Married at First Sight Australia 2023’s Melissa Sheppard has accused Josh White of crying for the cameras and creating a false “narrative” at the second Commitment Ceremony.
The 41-year-old hairdresser claimed on KIIS FM’s Kyle and Jackie O Show on February 20 that her TV husband acted completely “different” when the cameras weren’t rolling.
“Josh is a very different person in front of me [to] he would go do these voxxies [interviews-to-camera] and break down,” she said, adding that he and the MAFS producers pushed a certain “narrative” about the relationship.
Melissa continued: “I felt like I was sleeping with a secret assassin. He was just running off [to the producers]. He would be so kind to my face and then behind closed doors [would] break down, and I had no idea… I was 100 per cent blindsided.”
During the interview, Melissa again claimed that their sexual relationship was “transactional”. She described the sex as “sloppy”, adding they never kissed or performed oral sex during their time together.
The radio segment came after Married at First Sight fans watched on in horror during the February 19 episode, as Josh told the experts that Melissa had attempted to enforce restrictions on his communication and daily life.
“She has used degrading and dehumanising language to me, questioning my manhood,” Josh explained, adding that Melissa had an issue with “control”.
Kyle Sandilands claimed Josh was “whinging” about Melissa’s restrictions, stating: ” Wake up p*ssy.”
Many of the examples Josh described corresponded with early signs of “coercive control”, which is defined as a form of domestic abuse, according to UK advocacy group Women’s Aid.
Before deciding to leave Married at First Sight, Josh suggested that many of the behaviours he described would be widely recognised as abuse if their gender roles were reversed.
Melissa Sheppard files two police reports after being harrassed for her “freak in the sheets” portrayal on Married at First Sight
Melissa previously told So Dramatic! that she had to do “two police reports because two men and a lady” had attempted to harass her at the hair salon she shares with her twin sister.
“They came in and asked for the ‘freak in the sheets‘. Luckily I wasn’t there. But my sister was there with her client and my business partner,” Melissa said.
A man and a woman reportedly came in together and greeted her twin, before realising that she was not Melissa.
According to Melissa, the woman told her sister: “Tell her [Melissa] that I’ve got my son. And if she wants to f*ck, he’ll f*ck her hard’.”
“That was one. And then a third and fourth person came to my work. Two more guys rocked up.
“The second guy came in and abruptly said, ‘where is she?’ My sister had to ask him to leave and sent him out of the shop,” Melissa reported.
She added: “It’s getting scary now. I’ve asked producers to stop portraying me as this sex beast, as it’s not me. I only wanted to have sex with my husband.
“I shouldn’t be harassed at work because of that. I’ve had to report it to the police. It’s been a lot.”
Speaking on Nova’s Fitzy and Wippa on February 20, Josh begged fans to stop “attacking and bullying” Melissa.
“I don’t enjoy reading any of those comments. It doesn’t raise me up or make me feel good in myself in any way,” Josh said.
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