‘Truly scared’: MAFS groom Ryan Donnelly faces court after fallout with ex ‘wife’ Jacqueline Burfoot
As MAFS comes before a magistrate, TV groom Ryan Donnelly claims TV “wife” Jacqui Burfoot has continuously harassed and abused him online via social media posts and direct messages.
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A Married At First Sight groom has accused his TV show “wife” of online slander, telling a court he is “truly scared” of her behaviour.
Ryan Donnelly applied for an apprehended violence order (AVO) against his now-ex Jacqueline Lee Burfoot on March 31, after he claims she accused him of domestic violence and sexual harassment and used social media to label him a “danger to women”.
The infamous couple made headlines as the Channel 9 reality show aired earlier this year, and their volatile relationship only got worse when the show ended.
Donnelly applied for the AVO at Campbelltown Courthouse just days after Burfoot took action against him at a Tasmanian court in the days following the show’s finale.
He faced court for the first time on Wednesday, engaging Shirin Razi from Azadi Lawyers to represent him.
In court documents seen by the Telegraph, Donnelly claimed he had received “horrible messages” from punters as a result of Burfoot’s online commentary.
“(Donnelly) states the defendant has publicly accused him of domestic violence, sexual harassment, that he is a danger to women and that she is doing a ‘public service to Australia’,” the documents read.
“Due to (Burfoot’s) followers online, which (exceeds) 100,000 people … Donnelly is truly scared of what may happen next, as he has received numerous horrible messages directly from people who have viewed her content.”
Burfoot, who now lives in Tasmania with another MAFS groom, did not show up to court, instead sending an email to the magistrate explaining her absence.
“Donnelly is taking this seriously, he’s engaged a lawyer to represent him in these proceedings,” Ms Razi told the Telegraph.
“All he wants is for her to leave him alone and stop the online slander.”
As part of the AVO, Donnelly is seeking orders that Burfoot cease all communication with him, and cease publishing anything about him, or his friends, to social media.
On Wednesday, Magistrate Shane McAnulty told the court he was unwilling to grant the order in Burfoot’s absence and adjourned the matter to June for the determination of the AVO application.
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Originally published as ‘Truly scared’: MAFS groom Ryan Donnelly faces court after fallout with ex ‘wife’ Jacqueline Burfoot
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