'Married at First Sight' reunion: Keith rejects Iris' reconciliation attempt, Matt admits Amber bombshell, Jamie and Elizabeth reveal brief split

Married at First Sight's Season 9 reunion featured Keith Manley rejecting Iris Caldwell's attempt to reconcile, Elizabeth Bice and Jamie Thompson revealing they broke up briefly, and Matthew Gwynne admitting he knew his marriage to Amber Bowles wasn't going to work fifteen minutes into it during Wednesday night's broadcast on Lifetime.


Keith and Iris, Jamie and Elizabeth, Matt and Amber, and Deonna McNeill and Gregory Okotie reunited to provide updates on their single lives or marriages.

RELATED LINK: 'MARRIED AT FIRST SIGHT' COUPLES NOW: WHAT COUPLES ARE STILL TOGETHER? WHO BROKE UP? WHERE ARE THEY NOW? (PHOTOS)

Amber and Matt mutually chose to get a divorce on "Decision Day," while Kevin asked for a divorce when his wife Iris was hoping to stay married.

The two couples who stayed together on "Decision Day" were Elizabeth and Jamie as well as Deonna and Greg.


So what happened once the cameras turned off and the Married at First Sight experts -- Pastor Calvin Roberson, Dr. Pepper Schwartz and Dr. Viviana Coles -- went home?

Keith rejects Iris' attempt to concile

Kevin Frazier hosted the reunion, and he met with Iris and Keith first.

Both individual said they were doing well, and then Kevin asked the former couple what the experts had gotten right in matching them together.

Keith said he and Iris are both passionate about serving youth, and Iris explained they both love adventure, have a thrill for life and have similar goals in terms of longevity in a relationship -- such as having kids.

Iris cried when watching footage of their marriage back at the reunion, and she admitted she still cared for Keith "a lot."


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Keith said Iris is compassionate, caring and one of the most genuine people he's ever met, so it didn't surprise him to see Iris emotional.

Because Keith admired Iris so much, it was a shock to many viewers when he decided to get a divorce on "Decision Day" -- against Iris' wishes.

Recalling the moment Keith dumped her, Iris said, "That's when I went blank... like literally a loss of breath, a loss -- I was almost mentally blacking out."

Iris said Keith complimented her in more ways than one on "Decision Day" but shocked her when he pulled the plug just because she didn't have a lot of relationship experience.


"I'm good on you. You're great though, keep doing you," Iris said.

"Because that's what I said," Keith argued.

"But that's how it was interpreted," Kevin chimed in. "And it was very hard."

Iris said that was difficult to hear but Keith's choice gave her a different perspective on things and allowed her to grow as a person. However, Iris admitted she'd "change a few things" if she could go back and do it all over again.

Iris wished she had pushed Keith more to discuss his issue with her virginity and how that affected him. She wanted to get below the surface and figure out why saving herself for her husband was such a problem for Keith.


RELATED LINK: 'MARRIED AT FIRST SIGHT' STAR AMBER BOWLES: I WAS SHOCKED MATT GWYNNE DIDN'T END OUR MARRIAGE ON RECOMMITMENT DAY (EXCLUSIVE)

Keith explained it was a big deal to him because sex is an area she's "not experienced in" and it's a "place" where she doesn't really know herself yet.

Keith tried to say it wasn't about the fact Iris never had sex before but rather how she was going to let her husband "decide or create" what her intimacy would be like in a marriage.

"I may not know what it means to have sex, but that's why I wanted to have that experience with you," Iris explained, confirming that she did want to make love to her husband either during or after the eight weeks if she clicked with her husband.

Iris came to the conclusion Keith didn't want to help her navigate her sexual desires and preferences because that's "too difficult" for him.


But Keith pointed out Iris lacked maturity in certain conversations and situations, such as when she found an empty box of condoms in his apartment and flipped out about it.

"It was a red flag. These are things I take into consideration; I have to. Because we don't have much time to figure out whether we're going to stay married or not," Keith said.

"How are you going to fix your emotional maturity in eight weeks? It doesn't make sense."

"Because we try after the eight weeks, Keith... but you didn't care enough and you didn't want to try enough, and that's what kills me," Iris said in tears.

Iris said she had no idea her virginity affected Keith on that level and all she wanted was to fix their issues and grow together.

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Keith told Iris that these weren't negative traits, but Iris said they were negative enough for him to ask for divorce.

