Married At First Sight bride Carina Mirabile has spoken out in defence of fellow contestant Paul Antoine after he faced intense criticism during Sunday night’s dramatic Commitment Ceremony.
Paul, 30, a strength and conditioning coach from Perth was called out by the relationship experts over concerns about his behaviour in his on-screen marriage.
The tense session saw him confronted with accusations that sparked backlash from viewers.
However, Carina, 31, has now come to his defence, insisting he is being unfairly portrayed on the reality series.
In a statement to Daily Mail Australia, she dismissed the criticism, saying: ‘Like, I feel like he’s 100% not a DV person and he is a good human and egg and big heart.
‘Him and I are so similar and just naive with a YES YES mentality… I want people to know that’s not him.’
MAFS bride Carina Mirabile (pictured) has spoken out in defence of fellow contestant Paul Antoine after he faced intense criticism during Sunday night’s dramatic Commitment Ceremony
Paul, 30, (left) a strength and conditioning coach from Perth was called out by the relationship experts over concerns about his behaviour in his on-screen marriage
She also reassured fans that production had provided adequate support for all contestants.
‘If I felt unsafe, I would have walked away, but production implemented good duty of care and regulations/advice and offered us both all the help we needed and still do – you know!’
Paul has yet to respond to the controversy, but Carina’s statement suggests there may be more to the situation than what has been aired on television.
Sunday’s episode was one of the most heated yet, with viewers taking to social media to express their concerns over Paul’s actions.
While some have criticised his approach to the experiment, Carina’s support highlights the complexities of reality TV and the impact of editing on public perception.
Sunday’s episode saw the experts confront Paul over his shocking wall-punching outburst.
Paul came under fire for his ‘toxic’ and ‘unacceptable’ behaviour after revealing he punched a hole in the bedroom door following a heated argument with his bride.
The atmosphere was tense as relationship expert Alessandra Rampolla wasted no time addressing the violent incident, demanding Paul explain himself.
In a statement to Daily Mail Australia, she dismissed the criticism, saying: ‘Like, I feel like he’s 100% not a DV person and he is a good human and egg and big heart
‘We heard something very serious at the dinner party,’ she began.
‘Paul, you spoke of an incident that happened between you and Carina. And when we heard it, we were shocked.’
Paul recounted the moment that led to his alarming reaction, explaining that Carina had joked about sleeping with someone associated with the music playing in their car.
Feeling ‘disrespected’ and ’embarrassed,’ Paul admitted that when they returned to their apartment, he ‘completely lost control’ and lashed out, punching a hole in the door.
‘I felt trapped, and I completely lost control,’ he confessed.
Alessandra was visibly unimpressed.
‘It does not matter how disrespected you felt,’ she shot back. ‘You do not punch walls. You do not punch floors. Period. Full stop. That intimidates.’
Despite the confronting nature of the discussion, Carina downplayed the seriousness of the incident, brushing it off as an emotional reaction.
The strength and conditioning coach came under fire for his ‘toxic’ and ‘unacceptable’ behaviour after revealing he punched a hole in the bedroom door following a heated argument with his bride
‘I don’t condone that behaviour, but we are still learning about one another,’ she said.
‘Seeing how he reacts when I bring up my past shows me that he does have strong feelings for me. It just shows that it is a real relationship.’
Her response prompted an immediate reaction from Mel Schilling.
‘This is not normal behaviour, sweetheart,’ she warned. ‘This is not how you show love. This is deeply troubling.’
Fellow expert John Aiken backed her up, calling Paul’s behaviour ‘toxic, inappropriate, and unacceptable.’
With the panel visibly furious, Paul was then put on the spot, forced to explain why he should be allowed to stay in the experiment.
‘I genuinely hate myself for what I’ve done,’ he admitted, his voice cracking. ‘I’ve never done this in the past, ever. I’ve made the biggest mistake.’
Desperate to prove he was remorseful, he insisted he deeply regretted his actions and promised: ‘This will never happen again.’
‘I felt trapped, and I completely lost control,’ he confessed
Despite her earlier unease, Carina decided to stand by Paul, revealing she was still hopeful about their future.
‘I want to stay because we have so much to still learn about each other,’ she said, before the couple sealed their decision with a kiss.
The experts ultimately allowed Paul to continue in the experiment but made it crystal clear:
‘You’re on notice. Any type of violent behaviour, you’re out.’
In a bid to ensure history doesn’t repeat itself, the experts will now provide Paul with emotional regulation support to help him manage his anger.
