4 days ago
MAFS star Michael Brunelli shares raw confession as he admits the toll fatherhood has taken on him after welcoming son with Martha Kalifatidis
Michael Brunelli has shared an emotional update with fans, opening up about the personal toll that parenthood and pressure have taken on his mental and physical well-being.
The former MAFS groom turned influencer, who rose to fame on Season 6 of the hit dating show, revealed in a raw Instagram post that despite loving life as a dad to two-year-old son Lucius, he no longer recognises the person he's become.
'As cliché as it sounds, I looked in the mirror today and barely recognised the guy looking back,' the 33-year-old began in his vulnerable message, adding, 'Not because there's anything seriously wrong with me, but I finally accepted that I'm not where I should be… physically and mentally.'
Michael, who found lasting love with fiancée Martha Kalifatidis on the show, admitted that he's been stuck in survival mode and has neglected his own health and happiness while focusing on being a parent.
'My gym bag has dust on it, the veggies in the fridge are untouched, and the steps haven't cracked 10,000 in months,' he said. 'It's like I'm physically here, but in a thousand other places mentally.'
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While he's struggling behind the scenes, Michael made it clear that fatherhood remains his proudest role.
'Being a dad is a massive part of my purpose,' he said. 'But somewhere in the life noise, the pressure, the lack of sleep, the negative thoughts… I stopped being much else.'
The former PE teacher said a scroll through his old photos reminded him of the man he used to be – someone 'clear, focused and driven'.
'I miss that version of me,' he confessed. 'Not for how I looked, but for how I felt.'
Now, Michael says he's ready to start again.
'This is a wakeup call,' he wrote. 'To start living healthier again. To find my passion again. To keep moving forward again. Because Looch and Martha deserve the best of me, and so do I.'
The post quickly struck a chord online, with fans and fellow reality stars praising Michael's honesty and relating to his experience.
'I feel this on a daily basis,' fellow MAFS dad Jack Millar commented.
'As cliché as it sounds, I looked in the mirror today and barely recognised the guy looking back,' the 33-year-old began in his vulnerable message, adding, 'Not because there's anything seriously wrong with me, but I finally accepted that I'm not where I should be… physically and mentally'
'Totally understand, my man. Make sure you give yourself credit for all the things you do do also!'
Michael ended his message with a rallying cry to others feeling similarly stuck: 'Whether you've got kids or not, it's so easy to lose yourself when life doesn't give you a second to stop and think. Just know it's never too late to make a change.'
Martha and Michael met and fell in love during the sixth season of MAFS in 2019 and they welcomed their first child Lucius in February 2023.
They have been frequent attendees at Melbourne Cup Carnival celebrations with Martha stepping out, with mum Mary, to the 2022 Melbourne Cup while pregnant with Lucius.
The following year, both Martha and Michael flaunted their sartorial style at the G.H Mumm Derby Day party.
Martha recently hit back at online trolls who accused her of sponging off her parents.
Martha, Michael, and Lucius currently live with Martha's parents Mary and Theo in their Melbourne home.
The reality star took to Instagram in September to answer a rather loaded question from one fan, pulling no punches in her response.
'Why don't you and Michael pay your own way like the rest of the world?' they asked, referring to the young family's current living situation.
Martha rejected the claim that she was sponging off her parents, saying the decision to live with Theo and Mary was not financially motivated.
'Our living arrangement has nothing to do with money,' she wrote.
'The sad thing is you probably believe we live with my parents to capitalise off of the situation. That is the furthest [thing] from the truth.'
She added that her young family's current living situation was beneficial to all involved.
'In reality, we mutually enjoy it,' she said.
