MAFS bride hits back at screen groom's claims of abuse
A Married at First Sight bride has accused her on-air husband of lying in his application for protection against her, which she claims he lodged out of retaliation.
Ryan Donnelly and Jacqui Burfoot were paired together in the most recent season of the hit Australian reality TV series but chose to separate during an insult-laden final vows ceremony.
Their bickering went from the small screen to the courtroom when Burfoot was granted an interim restraining order in Tasmania, preventing Donnelly talking about her on social media.
Donnelly responded by applying for an apprehended domestic violence order against Burfoot, which came before Sydney's Campbelltown Local Court yesterday.
The ex-reality TV star told reporters he had suffered "a lot of harm" and received menacing messages as a result of "vicious" and "malicious" claims Burfoot made about him online.
"An individual has tried to destroy my life, my potential for career options, collaborations … with false allegations, so men can be victims as well," he said outside the courthouse.
"At one point I was very afraid."
The 37-year-old applied for a restraining order that would stop his TV wife publishing anything about him or his friends on social media for two years.
It would also bar Burfoot from assaulting, threatening, stalking, or intimidating Donnelly or damaging anything he owned – including harming his dog Freya.
If the order was granted, she would be prohibited from approaching him or trying to contact Donnelly, except through her lawyer.
Burfoot, who is living in Tasmania with another MAFS groom, did not appear in court today but sent an email opposing the restraining order.
She told AAP she was fighting the unnecessary and vexatious application because it is "founded on false statements and is in retaliation to my win in court".
The alleged lies include accusations she harassed him through direct messages and that their relationship continued for nine months when she claims they only dated for three.
Domestic relationships are not defined by duration in the NSW Crimes (Personal and Domestic Violence) Act.
"[Donnelly] is using court proceedings in a way to mislead the public through the media," Burfoot said, adding on social media it was a "waste of court resources".
Magistrate Shane McAnulty told the court he was unwilling to grant the order in Burfoot's absence and asked the parties to prepare submissions before the matter returns to court on June 24.
Outside the courthouse, Donnelly said he wanted to move on with his life but he wanted "to make sure I'm protected".
"Justice should be served," he told reporters.
He said he thought the proceedings were a valuable use of the court's time and opined he would "have an extremely strong case" for defamation action against his on-screen wife.
The TV groom refused to comment on whether he would stop posting about Burfoot or withdraw from social media completely, noting MAFS is a "programme that can do wonderful things for people".
Donnelly and Burfoot engaged in a tumultuous relationship on screen which ended with them trading barbs at the final vow ceremony.
"Ryan, in a world of red flags, you are the red carpet," Burfoot told Donnelly.
"Be gone with you, you horrible woman," he responded.
Burfoot is now engaged to her MAFS co-star Clint Rice, who proposed to her at a viewing party for the finale of the show.
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