It became a common theme for Married At First Sight contestants to break their contracts with Nine this year, but controversial bride Stacey Hampton was the first to do it.
WATCH: MAFS’ Stacey Hampton on how she broke her contract
Now, she has revealed how she was punished by the Nine Network for doing so.
The 26-year-old admitted earlier this week that was she told she would “no longer be supported” by Nine, having ALL promotional opportunities taken away from her.
Meaning they did not organise her any radio interviews, photoshoots with magazines or any appearances on Today or Today Extra etc.
Like she needed their help anyway!
Stacey revealed the news to radio personality Bryce Ruthven in an Instagram Live interview that she broke her contract in order to defend herself and her reputation.
“I didn’t like the way they talking about my life in the media. And they were allowing other contestants to talk about my personal life, and drag certain people through the mud who didn’t sing up to the show,” she said.
Stacey continued: “They were meant to support our mental health and have my back, and I felt like they didn’t and they weren’t helping me. And that they were allowing other contestants to get away with certain things. I thought, ‘This is the part that I take back control and let you guys (viewers of the show) see me for who I am.'”.
However, Stacey admitted that despite all of this, the network still offered her 24/7 psychological support.
So how did she break her contract to begin with?
She firstly took Channel Nine and producers Endemol Shine Australia out of her Instagram account, she stopped posting promos for the show, and she did unauthorised interviews with the media. She shared spoilers (mostly about not being with Michael anymore), and exposed behind-the-scenes secrets.
Stacey wasn’t the only one to break her contract. Co-stars Josh Pihlak and Natasha Spencer followed suit pretty quickly.
Josh broke his contract after his hometown visit aired, portraying him and his family in a way that was apparently untrue. Josh uploaded a video to his Instagram explaining what happened, and how he would be cutting ties with the network.
The tradie admitted he’d be ‘losing his blue tick’ on Instagram as a result.
As for Natasha, she revealed last week that similar consequences happened to her when she broke her contract.
“I am so proud of my co-stars for going rogue. I’m not going to lie, I’m all for it! When there’s a state of anarchy, I think they just give up,” Natasha joked, adding that Nine won’t be suing the stars.
“When I mentioned I left MAFS for my mental health, I was like ‘what are you going to do, say I breached contract and sue me?'” she said to a female producer.
Natasha went on to say: “[The producer] goes, ‘No, we’re just going to take off our arranged publicity… what can I sue you for? You’ve all broken contract'”.
Wild.
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