"I didn't necessarily want the responsibility of teaching Iris, because that's tough. I don't want to be that; I never had an intention of being that for anybody, trying to help them figure out and establish their, like, intimate foundation," Keith explained, as Iris boasted a huge smile as if what Keith was saying was ridiculous.

"I don't have any desire to do that. It was never about sex; it was about intimacy. I never used the word 'sex' on that one."

Iris therefore asked Keith to explain exactly what intimacy means to him. He said it could be asking questions, verbal intimacy, being there for somebody, physical intimacy and maybe not even saying a word.

Keith said those types of intimacy often lead to sex, but Iris argued they had established all of those forms of intimacy during their marriage.

Kevin had a lot of respect for how Keith handled the situation, and Iris agreed.


Iris then revealed she and Keith continued to talk after the show and go out to dinner.

"Are you hoping that maybe it will spark?" Kevin asked.

"I think it would take change on both sides for it to work," Keith replied.

"And I want that to happen," Iris said.

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Kevin then asked Iris, "If Keith said, 'I want to stay married today,' what would you do?"


Iris replied that she'd like to go to couples' counseling and try to work things out. However, Iris said Keith would have to show her all of his rationale for getting a divorce would no longer be an issue.

Keith confessed he missed Iris, but he played coy when asked whether he would date her again after she got some more life experience.

"I don't know. I can only go off of how I feel right now, and I honestly don't know," Keith noted. "I don't think I'm ready for a wife right now, and I don't think you're ready to be a wife right now."

Iris told Keith that he couldn't speak for her, but Keith said he was just going off of what he felt.

"So, I would say, 'No,'" Keith said.

Iris acknowledged that's what she needed to hear and she was going to continue living her best life.


Iris remained hopeful about finding love, and she gushed to the cameras about how she had stayed whole and could apply what she learned in her last relationship to the next one.

Keith said he wasn't interested in dating anyone in the near future, but then Iris asked whether or not he was at least getting sex now.

"You're good right?!" Iris asked.

"I'm good. Thanks for your concern," Keith said shyly.

Deonna and Greg share some news

The next couple to provide an update was Deonna and Greg.

Deonna revealed she likes receiving compliments now because she had gotten to know Greg well.


Deonna said she had arrived at the decision to stay married because her down time with Greg was "very intentional" and they spent time having "deep conversations" when the cameras weren't on them.

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"I looked back at those moments and thought, 'How did I feel?' And that's when I knew," Deonna shared.

Greg admitted he had some doubts about what to do because Deonna hadn't dated in 10 years and she had some walls up, but once the cameras left, things apparently went well.

Greg told Kevin it felt great to have "lazy days," but Deonna had to get used to the fact stressors were no longer around.

"Are you still married?" Kevin asked the couple.


"Yes, we are still married," Deonna said, before Greg echoed the sentiment.

Deonna then revealed she was the first person to say, "I love you," in the relationship, but Greg didn't say a thing back.

Deonna said Greg waited until he was ready to say those three words back -- and it just so happened to be when she found his missing designer sunglasses. Greg didn't even seem to remember that moment, but they both laughed it off and seemed really happy with each other.

Since the show filmed, Deonna and her dog Sandy moved into Greg's house. Greg joked it was "a takeover" and her stuff was everywhere.

Greg is apparently allergic to dogs, but Deonna pointed out that love conquers all.

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Kevin then asked the couple whether babies are in their future, and Deonna responded, "We do have some news. The family is expanding... We are expecting. But we are expecting a nephew. My sister is expecting; we're going to be uncle and aunts."

Deonna predicted they'd start a family, however, in the next year-and-a-half to two years.

Matt says he knew Amber marriage wouldn't work within 15 minutes

It then became time for Kevin to talk to Matt and Amber.

Amber told Kevin that Married at First Sight was the "hardest eight weeks" of her life.

Amber said she was attracted to Matt because he was artsy, creative, athletic and well-rounded, and Matt liked how Amber was very caring and giving.

During the honeymoon, Matt warned Amber he could possibly pick up a contract to play professional basketball overseas again, which would mean they'd be separated for half a year potentially.


"It's a nomadic life. At the time of your conversation talking about, 'Maybe I'll go play basketball,' at the time, did the red flags already hit you and maybe that's why you don't talk to Amber about going with you if you're going to play basketball?" Kevin asked Matt.

"Yeah, I mean, I kind of figured out pretty early on that it wasn't going to work," Matt admitted.

