Married at First Sight Australia 2025‘s Ryan Donnelly has appeared in court for an application hearing for an Apprehended Violence Order (AVO) against his TV wife Jacqui Burfoot.
ICYMI: Jacqui and Ryan have been engaging in a toxic mud-slinging match on their backup Instagram accounts throughout the season.
However, this drama took a serious turn when it spilled over from social media to the courtroom.
As reported in episode 521 of the So Dramatic! podcast, Jacqui was granted an interim restraining order against Ryan. This prevents him from “directly or indirectly threatening, harassing, abusing or publishing on social media denigrating material”.
One day after Jacqui’s protection order was granted, Ryan retaliated by applying for a protection order against Jacqui.
Married at First Sight‘s Ryan Donnelly appears in court for AVO hearing
As reported in episode 533 of the So Dramatic! podcast, on April 23, Ryan appeared at Campbelltown’s local court for an application hearing for an Apprehended Domestic Violence Order (ADVO) against Jacqui.
In court documents seen by The Daily Telegraph, Ryan claimed he had received “horrible messages” from followers as a result of claims Jacqui has made about him online.
If granted, the order would prevent Jacqui from publishing anything about him or his friends on social media for a period of two years.
It would also prohibit the TV bride from assaulting, threatening, stalking, or intimidating Ryan or damaging anything he owns, including harming his dog Freya.
Additionally, she would be prohibited from approaching or attempting to contact Ryan, except through her lawyer.
Why Jacqui Burfoot didn’t appear in court to defend Ryan’s AVO application?
Jacqui, who is living in Tasmania with fellow MAFS groom and new fiancé Clint Rice, was required to appear in court on Wednesday. However, she sent an email opposing the restraining order prior to the hearing.
Magistrate Shane McAnulty told the court he was unwilling to grant the order in her absence. He asked both parties to prepare submissions before the matter returns to court on June 24.
Listen to the episode below for more information about the hearing outcome as well as Ryan’s statement outside court and Jacqui’s response.