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Married At First Sight groom Ryan Donnelly applied for an Apprehended Violence Order (AVO) against former TV bride Jacqui Burfoot at Campbelltown Local Court on Wednesday, claiming she has attempted to ‘destroy his life’.
Donnelly, 36, and Burfoot, 29, were paired together in the most recent season of the hit Australian reality TV series but chose to separate during an insult-laden Final Vows ceremony.
Their bickering went from the small screen to the courtroom when Burfoot was granted an interim restraining order in Tasmania, preventing Donnelly from talking about her on social media.
Donnelly retaliated by applying for an apprehended domestic violence order against Burfoot, which came before Sydney’s Campbelltown Local Court on Wednesday.
The ex-reality TV star told reporters he suffered ‘a lot of harm’ and received menacing messages as a result of ‘vicious’ and ‘malicious’ claims Burfoot made about him online.
‘An individual has tried to destroy my life, my potential for career options, collaborations… with false allegations, so men can be victims as well,’ he said outside the courthouse, adding that he ‘was very afraid’ at one point.
Married At First Sight groom Ryan Donnelly applied for an Apprehended Violence Order (AVO) against former TV bride Jacqui Burfoot at Campbelltown Local Court on Wednesday, claiming she has attempted to ‘destroy his life’
Donnelly applied for a restraining order which would stop his TV wife publishing anything about him or his friends on social media for two years.
It would also bar Burfoot from assaulting, threatening, stalking, or intimidating Donnelly or damaging anything he owns—including harming his dog Freya.
If the AVO was granted, she would be prohibited from approaching him or trying to contact Donnelly, except through her lawyer.
Burfoot, who is living in Tasmania with fellow MAFS groom and new fiancé Clint Rice, was required to appear in court on Wednesday but instead sent an email opposing the restraining order.
Magistrate Shane McAnulty told the court he was unwilling to grant the order in her absence and asked the parties to prepare submissions before the matter returns to court on June 24.
Outside the courthouse, Donnelly said he wanted to move on with his life but he wanted ‘to make sure I’m protected’.
‘Justice should be served,’ he told reporters.
He said he thought the proceedings were a valuable use of the court’s time and believed he would ‘have an extremely strong case’ for defamation action against his on-screen wife.
The TV groom refused to comment on whether he would stop posting about Burfoot or withdraw from social media completely, noting MAFS is a ‘program that can do wonderful things for people’.
More to come.
If you or someone you know is struggling with domestic violence, please contact 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732.