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Matt then dropped a bombshell on viewers.

"When was the moment that you realized?" Kevin asked.

"Probably like the first 15 minutes," Matt confessed. "I had lots of doubts immediately."


Amber didn't understand why they slept together "on Day 2" if Matt wasn't into their marriage from Day 1. Amber asked why Matt played with her emotions as a result.

Matt insisted he wasn't playing with her emotions because he believed the MAFS experts when they said a relationship can grow with some work. But Amber argued Matt didn't put any work in.

Amber felt Matt had disrespected her by not coming home at times, but Matt said he wasn't aware of her abandonment issues early on.

Kevin then asked Matt whether he was seeing and/or hanging out with other women, especially the night when he left his wedding ring in the nightstand next to his bed with Amber.

"If I saw somebody I knew while I was out, we talked, but I wasn't seeing somebody else. I wasn't living a double life," Matt said.

"One of your guy friends came forward and told me that you were," Amber shared.


"Oh, okay," Matt noted, before Amber revealed she had heard from about "10 people" Matt had been playing her. "It was humiliating. I was humiliated at work."

"Were you seeing that girl?" Kevin asked.

"Nah, just a friend," Matt replied.

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After Kevin seemed to express disbelief over Matt's claim, Amber noted, "She told me she feels bad, so."

Matt then laughed and said, "The person I left with that night, you don't even know her. You don't even know who she is."


"Okay, well, you think I don't," Amber sniped.

Kevin wanted to clear things up, so he flat out asked Matt whether he had sex with another woman while married.

"Just own it, boy!" Amber interjected.

Matt replied, "No," which made Amber "feel better."

Matt didn't have anything else to say or add, but he at least apologized for how he had treated Amber. But Amber wanted Matt to look at her face and say it rather than pretend like she wasn't even in the room.

"If I disrespected or hurt you in any way, I apologize," Matt said.


Amber told Matt he didn't need to be callous towards her going forward, that they should be able to be cordial with each other.

"Why do you hate me so much?!" Amber asked.

"I don't though -- at all," Matt insisted.

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Amber said what hurt the most is they seemed to be "parting enemies" because she just wanted them to be cool around each other.

Matt explained they might be able to get to a good place at some point but he was still trying to process the breakup and get through everything.


Matt told Amber that he needed his space, and then Amber assured Kevin that she didn't want to be friends with Matt.

"I don't expect us to be best friends... I want to be cordial. It is so likely we will run into each other in Charlotte, and I don't want to act like I don't know him. Like, I married him, legally," Amber said.

Matt was transitioning out of Married at First Sight and trying to figure out his next move, but he said in the meantime, he's crashing with friends and doing his own thing.

After Matt pointed out he's happy, Amber revealed she just recently got her own studio apartment. Amber also got herself a three-year-old rescue dog and finally realized she deserves better.

"I have been dating, but I'm just really having fun. I haven't found my Mr. Right yet. I know he's out there, but it will just take some time," Amber shared.

Amber said she went a little crazy after her breakup with Matt, who apparently felt relieved and overjoyed she had moved on.

Elizabeth and Jamie reveal they briefly split up

It then became time for Elizabeth and Jamie to chat with Kevin.

Elizabeth said "Decision Day" was challenging because she's not great at opening up about her feelings.

"I think one of the major challenges for us was coming off of filming and production and getting back into normal, everyday life. We were having a lot of stress," Jamie said.

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Jamie explained one of Elizabeth's dogs got sick and moving in together was stressful.

"We both just kind of cracked," Jamie admitted.


"So what are you saying? You guys broke up?" Kevin asked.

Jamie nodded his head and then Elizabeth muttered, "Mhmm."

Elizabeth said she was in and out of the hospital for several days and had to prioritize some things in her life, suggesting her dog came first before Jamie.

Kevin therefore asked the couple if they got back together since that fight and were still married.

"Yes," Elizabeth said. "It's a hard yes. We are back together."

Jamie and Elizabeth acknowledged they were happy together and happy being married. Jamie even said he couldn't imagine his life without Elizabeth and so he'd figure out how to have a healthy, stable relationship before leaving her.


And Elizabeth agreed she "just cared" about Jamie. Elizabeth said she cracked under her emotions but was working on it and Jamie was patient with her.

Jamie said they have a lot of fun together, even when they just order Chinese food on a Friday night.

