MAFS contestants allegedly threaten journalists with violence
Two contestants in the upcoming series of Nine’s Married At First Sight have allegedly made threats of violence against a photographer and a journalist at a Bondi restaurant over the weekend.
Photographer Ben McDonald alleges that TV groom (and Melbourne-based real estate agent) Daniel Hewitt threatened to “smash” his camera, after McDonald photographed the MAFS contestant as he was leaving Bondi Icebergs on Saturday night.
In a separate incident at Icebergs that same night, Joshua Fox, host of the recap podcast MAFS Funny, claims AFL star and upcoming groom Chris Nield “pulled him aside” and made “violent threats” over his coverage of the upcoming season.
Joshua Fox (Instagram)
Fox is known for crashing MAFS weddings in order to disrupt the proceedings, often recapping the mayhem on the Kyle and Jackie O show and on his own podcast.
Fox claims Nield said that if Fox showed up at his “wedding”, he would “put him in a headlock and physically assault him” and followed this threat up with a phone call.
“If I see you outside, watch what will happen to you,” Fox alleges Nield said during the call.
“You’ll know. I can’t wait to see you, just watch what happens to you.”
Nield also allegedly said: “This isn’t a threat, it’s a warning.”
Fox told The Australian he is considering pressing charges.
Likewise, McDonald took issue with Hewitt’s “false bravado while intoxicated” in an email to Endemol Shine’s content director Tara McWilliams.
Daniel Hewitt
“We have been covering MAFS since about season 3, during which at no time have myself or my photographers ever been on the receiving end of any kind of threat or abusive behaviour by a participant,” McDonald wrote.
This is the latest scandal to rock the high-rating Nine show, after reports emerged last week that contestant Micah Lomu was removed from the production amid several serious allegations about his past behaviour.
In an episode of the show aired in February, contestant Paul Antoine admitted on camera he “absolutely lost it” at his screen wife and “ended up just punching a hole in the wall.” The incident led Nine to affix a domestic violence number at the end of future episodes with the message: “Aggressive behaviour is never acceptable”.
Both NSW Police and SafeWork NSW launched investigations into the incident, according to the ABC.
Mumbrella has contacted Nine, Endemol Shine, McDonald, and Fox for further clarity and comment.
Keep up to date with the latest in media and marketing
Got a tip?
Nathan Jolly is the Features Editor at Mumbrella. He joined the team in July, 2023.
Linkedin
Have your say