While it’s been seven years since the conclusion of the popular reality dating show Married At First Sight season 3, the contestants were prevalent enough to inspire wonder regarding what the contestants (and couples) have been up to since their season aired. Few MAFS couples are still together in 2023. However, the show’s popularity leads to questions regarding what cast members are up to long after divorces are finalized.
In the MAFS season 3 finale, Vanessa Nelson and Tres Russell ended the show as a happy, married couple, while Ashley Doherty and David Norton and, Samantha Role and Neil Bowlus had opposing views on Decision Day. While reunification between the latter two couples isn’t expected, other aspects of individual cast members’ personal lives bear importance. Lots has changed since MAFS season 1, but the desire to find happiness never changes.
Tres & Vanessa – No Longer Together
Easily the best couple on MAFS season 3, luxury car salesman Tres and event manager Vanessa appeared to be a match made in heaven right out of the gate. Roughly one year apart, the two shared combustible chemistry that seemed authentic from the jump. They were a pairing with massive potential to stay together for the long haul.
However, when Vanessa learned Tres signed up for MAFS as a lark, she raised red flags over his genuine commitment to the marriage process. Later, when Tres revealed he enjoyed the wild nightlife, Vanessa no longer saw eye-to-eye with Tres’ relationship goals as she preferred to settle down and take marriage seriously. Despite the trouble brewing in paradise, Tres and Vanessa decided to remain married on Decision Day.
However, the couple divorced within six months, as revealed in the reunion episode, Married At FirstSight: Six Months Later. According to Us Weekly, Tres and Vanessa fought for her marriage by going to marriage counseling. She stated, “I stayed committed to the marriage and us trying to make it work. We tried counseling […], but my feelings were not returning, no matter what I tried to do.”
Vanessa put Tres’ memory behind her after appearing on Married At First Sight: Second Chances. She later married Andre Forbes, although their union also ended in divorce shortly after. As of 2023, Vanessa appears to be single, but Tres is private on social media, so his relationship status is unknown.
Ashley & David – No Longer Together
Nursing student Ashley and software account executive David had one of the strangest journeys on the show. When the marriage experts paired the two to begin MAFS season 3, David became an instant fan favorite due to his magnetic personality. In contrast, Ashley becomes somewhat of a villain for her apparent lack of interest in her new husband. Over time, their roles would become reversed in the public eye as their marriage quickly evaporated in front of the world.
On Decision Day, a split ensued in which David said “Yes,” and Ashley said “No” to their renewed marriage. The situation got even more intense when In Touch released an article that delved into David’s criminal record and violent past, something Ashley had been unaware of a few weeks after their divorce. While David’s whereabouts post-MAFS are harder to track, Ashley has kept her fans up to date on her life. On New Year’s Eve 2019, she got married to her new partner, and in April 2020, the two welcomed their first baby, a son named Julian.
Neil & Samantha – No Longer Together
Unfortunately, all three MAFS season 3 couples are no longer together, with Neil and Samantha’s marriage also ending in divorce on Decision Day. While the experts deemed them a match, it became clear to viewers that Samantha found Neil’s introverted peccadilloes a bit too much to bear. To his credit, Neil tried to crank up the charm during the season, but much of his efforts went unnoticed by Samantha until it was too late into the season.
When Samantha did finally warm up to Neil’s unique sense of humor, he couldn’t quite connect to her personality any longer, leading to his shocking decision to get divorced on Decision Day after she opted to stay together. Following the awkward split decision, the two remained friends, which they reaffirmed in the 2020 episode of MAFS: Where Are They Now?. Thankfully, after admitting on the reunion show that Neil helped her “realize why my previous relationships were a failure,” and she went on to “learn from that.”
Since the show finished, both couples have finally found happiness again. In 2018, Samantha married her boyfriend, Chris Wise, in a secret ceremony months after welcoming their baby daughter, Isabella Myra Wise (per People). Samantha welcomed twins Sienna and Everly in March 2022. As for Neil, he has spent some time traveling and spent some time participating in several charity runs. The Married At First Sight season 3 couple is thriving apart from each other.
