Married at First Sight featured Michelle suspecting David was sexting Madison, Ikechi comparing Emem to “a broken car” and blindsiding her with a divorce document, and Allen undergoing a makeover during the Season 18 episode that aired Tuesday night on Lifetime.
Married at First Sight’s eighteenth season stars five Chicago-based couples marrying at first sight, moving in together, and trying to make newlywed life work for eight weeks.
RELATED: ‘MARRIED AT FIRST SIGHT’ COUPLES NOW: WHERE ARE THEY NOW? WHO IS STILL TOGETHER? WHO HAS RE-MARRIED? (PHOTOS)
The five couples who tied the knot at first sight are Camille and Thomas, Karla and Juan, Madison and Allen, David and Michelle, and Emem and Ikechi.
If at the end of the eight-week experiment a couple is unhappy, they can choose to split and part ways on “Decision Day.”
The Married at First Sight broadcast began with 13 days to go until Decision Day.
Karla and Juan met with Leslie, an intuitive healer, who shared some insight into the couple’s relationship and was hoping to help foster a romantic connection between them.
Leslie said she saw a deep soul connection between Juan and Karla but it seemed Juan had a hard time being vulnerable. Leslie, based on her tarot cards, said that although Juan and Karla weren’t sexual with each other yet, they were ready to share more in that department and give each other a chance.
Leslie thought they were an amazing couple but Juan’s analytic mind was taking over and ruining their love energy.
Meanwhile, Camille asked Thomas where he wanted to live after the show, and Thomas said they needed to compromise and go for there.
Thomas said he wanted to just live in the moment, but Camille felt like she was the only one thinking about their potential future together. Camille wished Thomas would take the lead when making these big decisions.
“I’ll ride with you! I’m [good] with whatever,” Thomas told his wife.
Emem then met up with Dr. Pia Holec and revealed how she and Ikechi had no communication and there was no effort or commitment on Ikechi’s end.
When Ikechi joined the pair of ladies for a chat, he didn’t even acknowledge or say hello to his wife. This was the first time Emem had even seen her husband in a couple days due to his weekend trip.
Ikechi claimed he had taken time away from his wife to find solitude and feel safety. He said he wanted to relax and decompress, but Emem said this was all news to her.
“Our conversations don’t progress. It’s like taking 10 steps forward and then 20 steps back,” Ikechi told the MAFS expert.
Ikechi accused Emem of repeatedly bringing up the past and blowing up on him during disagreements or tough discussions, and then he called her “the queen of passive aggressiveness.”
Emem told Ikechi that she didn’t like how he was talking to her and treating her, and Dr. Pia called the couple’s dynamic “toxic.”
Ikechi expressed how he didn’t want or desire to keep trying and moving forward with Emem, and then Emem stood up and walked away.
Emem cried in the bathroom while Ikechi voiced how neither of them had envisioned their marriage going this way. Ikechi acknowledged the situation was hard for them both.
“It’s like a broken car — trying to start it up and every now and then, and getting it to go. I don’t want to battle with anybody,” Ikechi told Dr. Pia.
Once Emem returned to the conversation, she announced how she had come into this process with the intention of making her marriage work no matter what.
Emem said she learned a lot about herself and what hurts her during the process as well as what she may do to hurt others. Emem, however, told Ikechi that she never meant to hurt him.
Dr. Pia didn’t want the couple to give up on each other, and Emem said, “I’d like to continue in this marriage, but not the way it’s been going. I need there to be an understanding and accountability and actually a desire for you to actually want to be in this marriage for me. That’s what I would want.”
Ikechi said he could try to put his pride aside, but he apparently needed more time to make a decision. Ikechi told the cameras he’d like to have some sort of friendship with Emem and end on a good note.
Ikechi then invited Emem to play video games with him, and she agreed. Emem was convinced that Ikechi was hurting, and she said she’d never walk out on him because she still cared about him. Emem continued to view herself as a married woman.
Later that night, Madison was shown walking into her apartment at 3:43AM. She tried to sneak into the bedroom while Allen was sleeping on the couch, but he woke up and saw her come in.
With 12 days to go until Decision Day, Allen said he noticed a shift in Madison’s behavior. Allen said Madison checked in with him when she was gone but it made him sad that she wanted to go out dancing with her friends instead of spending time with him.
Emem and Michelle were then shown going out for drinks with each other. Michelle revealed how David’s cousin Denise had thrown him under the bus and confirmed he was lying. Michelle said David had attempted to clear the air but she couldn’t believe anything that came out of his mouth.
Michelle anticipated David was going to admit to texting another woman, but Michelle wondered who that woman was.
“I feel bad because I’m spiraling and I feel like I’m reaching for things… but my tiny, tiny suspicion is that it could be Madison — only because she is David’s type and I know that when he texted me, he was with Madison and Allen… It’s like he saw someone across the way and said, ‘Damn, you’re fine,'” Michelle told Emem.
But Michelle said she didn’t see Madison going for David or being interested in him. She wondered if David was reaching out to Madison with no response, although they did work out together at the gym.
