Married at First Sight star Karen Landry has explained why she was so concerned Miles Williams wasn't being his true self after they got married.
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Karen, a 30-year-old consultant from New Orleans, LA, and Miles, a 26-year-old who works with youth from Spartanburg, SC, were matched by Married at First Sight experts Dr. Pepper Schwartz, Dr. Viviana Coles and Pastor Calvin Roberson to marry on Season 11 of the Lifetime reality series.
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During the September 2 episode of Married at First Sight: Unfiltered, Karen and her MAFS co-stars Woody Randall and Bennett Kirschner watched back a Season 11 clip in which Karen revealed she isn't affectionate in a relationship until she trusts the man.
"I'm just nervous because I wonder if I'm getting the real you or are you on, like, your best behavior," Karen told Miles during a counseling session with Pastor Cal in the clip.
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When Pastor Cal asked Karen to explain the root of her fear, she replied with tears in her eyes, "I think I'm afraid of someone hurting me."
On Unfiltered, host Jamie Otis -- who starred on Season 1 of Married at First Sight and is still married to her match, Doug Hehner -- asked Karen what it was like watching that footage back.
"I think it's hard to watch that," Karen admitted.
"You know, I have been through some painful things, but I've also put a lot of work into making myself whole again and also making sure that, like, that doesn't hold me back for future relationships."
Given Miles' family and friends could all vouch for Miles being the caring, compassionate and selfless man he seemed to be in his marriage, Jamie asked Karen why she was concerned her husband wasn't being his true self.
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"I'm sure a lot of women can identify with me. We meet guys, everything is good for the first few weeks, the first few months, and then you realize that person goes off of his best behavior and you realize you've been dating that representative," Karen explained.
"I've met a lot of representatives," Karen continued with a laugh. "And then I get to know the real guy and I'm like, 'Man, this is who I started catching feelings for?!'"
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Karen admitted being burned by those guys who falsely portrayed themselves was difficult for her to get over.
"So those things, they are painful and it hurts, but I worked really hard to move past it," Karen shared.
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"And honestly, that's why I'm here today [doing Married at First Sight], because I'm hopeful and I want to be able to find love and I want to be able to find that person that I can trust."
Based on what Karen explained, Jamie asked Bennett and Woody whether they were ever worried their spouses weren't being their true selves.
"You know, one things the cameras didn't catch was when I went to [Amelia Fatsi]'s house and in her bathroom, I found a cape and a mask and an outfit that looked like she was a local superhero," Bennett said with a laugh.
"I was trying to figure out that whole situation, like, 'Is she who she says she is or is this like a Clark Kent situation? Maybe she's even cooler than she says she is! It's possible!'"
After Woody cracked up laughing at Bennett's comments, he opened up about his relationship with Amani.
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"I don't think she was hiding herself. I think it was just a matter of just, like, feeling comfortable enough to show me her true self," Woody said.
"I think honestly, me, I didn't show her my whole true self in [the first] two weeks, just because I don't want to scare the sh-t out of this person I just met. I'm just being honest!"
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Woody said he and Amani handled the situation in the exact same manner and so he didn't have a problem with Amani holding back a little bit early on in the experiment.
"I think it should be a day-to-day process as far as understanding the person that you are married to," Woody added.
Karen and Miles' relationship got off to a slow start, but they enjoyed each other's company during their honeymoon in Cancun, Mexico, and were able to laugh and have fun with each other.
Karen appreciated how Miles behaved like a gentleman and didn't pressure her to be intimate.
"I'm excited to prove to her that I'm the man she needs me to be," Miles said during a recent episode.
But the couple hit a few bumps in the road after saying "I do."
Karen, for instance, viewed Miles' dating history as a red flag since he had been in 10 serious relationships prior to appearing on the show and is younger in age, and she also learned her husband struggles with depression.
Meanwhile, Miles, a self-declared affectionate person, had trouble opening Karen up and figuring out where she stood in their marriage. Karen didn't seem comfortable hugging or snuggling with her husband, and she only gave him a kiss on his cheek during their honeymoon.
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However, Married at First Sight's latest episode showed Karen and Miles taking a big leap forward in their romance.
Not only did Miles express his needs and desire for more intimacy -- not necessarily sexual intercourse -- but he also snagged a couple of kisses from Karen, who promised to give Miles more compliments and try to express her feelings more.
"I know I need to step it up. It's something I want to work on. I just hope you see I'm trying to work on it," Karen told her husband.
Married at First Sight currently airs its eleventh season on Wednesday nights and also stars Olivia and Brett as well as Christina and Henry Rodriguez.
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