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11 March 2024, 16:21 | Updated: 11 March 2024, 16:33
This season’s most problematic contestant, Jack Dunkley has got himself into hot water. But who is his ex-girlfriend and what has she been saying about him?
Married At First Sight Australia is well underway and the series has already been jam-packed with scandal.
From Jayden Eynaud’s horrifying secret during confession week, to Sara Mesa’s refusal to hand her phone over to her on-screen husband as a sign of trust.
The experts Alessandra Rampolla, Mel Schilling and John Aiken were not kidding when they claimed this was the most dramatic season of the Australian series so far.
But with Jack Dunkley’s recent confession that he had been in a relationship just five weeks prior to filming, we want to know who was his ex and what had she been saying about him?
Jack’s ex-girlfriend, Courtney Jade is based in Queensland, where Jack also resides.
Unfortunately, her connection to Jack has led to a lot of unwanted social media attention so her Instagram has now been switched to private. But during filming, Courtney spoke to the press and it came out that Jack had been dating her just weeks before the show began.
When Jack came clean about it at a Dinner Party, he claimed he had ended things with her before joining the show, saying, “She fell harder for me quicker and she’s thrown me in front of the bus, but I’m still not going to go there. I’ve got everything on this girl, but I would never do it. She’s had a colourful past.”
However Courteney claimed differently, speaking to the papers in August of 2023, she revealed that Jack had never broken up with her and did not tell her he was going off to get married for TV. Instead, she claimed that Jack had told her he was moving to America for his career.
Courtney commented on social media photos of Jack getting married, writing “My mental health has suffered due to being completely blindsided and losing my best friend to a reality TV show.”
“Jack has never tried to break up with me and our relationship was becoming quite serious. We spoke regularly about our future together and I don’t believe he is on the show for the right reasons at all.”
Before setting her Instagram to private, Courtney released a small statement revealing just how difficult a time it had been for her, “I have been seeing a therapist and have been medicated due to the disgusting trauma I have experienced and would like to be left alone to heal.”
Jack got himself into hot water during the Dinner Party where he attempted to paint Courtney as the ‘crazy ex’ stereotype when it was obvious that he'd been the one that had been lying to her.
Courtney then took to Instagram in February of 2024 when the episode aired in Australia to hit back at Jack for his unfair portrayal of her, she wrote: "I don't deserve to be portrayed the way I have been.”
"I have every right to defend my character by those who claim to know me. For something so meaningful to be disregarded like nothing... All I can do now is put my armour on and fight a battle I never wanted."
Courtney has been anything but quiet since the show began airing, as she’s gone to every publication to defend herself. Speaking to the Daily Mail Australia, she said. "It's been a very hard time in my life. One that I don't wish on anyone… I hope this doesn't continue to happen to other people. It was a horrible experience and not something I want to talk about."
"It's one thing to go through a breakup, but it's another thing to have to relive it on nationwide TV and talk about it.”
"Enjoy watching the fame-hungry humans that ruin lives and create nothing but pain. I am embarrassed by the world we live in and am absolutely mortified by my experience."
During the couple's first commitment ceremony, it was expert John Aiken who questioned the timing that Jack was claiming he had dated Courtney.
According to him, he ended things five weeks prior to being on the show. However that had John's brow raised as he asked for clarification on whether the experts had already spoken with him whilst he was still dating Courtney.
Jack finally admitted there had been an overlap and he had applied for the show whilst also being in a relationship with her, "It wasn't serious, it was a weekend friends with benefits, it was of no significance, it was a casual relationship."
Surprisingly Tori’s reaction to that news wasn't anger, she told the experts, "What he was doing the morning of his wedding and beyond is my concern. What he was doing the night before I, to be brutally honest, couldn't give a f**k."
But most shocking of all was just recently, Courtney has come forward and claimed that Jack was sleeping with her during the experiment.
This took all her allegations to the next level because those claims now meant that Jack had been cheating on Tori.
On her Instagram, Courtney shared an Insta-story that read, “When he says he’s into his wife but he comes home and sleeps with me and proceeds to break my heart again. Spoiler alert media come at me.”
“I shouldn’t have done it but I did not knowing the disrespect or outcome of this show lessons were learnt.”
"Tori knows and doesn't care so enjoy my seconds. Yall know nothing. Disgruntled ex on the move."
If it’s true then it looks like Tori knows and just doesn’t care, but how does Jack seem to be getting away with it again and again?
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