Michelle also pointed out how Madison’s name was probably listed right above hers in David’s phone contacts, resulting in David accidentally clicking the wrong name and sending a text.
Emem could see where Michelle was coming from, and she acknowledged how maybe Madison hadn’t done anything wrong.
“It will be a very interesting couples’ retreat,” Madison teased.
Michelle admitted she was going to have a hard time believing David because he had already lied to her multiple times.
Emem then shared with Michelle how Ikechi said he wanted out of their marriage but was flip-flopping and giving her mixed signals. Emem said she and Ikechi had a great time at an arcade and so his sudden request to end their relationship didn’t make sense.
“I want us to work this marriage until we can’t work it anymore. That’s just how I am… I want to see this through and I’m okay,” Emem noted.
Later on, Madison and Allen met with Dr. Pia, and Madison explained how she and her husband tended to talk in circles and those situations made her want to go out and not be around him.
Allen said he didn’t mind Madison spending time with her friends and decompressing but it was confusing when she typically went to bed at 9PM and then stayed out until 2AM with friends multiple times a week.
Allen claimed Madison was going out about three times a week, and the Married at First Sight cameras in the couple’s apartment confirmed that was true.
Madison admitted she needed to get out when she was annoyed or frustrated, but Dr. Pia wanted to see the couple work things out more efficiently, especially since Allen expressed how he worried about Madison and his thoughts often wandered.
Allen even had a dream that another man picked Madison up and it left him “in pieces.”
Allen said he had no concerns that Madison was cheating on him, but Madison said she felt awful that her husband worried so much.
Dr. Pia suggested that if Madison got pissed, she could stay in a different room of the apartment rather than leaving Allen behind.
Madison apologized to her husband for not prioritizing him and unintentionally sinking back into her old ways of going out with friends. Madison admitted her friends were her safe place but she wanted her marriage to be successful.
Allen accepted Madison’s apology and said he just wanted her to be happy.
At the end of the night, Michelle waited up for David and they finally talked about his sext.
“I f-cked up,” David confessed to Michelle.
“That text message that was sent to you was supposed to be sent to another girl.”
David explained how he had sent the text to a girl named Tiffany whom he had been talking to for a week and was talking to that night. Tiffany apparently sent David a picture that he responded to. David said when he sent that text, he knew he messed up and so he immediately deleted his contact.
David said that was the only woman whom he had been talking to, and he asked Michelle if they could save face and get along heading into the couples’ retreat.
Michelle scolded David for telling “lies,” but David corrected her that it was one lie. Michelle argued that he had lied multiple times — even to Pastor Calvin Roberson — and it was “disrespectful” behavior. David acknowledged he had been in the wrong but it was hard to be rejected all the time.
David told Michelle that he didn’t feel like she wanted to be married to him. David also said his actions were embarrassing to his family.
“I thought, ‘He’s a great guy!'” Michelle lamented.
David insisted he is a good guy and one wrong mistake shouldn’t change her opinion of him completely. David apologized and claimed he still wanted to be with her — and not Tiffany — but he predicted Michelle’s answer on Decision Day was going to be a big, fat “no.”
Michelle vented about how David’s story was “bullsh-t” and he couldn’t turn it around on her. Michelle said even if David felt neglected, stepping out on her was not the right thing to do.
“He stays out until like 3AM. I guarantee he’s going way worse than what he’s telling me!” Michelle told the cameras.
After their argument, Michelle angrily left the apartment with a big bag on her shoulder.
With 11 days to go until Decision Day, Camille and Thomas had a therapy session with Pastor Cal. The couple shared how their relationship had a sustainable progression with things naturally falling into line.
When asked about their post-show plans, Camille and Thomas talked about possibly alternating at each other’s places, which were both small. Camille asked Thomas to take the lead and he seemed willing to, which gave her more confidence heading into the last week or so of the experiment.
Afterward, Juan told a friend that living with Karla was fine and they had developed a good friendship; however, their romantic connection was still lacking. Juan said there were too many crystals, incense burners and spiritual sessions.
“Sometimes I feel like it’s a fantasy world. I like to be grounded,” Juan explained to his pal.
Juan suggested he was “missing some things” with Karla and he didn’t know what he was going to do.
With 10 days to go until Decision Day, Madison introduced Allen to a stylist with the hope of refining his style and improving his wardrobe a little bit. Allen said if his clothing wasn’t desirable to his wife, then he was totally open to change.
“To be honest, if I saw him at a bar, I would never approach him,” Madison confessed to the stylist.
“I have a difficult time blending. I like an urban look, like James Bond,” Allen said, adding how he thought his own personal style reflected confidence and self-esteem.
But Allen said he’d love to be a stand-out couple with Madison in the fashion scene. While Allen envisioned himself in a fur coat with a gold chain, Madison wanted to see her husband in a tuxedo.
Madison asked the stylist to find a go-between ensemble for Allen. She wanted him to look classy, smart and sophisticated.
