Married At First Sight groom Ryan Donnelly has hit back at his TV ex-wife Jacqui Burfoot after her numerous claims he ‘controlled’ and ‘abused’ her on the show.
The consultant, 29, has spent weeks going rogue on a second Instagram account producers have no control over, slamming the project manager, 36, for his alleged treatment of her behind-the-scenes.
But Ryan has now told Daily Mail her ‘crusade’ against him has been filled with nothing but ‘horrific lies’, after he leaked texts online of Jacqui begging him to stay in a relationship with her.
‘From the moment [our wedding] episode concluded, Jacqui began her rogue crusade,’ he said.
‘Through constant public posting on an alternate Instagram account, she has made serious defamatory content against myself, my close friends, other MAFS participants and production company Endemol Shine.
‘I’ve been accused of being an abuser. Jacqui claiming she was “trapped” in a literal abusive relationship during filming between August and November last year.’
Married At First Sight groom Ryan Donnelly, 36, has hit back at his TV ex-wife Jacqui Burfoot, 29, after her numerous claims he ‘controlled’ and ‘abused’ her on the show
He continued: ‘She has aggressively pushed this scenario onto every viewer of her content.
‘All of which in its entirety, are horrific lies, slander and in breach of n defamation laws.
‘Jacqui has both disrespected genuine victims of abuse, and trivialised their trauma. It’s sickening.’
Ryan went on to say Jacqui ‘has no evidence’ and ‘zero witnesses’ of any abuse she alleges took place during filming of MAFS.
‘Zero texts or digital communications. Zero reports to Endemol Shine whilst the supposed “abuse” was occurring. Zero corroboration from any related sources,’ he said.
‘Zero fellow MAFS participants supporting her version of events, because they have ALL (except Morena) distanced themselves from her and her slanderous lies.
‘They like me, only wish to get on with our lives. I am very hurt, betrayed and anxious as a result of Jacqui’s actions.’
Ryan said Jacqui’s online posts about him have ’caused incessant suffering, outrage and stress to my family, close friends and loved ones’.
The consultant has spent weeks going rogue on a second Instagram account producers have no control over, slamming the project manager for his alleged treatment of her behind-the-scenes
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The reality TV star responded to Jacqui’s claims of ’emotional abuse’ by leaking text messages from her in which she complimented his sexual prowess.
The texts, which were shared to Instagram on Wednesday, also saw Jacqui heap gushing praise onto her TV ‘husband’ as she begged him to stay with her.
‘The texts I posted paint a very different picture to Jacqui’s ranting and raving. It’s called reality. [Jacqui] doesn’t occupy the same one as the facts,’ Ryan said.
‘The evidence is plain of her proclaimed affection, love, connection, literal “lists” of things she liked about me, etc. contained in the texts.’
Jacqui told Ryan in her texts: ‘I love you, Ryan. I truly do. And would never disrespect you.’
Another message read: ‘The last 24 hours with you have been dreamy. Thank you. I’m very happy. You make me feel loved and valued.’
Later screenshots saw Jacqui apologising to Ryan for being ‘mean’ to him after an apparent fight.
‘I don’t want to lose you. I’m really sorry. I really am. I regret everything I’ve said and done,’ she said.
Ryan has now told Daily Mail her ‘crusade’ against him has been filled with nothing but ‘horrific lies’, after he leaked texts online of Jacqui begging him to stay in a relationship with her
Ryan responded to her with: ‘I don’t know what to say honestly. I know you are and I can accept it. I just seriously believe we aren’t good or happy together.’
‘I’m sad I was so mean. I know,’ Jacqui replied.
‘I know,’ said Ryan. ‘I’ve not been the easiest either when my walls were up.’
‘I put them up there. It’s my fault. I should have accepted you from the start,’ Jacqui wrote.
Other messages saw Jacqui send Ryan lists of all the things she likes about him, with her saying at one point she missed having sex with him.
One of those lists became sexual in nature, as Jacqui said he offered her the ‘best d***’, the ‘best sex’, and the ‘hottest body’.
Later, Jacqui begged Ryan to stay with her, even if it was just as a ‘friends with benefits’.
‘But why not, Ryan. We are so much fun. Maybe friends with benefits. Surely,’ she asked him.
‘Jacqui, I don’t really know what you’re asking or trying to say. You want to stay together because of sex and fun?’ Ryan asked.
Jacqui agreed, saying: ‘Yeah I’m scared to lose that… I dunno, am I crazy for missing you?’
In one of the final messages Ryan leaked, Jacqui told him she was missing him because she was ‘just horny’, before asking him if he would consider being with her.
Ryan said he ‘sat silent’ for weeks while Jacqui went on ‘her vicious tirade of accusations’.
‘But a person can only handle so much. Not to cite gender, but being a man falsely accused is an uphill battle from the onset,’ he said.
‘People have been more susceptible to her narrative, I understand the instinctive sympathy from reading Jacqui’s “story”.’
When Daily Mail reached out to Jacqui for further comment, she took aim at Channel Nine and MAFS production company Endemol Shine .
‘Where is the duty of care? Why are Channel Nine and ESA [Endemol Shine ] not helping me protect myself from this man?’ she said.
‘I understand he said he’s going on a MAFS Official podcast this week and I’m just shocked that someone could be behaving like this in public and not be cut-off from media.
‘So that’s the question I really have is why has he not been cut off from media? Why are they still enabling him to go on national TV and shame me and humiliate me and call me a mental patient?’
READ RYAN’S LEAKED TEXTS HERE
