Controversial Married at First Sight star Bryce Ruthven has slammed his on-screen besties after the show finished airing in the UK.
In an Instagram Q&A, Bryce was asked whether he was still in touch with intruder couple Johnny Balbuziente and Kerry Knight.
Bryce Ruthven and Melissa Rawson. Source: Nine. 
Johnny Balbuziente and Kerry Knight. Source: Nine.
During the show, Johnny and Kerry stuck up for Bryce and his TV wife Melissa Rawson on numerous occasions. But since the show has ended, the 32-year-old confessed that he and Melissa no longer hear from the Brisbane pair.
“Nope, not at all,” Bryce wrote. “They’ve completely wiped us… for whatever reason.”
He then went on to explain: “We’ve heard ‘our friendship is no longer good for their image” and that “we’re competition for public attention as the only remaining couples from MAFS.”
Bryce added he and Melissa, 32, “have zero interest” in public attention and just want “to focus on their little family”.
The pair welcomed twin sons Levi and Tate in October, whose premature birth has since been widely publicised across the country.
“We’re just disappointed we [were] poor judges of character in the friendship,” Bryce continued. “Some are a genuine couple and our friends and some are all for the positive public image and limelight…”
Bryce Ruthven Calls Out Johnny Balbuziente For Throwing Jason Engler “Under The Bus”
Another follower wondered if the former radio host was “still best mates” with Johnny and fellow MAFS alum Jason Engler.
Noting that he was still close to “loyal” Jason, Bryce said Johnny is more concerned about his reputation than friendship.
Jason Engler. Source: Nine.
“Johnny — nope, fake and more concerned about a public nice guy image,” he wrote on Instagram, adding: “Also threw Jason under the bus with a particular homophobic video that he, his TV partner and friend were also involved in.”
Bryce, who moved to Melbourne to be with Melissa following the show, said they “prefer to be friends with honest people”.
“[People] that take accountability for when they were in the wrong, not leave it up to one person to wear all the blame.”
The Homophobic Video That Rocked Married At First Sight 2021
Earlier this year Jason was caught slinging homophobic and body-shaming language towards bisexual groom Liam Cooper in a video obtained by the So Dramatic! podcast.
In the clip he introduced himself as “Big Jason, AKA Rack Dog Engler”, saying he and his mates plan to “run amok in Brisbane”.
Who are the said mates, you ask? None other than Liam’s TV wife Georgia Fairweather and Johnny, who also featured in the clip.
The video was allegedly filmed just three days before the contestants’ final vows took place.
In the footage, Jason called Liam a “110 per cent wanker” and before fat-shaming the 30-year-old.
“Georgia’s husband is a full-blown homosexual,” Jason adds. “He’s ugly, he’s chubby, he does not go to the gym.”
At that point, Jason expressed, “don’t post that!”, to which Georgia confessed: “But I wanna keep it for me!”
Liam Cooper’s Response To The Video
Liam addressed the homophobic video on his Instagram, writing that the video is a “form of bullying”.
“It’s fat-shaming and it IS homophobic and Biphobic!” Liam penned to his followers at the time.
“The type of behaviour shown in this video can start eating disorders, affect someone’s mental health or feel like they can’t come out and express their sexuality because of uneducated people.”
During a three-part interview (episodes 80, episode 83 and episode 85) with the So Dramatic! podcast, Liam revealed that while Johnny apologised for his role in the clip, it was insincere.
“[Johnny] called me, he was like ‘I’m sorry because my family would be disappointed. I’m like, you’re not even sorry?” he said.
“No one was like, ‘I’m so sorry because I can’t imagine what you felt, or how it affected you… it was always like, ‘I’m sorry because my family would be disappointed’ or ‘I’m just going to say I’m sorry because that’s the best thing to say.’”
Listen to more of Liam Cooper’s chat with the So Dramatic! podcast below.
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