Fetch the Tim Tams (double coat, obviously) and prepare thy mugs ‘cos someone claiming to be the older sister of MAFS‘ Alyssa Barmonde has spilled bucketloads of tea about her in a Reddit AMA.
The Redditor posted on the r/MAFS_AU subreddit claiming they wanted to host the AMA “to clear up things that are being shown (edited) this season” and “answer questions to help people see the truth about my little sis”.
Their identity as Alyssa’s older sister was reportedly verified by the subreddit’s moderators by way of photographs.
On that note, let’s take a squiz at some of the claims that were made, shall we?
When asked whether Alyssa’s onscreen husband Duncan James was as “terrific” IRL as he was on MAFS and if some of his “major red flags” weren’t being shown, the Redditor claimed he does indeed wave some flags of a reddish hue.
“[Alyssa] definitely saw red flags from the very beginning. But trusted in the process and was very raw and vulnerable and gave everything to the experiment,” they alleged.
“A lot happened off camera that they will never show. Even with the confession. She gave her 100 per cent worse secret and what did he say was his confession? It didn’t show. Sooooo much editing.”
The Redditor claimed “Alyssa put her heart on the line and he didn’t” and speculated that was why she “started to feel more worried that he might not be there for the same reasons she was”.
It was also alleged that Alyssa “felt like [Duncan] was saying all of the right things, but there was never any real intent behind them” and when the cameras weren’t rolling “he was saying things to her” but when they were off, he was “saying different things”.
Another topic the Redditor wanted to shed light on was Alyssa’s kettle-heavy reaction to the cheating scandal between Claire Nomarhas and Adam Seed.
They claimed Alyssa’s v. emotional response “was more about the deceit, less about the kiss”.
“They didn’t show her apologising to Claire. She felt betrayed by her because she lied to Janelle [Han]’s face and Janelle was her best friend on the show.
“She was also very remorseful for the way she acted and apologised after.”
They added that Alyssa “feels like crap” about the situation and how she acted, and “takes accountability for it”.
The power of editing was also discussed.
One person asked why Alyssa “does not appear to see things as they have panned out”. In particular, they queried the moment on the MAFS couples retreat when she had an argument with Duncan in their bedroom and later told the girlies about the fight.
For the people watching on the couch, what Alyssa explained appeared to contradict the conversation she’d had with Duncan.
“They showed 30 seconds of a 45 minute conversation,” the Redditor claimed.
“Everything she said to the girls is what he said to her. They just don’t show it.
“EVERYTHING is so edited. Most of the time when she would cry it’s because they are talking about her son but they edit that part out every time.”
They also alleged “there was much more to the conversation than what was shown” and agreed that based on the final edit, it “one million per cent looks like she made him look worse”.
“But in the entire conversation they had, he did say those things, as well.”
Some folks asked for more information about the affair Alyssa told Duncan she was complicit in.
The Redditor claimed it happened 13 years ago in America, and the man involved “was not married when they first started seeing each other”.
“Then [he] was suddenly married, which he told her was ‘for a visa’ and that it wasn’t real … when you’re in that position you want to believe the person you are with.
“He was her boss so there was also a power imbalance at play.”
They added that they “had no idea how bad it was and how manipulative he was to her until after she finally left”.
And remember on the MAFS couples retreat when Alyssa told Da Gals that Duncan wasn’t her type? Well, according to the Redditor it was all kinda taken out of context.
“In her first interview she tells the producers something like, ‘I do not want tall, dark and handsome’,” they claimed.
“Then they asked her, ‘Well, what if he was?’ And she laughs and says, “I guess I would have tall, dark and handsome,’ and that’s what they show lol.”
They then claimed they asked Alyssa for more details, and she replied: “Tall, dark and handsome was my usual type and it clearly never worked out for me. I asked for a Pete Davidson or a dad bod.”
And that’s that. C’est fini. The Redditor said “there’s always two sides to every story” and by doing the AMA, they wanted to stand up for Alyssa and “show insight into things that were not shown” on MAFS.
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