Producer Interference Played A Huge Role In The Married At First Sight Season 18 Cheating Scandal (Did Production Overstep?)

Married at First Sight’s producers played a huge role in the development of the season 18 cheating scandal, and there’s evidence they overstepped. The Married at First Sight season 18 couples have less than a week before decision day, where they have to decide whether to stay married or get a divorce. Five couples said yes to marrying a stranger after being matched by MAFS’ panel of experts, Dr. Pepper Schwartz, Pastor Cal Roberson, and Dr. Pia Holec. The MAFS experiment lasts eight weeks, with the couples going on a honeymoon and then living together. Season 18 is in Chicago.

The couples matched were David Trimble and Michelle Tomblin, Allen Slovick and Madison Myers, Thomas McDonald and Camille Parsons, Ikechi Okoré and Emem Obot, and Juan Franco and Karla Juarez. Ikechi and Emem were the first pair to break up, after falling apart upon moving in together. David and Michelle and Allen and Madison have broken up simultaneously, as they are the ones involved in the cheating scandal. This leaves Juan and Karla and Camille and Thomas as the only two married couples to make it to decision day. Producer interference has played a part regarding the cheating scandal.

The MAFS Season 18 Cheating Scandal Explained

David and Michelle had issues from the jump, as Michelle was put off by David living in his parents’ basement and his cigarette smoking. This developed into issues with communication and attraction, as David didn’t give Michelle the space she needed and also has a tattoo of his ex-girlfriend’s name on his chest. Michelle was shut down upon returning to Chicago, but the experts did a good job at reminding Michelle that they chose David because he possessed a lot of the qualities she was looking for in a spouse.

Michelle and David were moving slightly upward in their marriage when the first scandal related to the cheating situation broke. David mistakenly sent a deviant text to Michelle that was meant for someone else.

“You are so damn fine I just wanna eat U up.”

David first lied and said the text was meant for his cousin about food, which his cousin Denise told Michelle was not true. Then, David told Michelle it was meant for a woman named Tiffany. That was also untrue.

By the time of the couple’s retreat, Michelle had deduced that the text was meant for Madison, and confronted Madison about it. Madison denied any involvement, but was then approached by a MAFS producer in her room, which prompted the next set of events. On Madison’s side of things with Allen, she and her family made it quite clear that Allen was not her type. She didn’t show Allen any kind of affection throughout the process, and started coming home late regularly. Allen was still trying in the marriage, and Madison seemed to be stringing Allen along.

Madison Was Pushed By Producers To Admit To The Cheating

When the MAFS producer approached Madison at the couple’s retreat after Michelle accused Madison, they asked, “Is there any truth to that?” Madison replied, “I don’t know. Like I never wanted to hurt anybody that’s gonna break Allen’s heart into a million f***ing pieces.” Next, Madison went to David’s room and pulled him out to have a conversation. It was then that David and Madison admitted their feelings for one another, and that the text was meant for Madison.

If the MAFS producer didn’t step in and prompt Madison to come clean, she likely would have continued to lie and play the situation off.

Viewers don’t know what was said by the producer after they asked Madison about the truth, but the question led Madison to talk to David and for the pair to finally tell the truth. It’s possible that production wanted the situation to unfold further, given its high entertainment value, and they convinced Madison to let the truth out.

The MAFS experts stayed out of the cheating revelations during the couple’s retreat, leaving the producers to drive the narrative. At the base of the show regardless, the producers are making the final editing calls and prompts to the cast members. The experts are the vessels of producer narrative and cast counseling.

Should MAFS Producers Have Stayed Out Of The Scandal?

By the actions of the Married at First Sight producer in asking Michelle about the cheating situation, they broke the fourth wall that’s present in reality TV.

There was no need for the producer to coax Madison into divulging the truth, and it ultimately affected the outcome of the scandal.

Madison, and then David’s, admissions were not based in authenticity, but more in production wanting to drive the storyline and fallout.

Married at First Sight has steered away from letting the couples engage with another in a more closed environment and has pushed the couples to interact more with each other. Instead of focusing on their partners and prioritizing getting to know each other, the element of getting to know the other participants has been introduced. In MAFS season 18’s case, it had a direct consequence, given that Madison and David spawned a relationship with each other instead of with their spouses. This point is directly related to production interference, but it’s how the show has come to be.

Will Producers Step In Again In MAFS Season 18?

Married at First Sight producers have a history of stepping in and being the catalyst for negative results. Most notably, in MAFS season 17, cast members Brennan Shoykhet and Austin Reed went out with a female producer the night of decision day. While Brennan had said no to his wife, Emily Balch, Austin said yes to his wife, Becca Haley. At a group gathering the next day, Becca asked Austin about the outing, and he lied, prompting her to break up with him, given they were already hanging on by a thread.

If the Married at First Sight producer hadn’t involved themselves with the cast, the breakup may not have happened. In Married at First Sight season 18, the producer’s interference was the impetus for the scandal fully breaking. Since producers have a history of stepping in with the cast, it’s a scenario likely to continue. If producer involvement is going to be a pillar of the show, then their season 18 actions are not overstepping, but if authenticity within the show is to be kept, then producers should stay out of the drama.