She’s proving to be one of the more reserved Married At First Sight contestants, but last week, a cloud of doubt was cast over sales representative Belinda Vickers.
WATCH BELOW: MAFS’ Coco and Cam’s cheating scandal reaches a new level.
The 29-year old, who entered the experiment claiming to have never dated before, was rocked by reports she had secretly dated 73-year-old security guard, Martin De Bono, prior to auditioning for the hit reality show.
According to the So Dramatic! podcast, friends of Belinda insisted that the pair knew each other for a long time before they began dating back in 2019.
But speaking to New Idea, sources close to Belinda maintain she and the bouncer were “no more than friends” and that the pair “would often hang out, but it was not a relationship”.
The So Dramatic! host Megan Pustetto also revealed that the bouncer has allegedly been charged with indecent assault for unknown reasons.
“Martin was recently charged with indecent assault and he had his first court mention for the charge in January 2020. A friend said that he and Belinda didn’t break up until March 2020,” the podcast reveals.
Although this isn’t the first time a MAFS contestant’s past hasn’t added up to what they’ve said on the show, viewers have been particularly shocked by this reveal as it feels so far from her image on the show.
Belinda is married to Patrick Dwyer, depicted on the show to be awkward and into unusual catchphrases like “holy guacamole.”
However, like his wife, it has been ousted that he isn’t as goofy or inept with women as he claims on the show.
Patrick’s ex-girlfriend Natika Stanley told gossip publication The Wash that he is the opposite of his character on the show.
The couple who dated from 2014 to 2015 was in a long-distance relationship, and Patrick made a great deal of effort to make it work.
She told The Wash, “Patrick and I dated on-and-off for two years, he was my best friend above all. He’s definitely not as awkward or inexperienced as the show makes him out to be.
“He can be extremely sweet and respectful. He used to drive 8 hours [from Melbourne] to Wollongong to surprise me.
“He would wait outside my work while I worked 8 hours and once surprised me with a ring.”
Perhaps both Belinda and Patrick play into their reserved and oddball characters for positive story plots and to win fans.
We’re unpacking all the relationship, sex and dating woes of this season’s Married At First Sight stars in our juicy new podcast, Love In Reality. Listen, like and subscribe below!
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