Married at First Sight alum Bennett Kirschner has revealed why his marriage to Amelia Fatsi failed as well as his current relationship status.
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Court documents obtained by E! News revealed that Bennett and Amelia had quietly filed for divorce in Virginia one month earlier, in October 2021.
Bennett shared what exactly happened with Amelia during the Married at First Sight: Former Cast Tell-All special that aired April 3 on Lifetime.
"In any relationship, in those first six months, there's a rush of endorphins and there's a rush of dopamine," Bennett explained.
"What the show naturally does not capture is kind of the moment when everything starts to settle down and reach an equilibrium, right?"
"And we were what, like a year in?" Bennett continued. "And we reached that equilibrium and it didn't have the same charm and sparkle as it once did."
Bennett went on to share, "Once that charm and sparkle subsided, what we were left with was still a sweet friendship, but it wasn't something that we both saw ourselves in for the indefinite future."
Bennett and Amelia got married in New Orleans, but Amelia had to move to Richmond, VA, once filming ended to pursue her medical residency.
Fellow Married at First Sight alum Doug Hehner therefore asked Bennett if he believes his marriage would've lasted had Amelia been able to stay in Louisiana with him.
"I mean, it's so hard to separate context from what actually happened, and I don't feel like it's worth speculating," Bennett noted.
"We both handled it with maturity and respect, and it's hard to know what the main thing was. It just was, for whatever reason, not in the cards [for us]."
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When Monique asked what's new with him, Bennett replied, "I'm teaching myself how to play the slide whistle."
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The special's host laughed and asked a more pointed question as a result.
"What's new in your love life?" Monique questioned Bennett. "Last time I saw you [on Married at First Sight -- Decision Day Dish: Nashville, which aired in May 2023], I know you were seeing someone."
"Yeah," Bennett replied. "I'm still hanging out with that person. It's been really lovely and really sweet."
Monique asked for clarification on what "hanging out" means, and Bennett explained, "Oh, you know, we go to concerts together. Sometimes we'll sleep in the same bed together."
"Now and then we'll make whoopee together," he added. "We have kind of very intentionally and mindfully chosen not to use labels on it."
Bennett proceeded to take a big sip from his mug, suggesting he had just spilled the tea.
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Bennett also revealed at the time, "I, truth be told, didn't have much going on in Richmond; I longed for my community in New Orleans."
And Bennett said Amelia "eventually decided to pursue a residency somewhere else," which threw an even bigger wrench into their plans.
"The fact we were both being pulled in opposite directions and our mutual, respectful recognition of that just kind of led to this very copasetic, sweet, teetering out," Bennett explained.
Bennett shared how his split from Amelia was "totally amicable" and that they were able to remain friends.
Amelia, meanwhile, has been seriously dating a man for about three years now. She posts photos of themselves traveling and doing acrobatics together constantly.
And Bennett first revealed he was dating the special woman who is still currently in his life.
"We have a good thing going. We take really good care of each other and we're very sweet to each other," Bennett gushed when the Nashville special filmed in March 2023.
"But it also has a certain degree of casualness that I really appreciate."
Amelia and Bennett had been plagued by breakup rumors in early 2021 until they announced the end of their relationship in Summer 2021.
It appears Bennett and Amelia's breakup must have happened some time after Valentine's Day 2021.
On February 14, Bennett wrote a long post in honor of his best friend, Harry, who served as the best man in Bennett and Amelia's wedding, and Bennett confirmed his relationship with Amelia was still going strong at the time.
"One year ago today, I got married to my love, Amelia... And before you ask: YES, Amelia and I are still together!" Bennett wrote in part.
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Amelia and Bennett had met each other twice in public settings prior to their wedding day, and so they believed their Married at First Sight wedding was fate.
They ended up being a fan-favorite couple on Married at First Sight due to their quirky personalities, unique outlook on life and relationships, and their apparent instant connection and fast-growing love.
But Bennett was a little taken aback during the season when Amelia admitted she had signed up for Married at First Sight just for a fun adventure rather than a lifelong commitment.
Regardless, Bennett said their romance was very "serendipitous" and he had experienced "a truly transformative relationship" with Amelia.
After remaining married on Decision Day, the pair gushed about their love for each other on the reunion special. Bennett even showed off a new tattoo of Amelia's initials on his butt!
"I guess this means we're probably going to be married forever," Amelia said.
The couple went on to appear on Season 2 of Married at First Sight: Couples Cam, but they were left off the cast list for Season 3, which premiered in June 2021 on Lifetime.
RELATED: 'MARRIED AT FIRST SIGHT' COUPLES NOW: WHERE ARE THEY NOW? WHO IS STILL TOGETHER? WHO HAS RE-MARRIED? (PHOTOS)
Interested in more Married at First Sight news? Join our Married at First Sight Facebook Group or click here to view our Married at First Sight newspage!
And click here for more updates on former Married at First Sight cast members and info on where they are now!
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
