MAFS Bride Gia Fleur Breaks Silence on Co-Star's Name Revelation Attempt
Married At First Sight contestant Gia Fleur has publicly addressed the distressing incident where her co-star Danny Hewitt attempted to reveal her birth name during a tense segment on Stan's spin-off series, MAFS: After The Dinner Party. In an exclusive interview with Daily Mail, the 35-year-old mother-of-one expressed feeling profoundly hurt by the actions of her castmates, who disclosed her original name, Gianna Fleur Symonds, in what she perceives as a deliberate attempt to shame her.
A Sensitive Topic Rooted in Trauma
Gia Fleur emphasised that the issue of her name change is an extremely sensitive matter, directly linked to a past domestic violence situation. She explained that she altered her name for reasons of safety and privacy, not for image or entertainment purposes. "It was a very dangerous situation, and things have happened to me in my past," Gia stated. "So people bringing that up as something to laugh about and joke about is not okay."
She further clarified that she never attempted to conceal the fact that Gia was not her birth name, stressing that the change was a necessary step for personal security. "I didn't change it to be cool and have a stage name," she added. "My brother's also changed his name to maintain his privacy. It's something to do with my family, and it's really insensitive that people are going around and doing this sort of stuff."
Focus on Accountability and Personal Growth
The outspoken bride, who has previously acknowledged engaging in bullying behaviour during the MAFS experiment, revealed that she is now concentrating on accountability and self-improvement rather than retaliation. Despite being aware that Danny Hewitt and fellow bride Bec Zacharia have been discussing her in the media, Gia insists she will not respond in a similar manner.
"I'm not stooping to that level," she asserted. "I'm trying to move away from bullying. And I think when you're bullying on the show, which is what I was doing, which was not okay, I'm not gonna now in life months later, bully somebody else."
Motherhood Shifts Perspective
Gia Fleur highlighted that becoming a mother has significantly altered her outlook, with her daughter now at the forefront of her mind when dealing with public criticism. "I'm trying to be a role model for my daughter and show her that my behaviour wasn't okay, and I would hate for someone to do that to her," she explained. Regarding ongoing media comments from Bec and Danny, Gia stated, "I don't really wanna answer anything else regarding Bec and Danny. I just think they're in their own lane. I'm in mine. I don't really care what they're doing."
Response to Rumours and Hospitalisation
Gia also took to social media to dispel rumours that she had "chickened out" of her appearance on the Stan series. She clarified that she had flown to Sydney with every intention of attending but was admitted to St Vincent's Hospital due to illness. "I didn't 'chicken out,' I simply prioritised my health at the time," she posted. Daily Mail has confirmed that Gia did indeed travel to Sydney on February 14 before her hospitalisation.
Reflecting on her own conduct at the dinner party, Gia expressed that it would not feel authentic for her to critique others' actions as a way of deflecting from her own. "After reflecting on my own behaviour at the dinner party, I don't feel it's appropriate or aligned for me to sit there and critique anyone else," she said.
Broader Context and Support
This incident follows Bec Zacharia's recent unfiltered interview with Daily Mail, where she referred to Gia by her birth name, Cassandra, and criticised her. Gia's decision to speak out underscores the serious implications of revealing personal information, especially when linked to traumatic experiences like domestic violence.
For those impacted by domestic, family, or sexual violence, support is available through helplines such as 1800RESPECT. Gia Fleur's story highlights the importance of empathy and respect in public discourse, particularly within the high-pressure environment of reality television.