"Is this still as flammable as ever?" Kevin asked the couple about their relationship.

"Oh my gosh, we do not even go to those levels anymore," Elizabeth confirmed. "Oh no. I just had to adjust my own medicine with Jamie... he can give it back to me. He checks me and calls me whenever I can be a brat."

"I mastered the clapback," Jamie revealed.

Jamie said they were learning how to have a healthy relationship, and Elizabeth pointed out things were "hotter than ever."


Elizabeth also shared that she no longer has to have sex with Jamie just to shut him up.

As far as the future goes, Jamie said he had officially moved into Elizabeth's place and got rid of his own apartment.

Elizabeth later joked about how she and Jamie wear matching underwear to bed and "life is beautiful."

Elizabeth couldn't predict what was going to happen in five years, but she had every intention of continuing to love him.

Elizabeth gets tense with Kevin

All four couples then joined Kevin on the stage together.

Deonna revealed she was "a little surprised" Keith and Iris had chosen to divorce because they seemed to click and mesh really well.


Elizabeth also claimed to be "in denial" over Iris and Keith's split, hoping their paths would run parallel and they'd reunite someday.

No one was shocked Amber and Matt had split, which Amber could at least joke about.

The four couples then watched a clip back of Elizabeth and Jamie's dramatic fight at the racetrack when Jamie had told her to "shut up."

Jamie shared that they had already been fighting in the car on the way over so things were tense, and Elizabeth admitted to running her mouth moments before. The footage brought back bad memories for Elizabeth, who couldn't help but get a little emotional.

"Fill in the blanks," Kevin said, asking Elizabeth to open up more about her arguments with Jamie.

"No, I really don't care anymore. We have to move on," Elizabeth said.


"But you just said that you care," Kevin noted.

"Stop pushing me to answer any more of these questions," Elizabeth demanded. "Please respect that I'm not doing well with this. Stop."

Kevin insisted he didn't mean to disrespect Elizabeth, and so with that being said, he stopped probing for more answers.

Iris confirms she is still a virgin

Moving on to the topic of Iris' virginity, Greg said it's a big responsibility and must've been a weight on Keith's shoulders. And Jamie agreed it would've been a lot for him to deal with had Elizabeth been a virgin.

"You told me you need to have sex every day, so I don't think you would do well with it," Elizabeth said with a laugh.

Iris hoped to grow with a man in that area, but she said she had heard Keith and understood him when he said he didn't want to be that guy for her.


Iris confirmed she's "a divorced virgin," which makes her an even rarer find. She told Kevin that she still plans to wait until marriage to have sex for the first time.

Elizabeth reveals she had heard gossip that Matt was cheating

In terms of Amber and Matt's relationship, Deonna said the fallout made her "speechless" because Matt could've handled things in a better and more gentlemanly way.

Iris said there was so much hope and promise because Matt and Amber were incredibly compatible and so it was hard to watch things get so derailed.

Given the Charlotte area is pretty small, Elizabeth apparently even heard information that she didn't want to have to deliver back to Amber during the marriage experiment.

"Listen, that's to them -- and I'm sure we all know. So, it doesn't matter," Elizabeth replied.

Matt said he was glad Amber had friends to help her through the process. He said while he cared for Amber, she's not the woman with whom he wants to spend the rest of his life.


Matt explained he and Amber established a friendship -- which Amber rolled her eyes at -- and they got to know each other deeply, but it "just wasn't enough to say, 'Let's stay married for the rest of our lives.'"

Iris acknowledged Matt just wasn't prepared for how serious Married at First Sight is.

Matt confessed boundaries don't work for him, and Jamie said marriage was a lot more than what he had expected going into this process.

Finally, Elizabeth revealed she and Jamie were going to move to California and start fresh. They expected to be each other's rock and support system.

Elizabeth said she'd explore new career opportunities in the Bay area once they get settled in their new apartment.

MAFS Season 10's Washington, D.C. location is confirmed

The finale concluded with Kevin announcing Married at First Sight's tenth season will be based in Washington, D.C.


Kevin asked the couples to give advice to future couples on the show, and Deonna said enter the process with low expectations -- which Greg laughed at and called her out on -- and Amber said have deep, difficult conversations.

Patience, honesty, openness and communication were also words thrown out there, but Matt stayed completely silent and awkwardly laughed at times.

As Matt previously revealed on "Decision Day," he totally regretted starring on Married at First Sight to begin with.

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About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski