Ahead of the Married At First Sight finale, bombshell leaked emails between a cast member and producers show the network’s duty of care is not what they say it is, as cast are left to deal with the damaging fallout from the show alone.

Married At First Sight producers’ duty of care to participants is not what the network says it is, according to leaked emails obtained by SkyNews.com.au.

As the season 12 cast reenter the real world following the controversial experiment and are forced to deal with ongoing online “toxicity” and their own suicidal ideations, one former participant has shared exchanges with producers that indicate they would cease to pay for psychology sessions helping her deal with her “trauma” from appearing on the show.

This stands in contrast to Nine’s repeated statements that the network and production company Endemol Shine Australia provide all participants with psychological support that “does not end” after the show finishes filming.

“All participants have access to the show psychologist and welfare resources during filming, during broadcast and once the program has ended,” a statement reads.

“Nine also have an additional service for participants should they like or need further individual and confidential psychological support.

“This service gives participants access to clinicians to support those involved in the program in relation to their experiences. This service is available to all participants for as long as they need it, it does not end”.

However, a chain of emails leaked to SkyNews.com.au between season 7 bride Mishel Karen and an ESA staffer shows that the production company told her they would “no longer fund” her psychology sessions after she completed twelve sessions post-show.

Mishel Karen was paired with Steve Burley on season seven. Picture: MAFS/Nine Network
The season seven bride needed psychological support after she claimed to have attempted suicide during filming, had her drink spiked at a bar and suffered a knee injury which required her to undergo surgery during her ‘honeymoon’ with groom Steve Burley.

The ESA staffer emailed Mishel on May 22, 2020, to tell her she had two remaining sessions with the psychologist, and then production will no longer fund them despite Mishel telling them she desperately needed further help.

“As of 12 May, you had completed 10 sessions, so unless you have had any further appointments since then, you still have two sessions remaining,” the staffer wrote.

“Once you have exhausted the 12 x sessions, we will no longer cover any more sessions.

“… and you will need to refer to the Converge service or access a free service through one of the community agencies.

“Please let me know if you need me to resend you the Converge contact details or if there is anything more I can assist you with.”

ESA initially stated Mishel’s sessions would be capped at 10 before correcting the number to 12 when she wrote back and said she never agreed to undergo a limited amount.

“I understand that your email is outlining that moving forward, I will be responsible for the payment of the services provided by Vision Psychology in relation to the trauma that I suffered during the filming and airing of MAFS,” the bride said.

“Firstly, I do not think that I ever agree to a limited quantity of sessions, nor am I qualified to say how many sessions I would require to recover from the PTSD I am suffering as a result of the experiment.

“I can imagine that that trauma will restart when or if the next season airs as the advertising for participants triggers me.

Jacqui Burfoot and Ryan Donnelly parted ways at Final Vows. Picture: MAFS/Nine Network
“I would rather consider to take advice from the psychologist and what her opinion or suggestion would be.

“Secondly, at this time, I am not able to get a health plan or visit a doctor unless I have someone assist me or do this via Skype.

“I do not go out. I do not go to the shops. I do not go to the doctor or pharmacy.”

Mishel at the time said she had only recently started going outside for a walk, about five months after filming wrapped, because people knew where she lived from the show’s broadcast of her home to millions of Australians.

“I have only recently started going outside for a walk and not near my house because I have quite a few people that I know where I live, as they matched it from the episodes and magazines, so they hang out outside my house waiting for me to go out to take photos of me,” she said.

“I will definitely be continuing sessions as I have no alternative to get better mentally.

“I did not sign up with Endemol to suffer trauma or the effects of that trauma; exactly the same as how I did not sign up to be physically injured, although I was.

“So why is it my fault, or do I have to pay for conditions that were directly caused whilst I was covered by Endemol and Nine’s duty of care?”

Though Converge is an app-based counselling service typically paid for by employers, in the email exchange Mishel expressed frustration she “will be responsible for payment of the services” provided by her preferred psychologist.

Mishel last month spoke about allegations of suicide and said she and at least two other brides were “I think, very suicidal” on-set.

