"It felt like a verbal assault" — Married At First Sight Australia's Jacqui breaks silence over Ryan's friends' treatment of her

Married At First Sight Australia participant Jacqui Burfoot has addressed the events that took place during her Homestays visit to Ryan Donnelly’s hometown of Campbelltown, New South Wales. According to Daily Mail on March 20, in a now-deleted TikTok video posted shortly after the episode aired, she described an encounter with his friends, Adam and Karla.

"Things got heated and Adam started yelling at me. It felt like a verbal assault because Karla was just yelling at me about thing after thing after thing and it was just really rude," she stated.

As the events of Homestays Week continue to unfold on the show, Jacqui and Ryan’s interactions remain a central point of discussion, with both parties providing their perspectives on what transpired.

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Jacqui Burfoot addresses confrontation with Ryan Donnelly’s friends on Married At First Sight Australia

Jacqui describes the tension during the meeting

Jacqui explained that the conversation with Ryan's friends initially started calmly. The Married At First Sight star stated,

"I just had a catch-up with Ryan's friends and basically what happened was I sat down... and we had some reasonable conversations."

However, she noted that the tone of the discussion shifted when the topic of her honesty letter to Ryan was introduced. According to Jacqui, Karla expressed disapproval of the letter’s content but did not immediately specify what she found concerning.

When Jacqui asked for clarification, Karla encouraged her to identify the issue on her own rather than providing a direct response. This led to a back-and-forth exchange, with Jacqui attempting to address Karla’s concerns while seeking a clearer explanation of what specifically had caused the reaction.

She further explained that the disagreement escalated when Ryan’s financial situation was discussed.

"Then Ryan kind of explained that I questioned his financial stability and I explained that he had planned to be an actor. So I just said this and basically I said, 'He's lying' and they're like, 'Why are you calling him a liar?' I said, 'Because it's an accurate description,'" Jacqui said.

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Jacqui responds to Ryan's reaction

Following the meeting, Jacqui shared her thoughts on Ryan’s response to the situation. The Married At First Sight star said that he did not intervene as the conversation became increasingly tense.

"It was clear Ryan had primed his friends and they had pre-meditated an attack to take out their anger on me... He didn't stand up for me and almost enjoyed watching them yell at me," she claimed.

In the same TikTok post, she compared the group's approach to an aggressive confrontation, emphasizing that their behavior appeared coordinated and directed toward her. She stated that she did not condone or accept such treatment and underscored her refusal to be pressured into tolerating interactions she found unacceptable.

Additionally, Jacqui questioned whether this type of behavior was reflective of the broader community in Ryan’s hometown.

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Ryan reacts to Jacqui’s comments

Ryan later addressed Jacqui's remarks on social media, dismissing her claims and criticizing her continued discussion of their relationship. According to Daily Mail, he stated on his account that he questioned her credibility and pointed out what he viewed as inconsistencies in her statements.

The Married At First Sight star also commented on Jacqui's social media activity regarding their relationship, stating,

"The obsession with me, posting 24/7 for weeks and desperately swerving any accountability is laughable."

Additionally, Ryan advised others to disengage from individuals like her, emphasizing that the best approach is to cut ties, avoid further communication, and remove themselves from the situation entirely.

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Married At First Sight Australia airs every Sunday at 7:00 pm AEDT and Monday to Wednesday at 7:30 pm AEDT on Channel 9 and 9Now.