(Lifetime)
Lifetime’s “Married at First Sight” returned for a 7th season last week and fans have already taken issue with the sole non-white couple on the show — specifically the groom’s fondness for fair skinned women.
Tristan Thompson and Mia Bally, both 29, were raised in devout Christian homes, with Thompson coming up with a strict Baptist upbringing. Baily admires her parents’ 30-year union while Thompson looks up to his grandparents making it to their 65th wedding anniversary.
Thompson doesn’t want anyone who doesn’t have self-respect or respect for others while Baily isn’t here for someone who won’t be faithful. But the deal breaker that got under viewers’ skins was the business owner’s disinterest in dark-skinned women.
“I really don’t prefer women that are darker than me,” he said. “When it comes to marriage you’ve gotta be with someone that melts your butter.”
Even though his remarks were problematic — especially considering many in his family are dark skinned — the matchmaking experts, which are made of two white women and a Black male pastor who highlighted Thompson’s issues, still chose him to wed the woman with Indian-Trinidadian and Jamaican heritage.
The remark had watchers of the arranged marriage series fired up.
“This n—- on national t.v (Married at First Sight) just said he doesn’t want to date anyone darker than him 🤦🏾♀️. Just say you have colorism issues [and] go.”
“Man, ‘Married at First Sight’ might not get watched this season… No Black couple? And they picked a light skin dude who refused to marry anyone darker than him….”
“Tristan’s family sittin’ up there lookin’ like the cast of a Tyler Perry movie, but he didn’t want anyone darker than him 🙄 #MarriedAtFirstSight #MAFS.”
“They have a guy in the matchmaking special every season who says something f—ed up about Black women (in this case something colorist), but this time I’m mad that they actually chose this guy #MAFS #MarriedAtFirstSight.”
“I was so excited to watch because it was in Dallas, but how dare this Black man say he doesn’t want someone darker than him when that’s not what they asked about. 😒 Baby how you think you got here? That irks me to my core when Black men say that. #MarriedAtFirstSight.”
