Married at First Sight featured Chris Thielk upsetting Nicole Lilienthal by calling her "thick," Airris Williams shocking Jasmine Secrest with truths about his sexual history, Kirsten Grimes taking her relationship with Shaquille Dillon to the next level, and Gina Micheletti bonding with Clint Webb during the Season 16 episode that aired Wednesday night on Lifetime.
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Domynique Kloss and Mackinley Gilbert decided to get a divorce on Day 12 of the process and were not featured in the latest episode.
Married at First Sight experts Pastor Calvin Roberson and Dr. Pepper Schwartz matched the five couples for matrimony in Tennessee.
The show features strangers meeting at the wedding altar and then spending the next eight weeks embarking on a honeymoon, moving in together, and navigating the joys and struggles of daily life together.
And at the end of the experiment, Married at First Sight's Season 16 couples will reach "Decision Day" and have to decide whether to remain married or decide to end their marriages and divorce.
According to Pastor Cal, this is going to be the "most intense season of Married at First Sight yet."
The Married at First Sight broadcast began on Day 19 of marriage, with Airris revealing he had tested positive for COVID-19 and was quarantining as a result. He was experiencing "extreme fatigue" and said he had to fend and feed himself since Jasmine had a busy work schedule.
Jasmine said she was going to try to do whatever she could for her husband and she was trying to remain hopeful.
Meanwhile, Clint was shown FaceTiming with his mother Susan and telling her that things had been going well and they were comfortable and in smooth waters. Clint wasn't sure where the road was going to take them, and he said he wanted to get to know Gina -- who was constantly at the salon -- on a deeper level.
"You have to have that balance, and we still have a lot of developing to do," Clint explained. "And the runway is shortening up pretty quickly to land this plane. We have to go a far distance in a short period of time. It's an adventure, for sure."
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Chris then booked a couple's massage for Nicole and himself, and Nicole gushed about how she was so excited. Nicole knew stressful and challenging times were likely on the horizon for them, but she said she loved sharing a bed with him and coming home to him every day.
Chris advised Nicole to do what came naturally to her and not hold back, and Nicole was concerned about whether her husband's needs were being met. The pair cared to please each other, and Nicole revealed how her love language had become physical touch with Chris -- which she used to dislike with ex-boyfriends.
Nicole said her feelings for Chris were growing every day and she had "no doubt" she was going to "fall in love" with him.
Over at Kirsten's place, she shared how she felt "blessed" to have been matched with Shaquille. His schedule, however, was so hectic, that Kirsten complained she barely got to see him. One night, Kirsten attempted to wait up for Shaquille, only to fall asleep before he got home.
"I want to make for sure that I am a priority in his life... It's very important right now that he and I get to know each other, because that's the only way you'll have an emotional connection," Kirsten told the cameras, adding how they needed to be "intentional" with each other.
Shaquille had asked Kirsten to provide him with grace, but her grace could only go so far.
On Day 21 of marriage, Airris said Jasmine had made him a delicious soup the previous night, which he appreciated, and he was looking forward to getting his energy back.
Clint then visited Gina at her hair salon, and she was excited for her co-workers and clients to "size him up." Gina said she was trying to share her life with her husband more, and he seemed to get along well with Gina's friends.
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Nicole was hoping that Chris would say, "I love you," first, but Chris appeared to be in no rush.
In one of his past relationships, Chris apparently professed his love to a woman before he was truly ready, and so he wanted to wait until things "felt right" with Nicole.
A couple of days later, the experts gave each couple questions to ask each other with the hope of building emotional intimacy.
During the exercise, Gina revealed how her parents had divorced when she was young and she had to move around a lot, which resulted in her going to therapy. Gina said she managed to overcome adversity by shifting her mind and convincing herself one isn't a product of his or her environment.
Clint then confessed he had gotten a girl pregnant before and she suffered a miscarriage after a couple of weeks. Clint said the incident "tore him up" because he was actually excited about having a child and had planned to be present in his kid's life and provide financial support.
Clint said he had a strong physical and emotional response to the miscarriage, which made Gina feel a little bit closer to her husband.
But the couple was still missing physical and sexual chemistry in their relationship.
Over at Shaquille and Kirsten's apartment, Shaquille shared with his wife how he had been in love before but needed a woman to come into his life and show him what love really means. Kirsten said her last relationship lasted four years and it was painful when it didn't work out.
