I’ve Changed My Mind, I Think David Trimble’s A Heel Who Will Break Madison’s Heart

Married At First Sight season 18 stars David Trimble and Madison Myers set a new precedent for the series when they began an adulterous relationship behind their spouses’ backs. Although the Chicago residents’ matches appeared perfect on paper, neither was happy in their arranged marriage. David’s wife, Michelle Tomblin, was skeptical of whether he shared her ambitions, and her inquisitive style made David shut down. While Madison and her husband, Allen Slovick, made progress, she was checked out and aloof about her plans for a future with Allen.

The reason behind Madison’s disinterest in Allen became clear during the group retreat as the newlyweds neared decision day. After being confronted by Michelle, Madison admitted she had inappropriate feelings for David. He shared the same sentiment, and in a shocking move, both agreed to end their marriages on the spot. David and Madison began dating, with their romance getting a surprising amount of screen time, considering the origins of their relationship. Although both appeared happy for the first time all season, I’m now concerned Madison’s on track to have her heart broken just like Michelle.

David Played The Victim With Michelle Tomblin

David took advantage of his tumultuous marriage with Michelle and embraced the persona of an innocent victim. During their honeymoon, Michelle’s attitude was very unwelcoming. She had a hard time processing that she married a stranger and admitted she was disappointed by being matched with David. He took this as an opportunity to play the underdog, and he bemoaned that he had to spend most of his honeymoon alone since Michelle asked for space.

I had a lot of sympathy for David early in Married At First Sight season 18. Michelle was quick to judge him after learning that he lived with his parents, which she assumed meant he wasn’t financially responsible. I believed David when he said living at home was a smart decision that helped him save money. However, the state of his basement apartment and his later admission about having little savings proved he wasn’t entirely honest about his financial position.

As David continued to harp on Michelle’s wrongdoings, I started to see he was too busy playing the victim to put genuine effort into his marriage. He had a mindset that Michelle had done him dirty, and it didn’t matter what he did because he would never be good enough for her. Yet, David ignored Michelle’s attempts at open and productive communication and shrugged off her suggestions for repairing their relationship. David’s refusal to take accountability for his role in the marriage’s failure was a big red flag about his dishonesty.

I suspect David was checked out of his marriage because his mind was already wandering. David and Madison struck up a close relationship on their honeymoon when they vented about their marriage problems during shared gym sessions. They developed an inappropriate connection emotionally, if not physically, mere days after marrying their respective spouses. David pulled the wool over everybody’s eyes by playing the victim, which created a distraction from his own adultery. David’s proven deceptive behavior makes me worry about his ability to remain faithful to Madison.

David May Have Wanted To Punish Michelle

David was certainly no saint, but I can see how he may have grown to resent Michelle after the way she treated him from the start of their marriage. Michelle was very direct in her criticism of David, which often made her come across as mean. This leads me to suspect that he might be with Madison solely to get revenge on Michelle.

Michelle was visibly disgusted by the state of David’s apartment, comparing it to that of a frat boy as opposed to a man in his thirties. She then admitted the apartment looked just as she expected it to, which confirmed the lack of confidence she had in David at that point in their marriage. During what could have potentially been a romantic evening at a restaurant, Michelle instead focused on David’s clothes, complaining he wasn’t dressed up enough. Michelle hoped that her criticism would encourage David to change, but it instead pushed him further away.

Michelle was the one to uncover David and Madison’s affair. After David sent her a salacious text she knew wasn’t intended for her, Michelle started sleuthing to identify the intended recipient. She began to suspect Madison, and despite David’s denials and gaslighting, it turns out Michelle’s instincts were right all along.

Unsurprisingly, David didn’t immediately own up to his mistakes, apologize to Michelle, or admit she was right. He stood by the fact that she had treated him poorly, which somehow made him feel justified in stepping outside his marriage. The way David treated Michelle after betraying her proves his lack of respect. I worry he’s simply using Madison for retaliation, and if things go south between them, she’ll likely be treated the same way.

David May Not Be Ready For A Commitment

Surprisingly, by all accounts, David and Madison are still going strong. They revealed at the Married At First Sight reunion that they had moved in together, purchased an investment property, and celebrated their one-year anniversary. David and Madison appeared happy, secure, and confident in their decision to leave their marriages. Their recent social media posts confirm their continuing romance. Still, it’s impossible to ignore the numerous red flags from the start of their relationship.

David seems to have made a lot of changes for Madison. His living situation improved, and he’s dressing better, which were two of Michelle’s biggest sticking points. But something about his transformation doesn’t feel authentic. We saw David refuse to change his lifestyle for Michelle, and he didn’t see anything wrong with his old ways. I believe he got in too deep with Madison and felt he had to put on a façade to keep her, giving her a false sense of security.

David and Madison have given conflicting answers about the timeline of their relationship, dancing around the extent of their infidelity. Neither had the decency to speak directly to their spouses when they decided to end things. David broke the news to Allen on behalf of Madison, who seemed too embarrassed to face him herself, while Michelle heard the truth from Allen. Both David and Madison acted incredibly immature, and while this makes them a good fit for the time being, it doesn’t give me confidence in their ability to maintain a long-term commitment.

The Married At First Sight relationship experts believed Madison and David’s romance was nothing more than a rebound, and their histories suggest they lack respect for boundaries within a relationship. They were willing to give up on their first marriages when things got hard, which makes me wonder what would prevent them from doing the same thing again. I’m convinced David’s pattern of dishonesty makes him increasingly likely to betray Madison, continuing his habit of leaving women heartbroken.