Insiders have shed light on Married at First Sight Australia 2024 bride Lauren Dunn‘s “Bali boyfriend”, who is said to have caused a rift between her and Jonathan McCullough.
While it’s been widely reoprted that Jonathan “cheated” on Lauren by messaging co-star-turned-girlfriend Ellie Dix behind her back, sources claimed Lauren isn’t totally innocent either.
ICYMI: New Idea claimed that the Western Australian was “pining after a mystery man” whom she met in Bali ahead of the experiment.
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Jack Dunkley (A.K.A Lauren’s arch nemesis) told TV WEEK that she went “back to this guy [after filming], which all comes out at the Reunion, and he rejects her”.
However, sources close to Lauren have since told So Dramatic! that the story has been “completely blown out of proportion”.
“It was just a holiday fling before the show and a bit of fun as one does in Bali,” they said. And yep, we’ve all been there!
“Jack has been running around telling anyone who will listen to deflect from his own sh*tty behaviour because of this stuff with his ex that has come out and because Lauren has been calling him out all season.
“He finally had something he could use to try to smear Lauren’s name in revenge and discredit her, so what she’s saying about him isn’t believed.” Narcissism 101!
Lauren Dunn’s Bali fling was a ‘rebound’ following a long-term relationship
One insider explained that Lauren’s Bali fling was a “rebound” after her five-and-a-half-year relationship with former AFL player Ryan Crowley ended.
They also alleged the 32-year-old had yet to commit to MAFS when the fling occurred.
“Lauren only broke up with her ex, Ryan, in May,” they explained. “She wasn’t even sure she was ready to do MAFS so soon after such a serious relationship, let alone enter a relationship with someone who lives overseas.”
They added that Lauren was “still processing” the demise of her long-term relationship. Especially since she “thought she’d be with Ryan forever”.
“Her Bali hookup was simply a rebound,” the source continued. “She met this guy before the show had even contacted her. The week after she broke up with her ex Ryan, Lauren went to Bali, where she met this guy.
“She spent a week in total with him but never saw him again. Heaven forbid she had a life before MAFS.”
Married at First Sight‘s Lauren Dunn DID speak to her Bali fling during filming
However, the source admitted that Lauren was in contact with her Bali bae during filming.
“Lauren kept in contact with him a little bit when she got home to Perth and then told him she was doing the show,” they recalled. “Then, during filming, they touched base a few times.”
However, their conversations weren’t anything sinister.
“He had just asked how the show was going. That was about it.”
While Lauren did travel to Bali after MAFS filming wrapped, So Dramatic! previously explained that this was for Sara Mesa‘s 30th birthday and “had nothing to do with this guy”.
Where did rumours of Lauren Dunn’s secret ‘Bali boyfriend’ come from on Married at First Sight?
Sources explained that Lauren was “really open and honest” about her fling with Jonathan during their honeymoon.
“Lauren admitted that she had really liked this guy and had developed feelings for him but wasn’t sure if she still did have feelings for him or if it was just because it was her first romance so soon after her ex,” they said.
“She told him she was fully committed to him and the experiment now.”
They didn’t speak about it again until “weeks later, Jono brings it up at the final dinner party”.
“[He claimed] Lauren and this guy were in a full-blown relationship and that she was going to Bali to visit him when the show finished,” a source recalled.
One participant revealed: “Jono brought it when he was being questioned about his affair with Ellie.
“He was trying to deflect from himself so what he had done didn’t seem so bad, but no one was buying it.”
They concluded: “Lauren had been completely honest about it with Jono. She had nothing to hide.”
Despite reports that Lauren’s “Bali boyfriend” scandal would be a huge storyline on the show, So Dramatic! can reveal that it will not be featured in the final edit. Damn!
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