Married at First Sight Australia relationship expert Mel Schilling has revealed she received death threats as a result of her appearance on the infamous marriage experiment.
**Trigger warning: this article discusses mental health and sexual assault and may be distressing to some readers.
She also unveiled that she was the target of rape threats and intense online bullying, particularly following the 2019 season.
In an interview with the Herald Sun, the 50-year-old recalled having a petition started against her after reprimanding groom Bronson Norrish for calling Ines Basic the C-Word amid an intense marital stoush.
The petition amassed approximately 70,000 signatures in a bid to have her axed from her role on MAFS.
“I was accused of inciting domestic violence which is something I am passionately opposed to,” she said. “I have received death threats, rape threats, and it wasn’t just online.”
The mother of one said deleting “hate messages” on social media is just a “way of life now”.
“The hate mainly comes from Australian audiences who are very critical about what I do on the show.”
Mel also works as a relationship expert on the UK iteration of Married at First Sight, too.
Mel Schilling Reveals How She Overcomes Online Trolls
The controversial expert said that she recruited the help of Melbourne-based life coach and Fire Up Coaching founder Kathy McKenzie to learn reliance coaching skills to tie her psychology education together with TV work.
It also aided her in blocking out the opinions of others, as well as overcoming online bullying.
“Resilience coaching isn’t about giving them all the answers, it’s about asking powerful questions enabling them to find the answers which is far more empowering,’’ she said.
“We help them visualise the big picture, every little thing from what they want and have, to their stress triggers and we give them the tools to cope and get through what they are dealing with by breaking it down to smaller, bite-sized problems, focusing on what they can control and what they can influence.”
Former Married at First Sight Participants Speak Out Against Trolling
As we’re more than aware, Married at First Sight is a petri dish for casual cruelty and intense online scrutiny — particularly if you’re painted as the villain.
In episode 68 of the So Dramatic! podcast, former MAFS contestant Jaimie Gardner revealed that she received countless death threats from trolls after she was portrayed as a “bridezilla” on the show.
Jaimie received hundreds of threatening messages which were left in her inbox by producers who were handling her account.
“I got given my socials back with hundreds of troll messages left there for me to see,” Jaimie said. “I let [producers] know and their response was, obviously, ‘Sorry, this is not meant to happen’.
“They told me how to delete them or that they could… sign back in and do it for me, but I guess the damage is already done, right? Like, I’ve seen them.”
Stars Claim Producers Failed to Protect Contestants On Social Media
In order to combat public trolling, comments are turned off on the MAFS contestants’ social media posts before the series goes to air.
A source also revealed to So Dramatic! that the producers are supposed to clear trolls’ direct messages from the accounts before giving the stars access after filming.
However, Jaimie claims she was the only contestant from the 2021 cast who did not have her inbox wiped, despite arguably being the most susceptible to online bullying after her appearance on the social experiment.
“I’ve had the general [trolls] that are carrying on about the trivial things and those types of comments… threats of being bashed, threats of people wanting to find you,” Jaimie said. “‘Go kill yourself’ was written a few times.”
If you or anyone you know is struggling and needs support, call Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800 or Lifeline on 13 11 14, both of which provide trained counsellors you can talk with 24/7. You can also speak with someone confidentially at Headspace by calling 1800 650 890 or chat online here.
If you or someone you know has been the victim of a sexual assault, please contact the Sexual Assault & Domestic Violence National Help Line on 1800 Respect (1800 737 732) or head to The Australian Human Rights Commission for a list of state by state resources. If you are in immediate danger, call 000.
Listen to episode 68 of the So Dramatic! podcast with Megan Pustetto below!
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