‘Married at First Sight’: Dr Jessica Talks Gaslighting – Throws Shade at Luke?
Married at First Sight expert Dr Jessica Griffin may be throwing gaslighting shade at Luke Cuccurullo. Luke Cuccurullo has been criticized by fans for months for what they see as gaslighting and abusive behavior. MAFS fans continue to rail against the way he treats wife Kate Sisk on the show. Married at First Sight‘s Dr Jessica Griffin talked recently about gaslighting and emotional numbing in recent Instagram posts. It sure seemed aimed at Luke though she didn’t spell it out.
Married at First Sight: Dr Jessica Griffin Gets Real on the Gaslight
In a series of IG posts, Dr Jessica Griffin addressed both gaslighting and emotional numbing. Without mentioning any names, she defined both terms. Dr Jessica Griffin defined emotional numbing as someone hurting you so much that eventually the hurting stops. Dr Jessica calls emotional numbing a common sign of an “abusive and/or toxic relationship”.
Married at First Sight fans witnessed a change in Kate Sisk over the course of the current season. She started out bubbly and happy. Eventually though, Luke’s hot and cold treatment seemed to wear on her. Luke Cuccurullo accused wife Kate of having a drinking problem and coercing him into intimacy. He made her feel undesired. He even wanted to keep the fact that they’d been intimate a secret. All three MAFS experts confronted Luke Cuccurullo numerous times about his behavior.
Dr Jessica Griffin said that over time, the emotionally numbed partner may stop reacting to the abuse. This is not because they don’t feel the impact. It’s because at this point they’re doing “what they need to do to survive”. She goes on to say that this can lead to an “inability to experience positive feelings”.
According to Dr Jessica Griffin, this can be mistaken for apathy and a lack of caring. But, it’s a self-preservation mechanism that often kicks in for those that care the most. Many Married at First Sight fans believe Kate Sisk fits the profile.
MAFS: Luke Cuccurullo Gaslighting Kate Sisk?
Another topic among MAFS fans is whether Luke Cuccurullo is gaslighting wife Kate Sisk. Dr Jessica Griffin said gaslighting is another “tactic” that may occur in toxic relationships. She defined gaslighting as: “When your partner tells you something is X when you know it’s Y”. Dr Jessica called it an attempt to gain power through psychological manipulation. Interestingly, her advice for handling gaslighters in a toxic relationship is to break up with them.
Many Married at First Sight viewers believe Luke Cuccurullo routinely gaslights Kate Sisk. What’s interesting is that Dr Jessica’s post on the subject seems to be in response to numerous inquiries from concerned watchers. Kate came out to address it publicly. This suggests that there’s a significant level of concern among the MAFS community.
Can the Experts Step In?
Another question that’s asked a lot is whether or not Married at First Sight experts can step in. Can they put an end to an unhealthy relationship on the show? Many viewers across social media called the experts out for what they see as them doing nothing when it comes to Luke Cuccurullo and Kate’s relationship.
Dr Jessica wrote that she can’t comment on “specific individuals”. However, she assured followers that “people matter more to me than television”. She said that there’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes that viewers don’t see, and that she’s “spoken up many times”.
Dr Jessica defended her colleagues (Pastor Calvin Roberson and Dr Pepper Schwartz) as well. She said that under no circumstances would they encourage someone to stay in an unhealthy relationship – even for the sake of television. She went on to say that the experts can’t force couples to separate. As frustrating as some situations may be, all they can do is offer advice.
Catch new episodes of Married at First Sight Tuesday at 9 pm only on Lifetime.
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