Carina Mirable dumped Paul Antoine after he met his ‘back up’ match in the final task. Picture: MAFS/Nine Network
“I did try climbing off the balcony, and yes, the resident therapist (a registered psychologist) and the producers knew,” she told SkyNews.com.au.

“That was the first time I was allowed to travel home to my family and see my local GP.

“I had also visited at least two GPs with MAFS producer’s knowledge. The first for the anxiety and depression caused by the show and secondly because I had my drink spiked.”

Mishel’s drink was allegedly spiked at a Sydney bar she visited during filming to let off some steam after an argument with Steve.

A subsequent urine test showed she had opiates and benzodiazepine in her system.

Bride Morena Farina from the current season of MAFS told SkyNews.com.au she and two other female participants had suicidal ideations while filming the current season 12 of Nine’s reality dating show around July through to the end of last year.

The 57-year-old has not disclosed who the two others are to protect their privacy.

The bombshell comes after SkyNews.com.au exclusively revealed last month that NSW Police had launched an ongoing official investigation into the show following one groom’s violent actions on-set.

“I could have easily been one of the three that jumped off the eighth floor and nobody cared,” Morena said.

“Well, you know, who would have cared? My gorgeous kids.”

“I talk about suicide because it was three of us that wanted to end our lives. Three of us.”

Fans have said Morena was “aggressive” and “abrasive” towards the cast and her on-screen husband Tony Mojanovski, 53.

However, she said her aggression was caused by being called names on set like a “c***” by producers and “sl**” by a male participant.

Morena also said she was concerned about “threats” from production.

She said MAFS employees told her she would “never work in Australia again” after the show aired.

“I left two weeks after (writing leave at the Commitment Ceremony) because the threats were so bad, I actually got scared with the ‘you’re never going to work again’,” she said.

Morena is currently running a successful DJ business and said she is regularly booked out at functions.

However, she is still struggling mentally in the wake of the series.

“I went to my GP regarding everything that’s happened since the show and was advised to see a psychologist.

“Unfortunately, the cost is something I simply couldn’t afford. So I didn’t go.”

Jacqui said a MAFS participant could tragically end their life. Picture: MAFS/Nine Network
Bride Jacqui Burfoot told SkyNews.com.au she wasn’t aware of Morena’s claims people were suicidal on their season but wasn’t “surprised” to hear them, while ruling out being suicidal herself.

She said she “absolutely” anticipated a participant could end up committing suicide on or after the show in the future.

Jacqui said her on-screen relationship with groom Ryan Donnelly caused her mental health to decline to the point she was “heavily medicated” on set.

The 29-year-old said she was “prescribed medication during the show to cope with the stress and anxiety and depression” she was feeling.

Asked whether Jacqui told production about these claims and her mental health, she said she was encouraged to speak to the show’s in-house psychologist.

“And then she (the psychologist) would just speak to me. But really, there was nothing really going on like it’s just, we’ll have you speak to [the psychologist], and then they pop me on more medication,” she said.

Ryan has since taken to social media in response to Jacqui’s numerous public claims against him, sharing screenshots of a positive letter she wrote him as well as sharing texts allegedly written by Jacqui, planning their future together after the show ended.

The 36-year-old and Jacqui ended their relationship at Final Vows, with the episode airing last week just hours after Jacqui was granted an interim restraining order against him to stop him from commenting online about her.

Ryan subsequently applied for an Apprehended Violence Order (AVO) against his on-screen ‘wife’ at Campbelltown Courthouse, which is due for a mention on April 23.

He told SkyNews.com.au his future, image, and character is “under attack” by Jacqui and viewers who lambast him on social media in the wake of the show airing.

Jacqui Burfoot and Ryan Donnelly left each other at Final Vows. Picture: Nine/ MAFS
“In my precarious position, I do get dragged into things and down into the rabbit hole of comments and pages and all that kind of stuff. So yeah, it can be, it can be very alluring to sit on there and just scroll through the toxicity,” he said on Tuesday.

“Everyone’s saying like he has the right of reply, especially when a man’s, you know, future, his image, he’s like his characters under attack.”