Married at First Sight star Justin has claimed Alexis checked out of their marriage and "was not ready to be married."
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Alexis, a 29-year-old logistics specialist, and Justin, a 33-year-old digital marketing specialist, were in matrimony heaven on Married at First Sight's fifteenth season until the couple moved in together in San Diego and then Justin's dog Maya attacked Alexis' dog Newton, who needed medical attention for an eye injury.
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The incident spiraled into a lack of communication between the pair, and Alexis -- who said she lost her sense of security in the marriage -- accused Justin of withholding information from her in conversation, which she deemed "manipulative" and secretive.
When asked if he thought Alexis had checked out of their marriage before the one-month mark, Justin replied, "Yes."
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On the August 31 episode of Married at First Sight: Afterparty, Justin continued, "And right now, she's just waiting for the experiment to be over."
Justin then watched Married at First Sight footage back of a conversation he had with Alexis.
"If we weren't married and we were going through the exact same issues that we're going through now, would you stick around?" Justin asks his wife on a romantic date.
"No, I don't think I would," Alexis replies. "The Newton thing really got to me. So in a dating scenario, I would not allow someone to do what seemed like a lie. I accept people at face value."
Justin said that exchange with Alexis made him "feel some type of way."
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"I'm not going to lie, it actually made me pull back," Justin confessed. "It definitely rubbed me the wrong way, let's just say that."
Afterparty host Keshia Knight Pulliam therefore asked Justin if he thought Alexis was truly ready to be married.
"I don't think Alexis is ready to be married," Justin admitted. "I think she likes the idea of marriage."
Justin explained how there is a "lot of work" that comes with being a wife and Alexis allegedly wasn't putting that work in.
"I don't think she's fully ready to commit to that because she's still guarded... The dog situation was unfortunate, but it's a choice, and she's choosing to pull back," Justin noted.
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An example of Alexis being guarded is when Justin asked his wife if she could tell him how much she loved him -- and she simply replied, "No."
Alexis, still upset over the couple's recent arguments, explained how she needed to be sure Justin would always have her back in order to feel love for him again.
"It definitely took me by surprise, for sure," Justin said. "But I think that's how she felt in that moment."
Justin clarified that when he expressed love to Alexis earlier in the season, he had made his mind up that he wanted to be committed to her.
Justin noted how it was a choice rather than a feeling and he didn't think Alexis was reciprocating that effort.
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"After the dog situation, I feel like she's focused on herself right now. And I feel like she's reverting back to what she is originally used to," Justin reasoned.
Alexis had been proposed to three times prior to marrying a stranger on Married at First Sight, but she never felt ready to get married and so she ran away from those relationships.
However, Justin said he remained "optimistic" and "of course" still had hope that his marriage to Alexis could work out and last long-term.
Justin's Married at First Sight co-star Stacia Karcher added how Alexis could "absolutely" come back from this because it's "a choice," adding how Alexis needed to get outside of her comfort zone and let Justin back in her heart.
Stacia also seemed taken aback and almost angry when Justin acknowledged how he didn't think Alexis was ready for marriage.
Married at First Sight, which currently airs on Wednesday nights at 8PM ET/PT on Lifetime, also stars Stacia's husband Nate Barnes, Krysten and Mitch, Lindy Elloway and Miguel Santiago, and Morgan and Binh.
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