bowles to Jennifer Aniston, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, it’s always the warring women that are focused on. Even MAFS contestant Mishel asked an age-old question after the drama at the table.
“Why do we always blame the woman?”
Turns out, there’s a scientific reason behind it.
WATCH BELOW: Five signs you’re likely to cheat on your partner. Post continues after video…
According to researchers at Cardiff Metropolitan University, who asked 21 men and 23 women to review Facebook messages sent during an affair, women are more likely to blame the other woman in an affair rather than her cheating partner.
“What a man does is [seen as] a direct result of the woman. It’s either that one tempted him, or one drove him away,” couples therapist Esther Perel says.
Psychologist and author Andrea Bonior, PhD adds, “Women are the keepers of a relationship. There’s the deep-seated belief of women being the caregivers. They should be able to nourish men and keep them happy.”
Science has proven that women are more likely to blame the other woman in an affair rather than her cheating partner.
(Images: Nine Network)You can see the reasoning behind this point with the Stacey and Michael situation.
Mum-of-two Stacey later broke down when she tearfully said that Michael had broken her trust, adding that he was the first man she’d introduced her children to bar their father.
As a woman who has already endured the loss of her father, brother and gone through a relationship breakdown, you can see why she’d want to cling to her relationship otherwise what hope is there?
Blaming the other woman and letting the man get away with it is not ok, and it’s refreshing to see Australians pick up on this. But until we start shifting the dynamic that it’s the woman’s duty to fix a relationship, including a marriage, the other woman trope is just going to keep getting played out.
For more juicy Married At First Sight 2020 goss and scandals, check these links out below!
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Which Married At First Sight couples from 2019 are actually still together?
Is Married At First Sight real or fake? Let’s examine the evidence
EXCLUSIVE: Stirring up trouble! Elizabeth Sobinoff is already feuding with new MAFS brides
The explosive pasts from the Married At First Sight 2020 cast revealed!
EXCLUSIVE: Meet Married at First Sight 2020 star Mikey Pembroke’s stunning ex-girlfriend