Madison liked Allen in white jeans and a denim button down shirt as well as a monochrome burgundy outfit with a suit jacket. She also liked her husband wearing a leather jacket over a dress shirt.
“You look hot!” Madison shouted.
“I’m digging it,” Allen said. “If a little frickin’ outfit is what does it! If my wife loves the way I look, then I’ll spend any amount. I don’t give a sh-t.”
Afterward, Thomas took Camille out on a fancy fondue date, and he mentioned how he’d like to combine their incomes and split the bills. Camille also shared how she wasn’t sure how love, or feeling a lack thereof, would play a role in her choice on Decision Day.
With nine days to go until Decision Day, Allen bought himself a kit to straighten his teeth because he said Madison had mentioned how she’s attracted to a guy with nice smile.
The couples then packed their bags and headed to the retreat.
On the way to couples’ retreat, David said he hadn’t spoken to Michelle and she didn’t even know he was going. David hoped they could be cordial and work some things out, but he wasn’t sure how she was going to feel.
Michelle, for her part, drove to couples’ retreat with Emem. Michelle said she wanted to get some answers and get to the bottom of things, including whom that message had been intended for.
Michelle said she didn’t want to drag Madison into her drama but she planned to confront her about her suspicion.
Once at the retreat, Michelle shared her story with Madison and Allen, and she explained how she was still mad.
All of the spouses attended the retreat, but Ikechi showed up fashionably late.
Ikechi asked Emem if they could talk right away, and he said he wanted to put an end to everything right then and there.
Ikechi gave Emem divorce papers and asked her to sign them, but there was apparently only one page with no place for her actual signature.
Ikechi said the rest of the pages were just a formality, but Emem said she was not going to sign anything that wasn’t legal documentation. Emem promised Ikechi that she’d divorce him but she wasn’t going to sign that document.
“I knew it was over a while ago,” Ikechi told the cameras.
“I think she really wanted a husband and she really wanted her husband to fit the mold,” Ikechi said in a confessional.
“I’m not everybody’s cup of tea. I’m good. I’m at peace with the situation and the decision that I made. When I get in this car and go home, I am going to sleep so peacefully.”
Emem called Ikechi “a child,” and Allen criticized Ikechi for serving her a divorce paper in front of everyone. Emem explained how Ikechi was probably trying to get a reaction out of her so that she would explode, make a scene and ultimately look like the bad guy on-camera.
Emem also thought Ikechi had set out to hurt her that night, just like he had done on their one-month anniversary.
“What he doesn’t realize is that he can’t hurt me anymore,” Emem declared.
The cast agreed during a big dinner that Ikechi wasn’t setting a good example for his students at school.
Juan and Karla then announced to the group how they were doing the best they could but they still weren’t physical with each other.
Karla admitted she had built up walls because she felt like she couldn’t be her true self in the way she wanted to express herself because of Juan’s walls and boundaries. But Karla said she had to let that go in order to not build more walls and that she appreciated him.
“I think David wants to go next,” Michelle quipped.
David announced how he had “f-cked up” by accidentally sending Michelle a text that had been intended for another woman. David admitted he lied to Michelle and was embarrassed as a husband, a son and a friend, especially because he had lied to his MAFS co-stars as well.
“I wasn’t getting the attention in my marriage that I thought was going to be there, and it just wasn’t there. I stepped out of pocket and I admit it,” David said.
But Michelle told the group how David had lied to her face for several days and didn’t come clean until his cousin Denise threw him under the bus.
Michelle insisted that when she started trying to let her guard down, David essentially gave up on her. Michelle said she didn’t want to try anymore as a result and she felt like David was blaming her for his infidelity.
“I didn’t even get, ‘How is your day going? Did you have a good day at work?’ Anything of that nature — a hold of the hand. I haven’t kissed you since our actual wedding day,” David said.
Michelle then asked Allen and Madison if they had kissed since their wedding.
“No,” Allen replied.
“Are you reaching out to other women?” Michelle asked Allen.
“No, no,” Allen replied.
David attempted to shut down the conversation.
“There is a big difference,” Allen said.
“I’ll just leave it at that,” David interjected. “I’m not trying to get into that, I’m sorry.”
Allen went on to explain how there was a lot to pull apart, and when he attempted to elaborate, David asked him to chill.
“Yeah, I’m just not about all of this anymore, to be honest,” Madison chimed in.
Michelle apologized to Allen and Madison for bringing them into the conversation, but Madison looked very angry and said she didn’t want to engage in any more serious conversation.
Madison then walked away from the tables and said, “I’m about to pack my bags and get the f-ck out of her.”
Michelle said she had wanted to give Madison “the benefit of the doubt” but Madison getting all fired up and leaving like that was “suspicious.”
RELATED: ‘MARRIED AT FIRST SIGHT’ COUPLES NOW: WHERE ARE THEY NOW? WHO IS STILL TOGETHER? WHO HAS RE-MARRIED? (PHOTOS)
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About The Author:
Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade.