Married at First Sight couple Lindy Elloway and Miguel Santiago have announced they've split and are getting a divorce, and it appears Lindy blames Miguel for the demise of their marriage.
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Married at First Sight fans had high hopes for Lindy and Miguel's marriage once Season 15 came to an end late last year, but the pair announced they're no longer together in their own respective Instagram posts on Monday -- just hours before Valentine's Day.
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"It is with great heartbreak Miguel and I are announcing our divorce," Lindy wrote in a black-and-white image Monday on Instagram.
"Sadly, it's impossible to stay married if both people are not equally committed to the success of the marriage."
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Lindy was seemingly taking a shot at Miguel, and she continued, "Marrying a stranger on national tv has been a very painful, overwhelming & confusing process."
However, Lindy confirmed, "Neither of us regret getting married at first sight and are happy we experienced a genuine connection. While it has been difficult, and it didn't work out for us, we are incredibly grateful for this experiment and opportunity."
Lindy reminded fans that they saw "very little" of the former couple's "actual lives and experiences" during the "short duration" of the show's filming and airing schedule.
"While it is easy to cast judgement and make assumptions, please remember we are just regular people who decided to take a leap of faith," Lindy wrote.
"Thank you for going on this insane journey with us, and for respecting our privacy while we continue to heal and grow as individuals."
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Lindy captioned her social media post, "I am so happy to be closing this chapter of my life and start prioritizing myself."
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Meanwhile, Miguel took to Instagram on Monday with a breakup statement of his own, and he didn't deny Lindy's claim there was not "equal" effort in their marriage.
"My MAFS experience has been very humbling and has made me come face-to-face with many of my shortcomings and personality flaws," Miguel penned in a lengthy slideshow of images.
"Once we were given the opportunity to go public, I didn't feel comfortable nor resilient enough to engage with strangers. In part, I felt this way because my relationship with Lindy had deteriorated, and we were trying to figure out our next steps."
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Miguel said he chose to take the "last few months" to "prioritize my mental health and assess whether I could make it work with Lindy."
"In the end, we both tried to be the person each other needed while remaining true to ourselves, but we could never quite rise to the occasion in a way that was sustainable for the both of us," Miguel explained.
"Lindy's devotion to marriage is second to none, and I have nothing but love and respect for her. It's a devastatingly hard pill to swallow when you deeply care about someone but equally deeply know that you're not right for each other."
Miguel said he wishes Lindy will find "the love and happiness she deserves" as they go their separate ways in life, and he called her "an amazing and beautiful person" who's "enriched" his life with "so many lessons."
"What's next for me is to continue focusing on prioritizing my health and fostering positive relationships with friends. I'm going to therapy, journaling, and practicing mindfulness and self-awareness," Miguel shared.
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"At the top of my list is to improve how I show compassion and communicate empathetically. As I continue to embark on my journey of self-improvement, I'll be sharing some of my thoughts and findings so that maybe I can help others optimize their own health and happiness. Cheers to finding our way."
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Miguel captioned his post, "Divorce feels like you'll never quite smile the same way again. It's a sorrow that just lingers."
"I know with time, I'll heal, and Lindy will too," he continued. "But until then, be considerate with your comments. On my page, I have a zero-tolerance for any negative comments towards Lindy, so save yourself the trouble coz it's gonna get deleted anyway."
Married at First Sight fans have been speculating for a couple of months that Lindy and Miguel, who starred on the Lifetime reality series' fifteenth season last year, had separated or split.
Back on November 29, Lindy posted pictures from a wedding-themed photo shoot she had taken with Miguel and explained to her followers, "To all the inquisitions, Miguel and I ask that you please respect our privacy as we continue to navigate our marriage. We have shared so much of our relationship and are loving the peace of not filming a TV show. Thank you for understanding, we love you all!"
After that post, Lindy and Miguel never shared a picture with each other on Instagram again.
Lindy also began trying new restaurants and traveling, including a trip to Mexico, with no mention of her husband.
On January 8, Lindy posted a selfie on Instagram and wrote, "So happy a new year is like a reset button! What are your top priorities for 2023? Mine are.. 1. Traveling 2. Creating a community 3. Growing and healing."
Many fans read into Lindy's "reset" comment and how she needed "healing," and it was also eyebrow-raising that there was no mention of a desire to work on her marriage or do anything with Miguel in particular.
And when Instagram users would ask Lindy about her relationship with Miguel and whether the spouses were still together, Lindy would never reply.
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Lindy and Miguel were the couple on Married at First Sight's fifteenth season that the other cast members were jealous of. They got along great, for the most part, and fell in love during the process.
However, their relationship was tested during the couples' retreat when Miguel was admittedly grumpy, exhausted and irritable. The couple fought every day of the trip, and Lindy cried about how she didn't want to be a punching bag in her marriage.
Lindy felt like she couldn't do anything right with Miguel, who had very high standards for how he wanted his wife to speak and behave. Miguel, for instance, hated being interrupted and when Lindy would have a short attention span, and Lindy hated it when Miguel snapped at her.
However, the couple decided to stay together on "Decision Day," and they were still married on the reunion show.
Lindy said on the reunion that Miguel was everything she had asked the experts for and he was trying to change for the better -- by being more positive and understanding -- and Miguel also gushed about how he loved Lindy very much.
Lindy had also moved into Miguel's place after Decision Day and hyphenated her last name, making her Lindy Elloway-Santiago.
Lindy admitted she was ready for a baby right away, but Miguel explained how he'd like to get a house first and then have a child. Miguel said Lindy would ideally get pregnant one year after securing a home.
On the Married at First Sight: Where Are They Now? special for Season 15, which filmed five months after "Decision Day" and two weeks after the reunion, Lindy and Miguel were shown house hunting because Lindy thought Miguel's place was too small for the both of them.
"We don't need to get too ahead of ourselves," Miguel noted.
Lindy was trying to push Miguel out of his financial comfort zone, and Miguel said he was just waiting for the timing to be right.
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