Married At First Sight's Jacqui Burfoot appeared at Sydney Court House on Thursday after her former on-screen husband, Ryan Donnelly, filed for an Apprehended Domestic Violence Order (AVO) against her. The reality star arrived with her new fiancé, Clint Rice, and a bodyguard, smiling for cameras while carrying a Longchamp bag.
Ryan Donnelly, who married Burfoot on the Australian version of the show last year before they separated during the Final Vows ceremony, applied for the order after Burfoot was granted an interim restraining order preventing Ryan from discussing her on social media. Burfoot emailed the court opposing the AVO, but Magistrate Shane McAnulty adjourned the matter to June 24, asking both parties to prepare submissions.
Outside court, Burfoot's barrister, Marcia Edwards, said it would be prejudicial for her client to speak. Ryan's lawyer, Daniel Wakim, stated that Ryan still wants protection and would seek to resolve the matter with Burfoot's legal team. Ryan himself told reporters he was struggling emotionally, claiming Burfoot had posted about him 'almost incessantly' and that the situation was not the adventure he had planned.
In April, Ryan alleged he suffered 'a lot of harm' from 'malicious' claims made online by Burfoot, which he said targeted him with trolls and affected his career prospects. He stressed that men can be victims of false allegations and that he was 'very afraid' at one point. Ryan also indicated he believed he had a strong case for defamation against his on-screen wife, but refused to comment on whether he would stop posting about her.
