One of Married At First Sight Australia's grooms, Adrian Araouzou, who married Awhina Rutene on the show, faced three charges of domestic abuse prior to his reality TV stint. Araouzou denied any wrongdoing and the charges were dismissed in court in November 2021, but questions have been raised about the MAFSA vetting process for contestants and how the show was seemingly unaware of these events until a viewer raised concerns.
It's reported that Araouzou's three charges included assault occasioning actual bodily harm, domestic violence common assault and resisting police. The police were called when neighbours said they heard screaming coming from his home.
Following this, Araouzou's then-partner is said to have signed a form confirming their injuries were the result of a seizure and not an assault. They said: "I am horrified Adrian has been accused of being a perpetrator of domestic violence, as this is the furthest thing from the truth. I want the matter dropped, so that Adrian and I can move on."
Araouzou also said last year via his legal team, "Any suggestion of physical assault is categorically denied. I had my day in court, I was found not guilty and the application for an AVO was dismissed. Any allegation otherwise is completely baseless and highly defamatory."
The conversation about the show's vetting process comes as another contestant, Paul Antoine, was not made to leave the series after punching a wall following a fall out with his bride, Carina Mirabile.
Responding to that incident, Channel Nine, the Australian network behind MAFSA, and production company Endemol Shine Australia issued a statement to press reading: "Nine and Endemol Shine Australia has treated this matter extremely seriously. Our first priority at all times has been the wellbeing and safety of the participants and after extensive consultation with Carina, she wanted to remain in the experiment with Paul. We continue to provide support for Carina and Paul."
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It's reported via the Daily Mail that Channel Nine also held an 'emergency meeting' about Araouzou's past after first learning of it when a concerned viewer spotted him on the show and emailed in their concerns about his past. Ultimately, it was decided he should remain on the show.
Cosmopolitan UK has reached out to the MAFSA team for comment.
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