When asked what it would take for Kirsten to fall in love, she told Shaquille "quality time" and being around each other more. Kirsten wanted Shaquille to open up and express himself, and Shaquille said it would just take time for him to fall in love.
"We could be apart and I will still look at that as time," Shaquille noted. "I need to make myself happy so I can make her happier."
Kirsten acknowledged she was only being needy because they had just met several weeks prior, but Shaquille told the cameras that he needed to be able to spend time with his friends and family or else he'd be "miserable" in his marriage.
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Meanwhile, Kirsten was able to meet several of Shaquille's mentees from work, which showed her a different side of her husband. She also learned Shaquille had turned down an out-of-state offer because he didn't think it would be beneficial for their marriage.
Chris and Nicole then sat down for a chat at their apartment, and Chris opened up about how he had body issues and insecurities. Chris said he wasn't where he wanted to be, and Nicole shared how she felt the same exact way.
"You look great. I understand you want to look good for me, but I want you to do things for you because I am very attracted to you as is, so please don't feel like you have to do something because you want me to feel a certain way," Nicole explained.
"For sure... I want you to feel the same," Chris replied.
"And honestly, I just wanted to let you know, like, I was asked a question about appearance... I wanted to make sure I told you -- because I don't want you to see anything later and get upset about it -- but I said, 'Appearance-wise, beautiful smile, beautiful face, beautiful eyes.' But I did say, 'A little thicker than I normally go for, but not in a bad way.'"
Chris explained how "thick" to him is athletic and sexy, and he promised that he'd never want to upset her or hurt her feelings.
Nicole admitted it was difficult to hear that Chris had said something about her that could be perceived as insulting. While Nicole called herself a thicker girl, she said it's very different to hear someone else say it.
"I'm definitely taken aback a little bit. It's not something I expected to hear my husband say... I have full-blown body dysmorphia. It's something I've been dealing with for years," Nicole shared in a confessional.
Nicole said she's surrounded by fitness influencers in New York and so she often compared herself to them, which was something she had been working on. Nicole was therefore "a little shocked" by Chris' comment, and she told Chris that she'll always be a little thicker and can't change that.
Nicole found this to be a very uncomfortable situation, and she said he had a lot of balls to have said that and brought it up to her.
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Clint was then shown taking Gina sailing, which is a big part of his life and family dynamic, and he hoped this would help them connect more and they could have a good time.
Gina said she could tell why Clint loved the sport so much, but the couple could have used a little more wind.
On Day 26 of marriage, Shaquille and Kirsten went shopping for house plants together.
Shaquille apparently has a passion for plants, and so Kirsten was humoring him and helping him to pick something up. Shaquille enjoyed this "quality time" in his world, but it took some time for the couple to agree on a plant.
"We can bond over this plant, which is like nurturing our marriage as well," Kirsten noted.
Meanwhile, Airris and Jasmine played "Never Have I Ever" in their apartment. Airris could tell his wife was "more reserved" in the sex department and so the game would give him an opportunity to ask Jasmine some questions and maybe learn more about her.
The game, however, led to some startling truths about Airris that rubbed Jasmine the wrong way and seemed to upset her. Airris, for instance, had engaged in orgies before with multiple females at once. The orgy revelation was just something Jasmine said she didn't need to know.
Later on, Kirsten surprised Shaquille with a spa night at their apartment once he returned home from work. Kirsten said she liked catering to Shaquille, and she lit candles and bought him a robe to show how she appreciated him.
Kirsten soaked Shaquille's feet in a bath and gave him a back massage. She said she wanted to take things to the next level in attempt to prove she wanted their relationship to grow.
Shaquille dished on his "insecurity issues" to Kirsten, especially because he wasn't able to play sports after his family's car accident. Shaquille also said he was insecure about the scar on his forehead and when he went bald.
Kirsten confirmed that Shaquille is a handsome and strong man, and she apparently found his scar attractive.
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Shaquille acknowledged that Kirsten's walls were "tall" and she needed to trust him with information about herself. Shaquille said commitment was only the first step and they had to work towards love. Shaquille didn't want to know very little about his wife come Decision Day.
"I need her to be 100 percent vulnerable," Shaquille expressed to the cameras, adding how he wasn't confident they'd feel comfortable with each other without the experts' help.
On Day 27 of marriage, Gina and Clint dressed up in cowboy outfits and attended a professional bull riding show that had come to Nashville. Clint thought it would be cool to share this experience with Gina, which was unfamiliar territory for him.
The pair appeared to have a great time, and they got a little flirty at the event.
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About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
