Married at First Sight Australia star apologises after ‘disturbing’ rant about bisexual groom caught on video
(YouTube/Married At First Sight Australia)
Married at First Sight Australia‘s Jason Engler has apologised after a derogatory rant about co-star Liam Cooper being a “full-blown homosexual” was caught on video.
The footage, which was leaked to the Daily Mail Australia, showed Engler using a homophobic slur against fellow Married at First Sight (MAFS) star Liam Cooper. Cooper was outed as bisexual during an episode of the hit reality show, which sees strangers be paired together by relationship experts.
The video also features Georgia Fairweather – Liam’s “wife” on the show – and another MAFS star Johnny Balbuziente. The Daily Mail Australia said the video was originally uploaded to Fairweather’s Instagram account in November while the three co-stars were together in Brisbane.
Engler called Cooper a “full-blown homosexual” in the video – although Cooper is bisexual – and ridiculed Cooper’s appearance. He said Cooper was “ugly”, “fat” and “chubby”.
“Can I say Georgia’s husband, a**, w****r, I can’t remember what his name is – Liam – is 110 per cent and is a w****r and Georgia is better than him,” Engler said.
Engler then adds that Cooper “hasn’t gone to the gym in 64 years” and that Fairweather is “way hotter than” Cooper, who Engler claimed is “batting way above his average”.
He later apologised for his statements. He told the Daily Mail Australia that he regrets the “inappropriate remarks” that he made “after a few too many drinks”.
“I would like to sincerely apologise for my comments in regards to a fellow MAFS participant’s sexuality,” Engler said. “After a few too many drinks, I made some inappropriate remarks that I am ashamed of and greatly regret. I will learn from this and try to become a better person from this experience.”
A source close to Liam told the news outlet that he felt “absolutely betrayed and heartbroken” by the comments made in the video. The source added that the video took a toll on Cooper, who has reportedly “struggled mentally” and “lost a lot of weight” because of it.
Former Married at First Sight star Nasser Sultan slammed Engler in an impassioned video posted on Instagram on Tuesday (6 April). Sultan said the video was “really disturbing and really uncalled for”. He continued by saying he thinks Cooper is a “really lovely guy”, and he doesn’t care what Cooper’s sexuality is.
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“Whether he’s bi, gay, straight, queer… I don’t care,” Sultan said. “This moron has gone and publicly put down this guy, calling him fat, calling him homosexual, calling him gay.”
He explained it was especially “disturbing” to see Fairweather featured in the footage “laughing and urging” Engler on. Sultan added: “I want this beef jerky to come out and record a video apologising to this young man for calling him names.
“Sexuality’s got nothing to do with it.”
