She entered Married At First Sight hoping to find the love of her life – but instead, Awhina Rutene says she was left emotionally battered, manipulated and humiliated.
In an explosive and emotional interview, the 30-year-old single mum has broken her silence about her turbulent on-screen marriage to Adrian Araouzou.
She exposed the behind-the-scenes reality viewers never got to see and revealing why she's finally cut ties with her controversial TV husband for good.
Speaking candidly to Daily Mail Australia, Awhina didn't hold back – describing Adrian as 'toxic', 'selfish' and 'emotionally abusive'.
'Cutting off someone toxic will do wonders for your soul,' she said. 'Toxic is the best way to describe Adrian.'
Despite the red flags, Awhina says she stayed in the experiment far longer than she should have, driven by hope, fear, and a strong desire to make the relationship work.
Married At First Sight's Awhina Rutene (pictured) has broken her silence about her turbulent on-screen marriage to Adrian Araouzou
Speaking candidly to Daily Mail Australia, Awhina didn't hold back – describing Adrian as 'toxic', 'selfish' and 'emotionally abusive'. Both pictured
'I didn't go on Married At First Sight to vilify my partner,' she said. 'I just wanted love.'
Awhina admits she was drawn to Adrian at first.
'When I met him, I thought he was attractive,' she said.
'I had asked for someone assertive and dominant – someone who could take the lead. I really wanted to lean into my feminine era.'
But things quickly soured.
'Behind the scenes, Adrian's affection was very conditional. If I said I was hurt, he took it as an attack – then he'd attack my character. I was always left defending myself against his behaviour,' she said.
Living with Adrian became a daily emotional battle.
'I'm very affectionate. I show up for my partner with love, physical touch, compliments… and I never got that back. It felt like I was alone in that apartment,' Awhina explained.
'Cutting off someone toxic will do wonders for your soul,' she said. 'Toxic is the best way to describe Adrian'
Awhina described Adrian's behaviour as selfish and emotionally manipulative.
'There was a lot of emotional abuse. He told me what I could and couldn’t say. There was hostility. I felt alone,' she explained.
'There were moments of kindness – but they only came after he'd done something wrong. It felt performative. And I kept giving him lifelines'.
Awhina admits that viewers missed some of the high points in their relationship, but insists the low moments were real and deeply damaging.
'It wasn't all bad. We had some real highs. But the lows were so low. And unfortunately, what aired didn't show any of the good. So people didn't understand why I stayed,' she said.
After filming ended, Awhina says she tried to remain kind and supportive, keeping communication open because she felt sorry for Adrian.
But that kindness was soon met with hostility.
'He'd thank me for supporting him one day – then attack me the next. I finally realised, "He's not a child. He's a grown man choosing this behaviour". So I blocked him. And he kept trying to come back – added me on Snapchat, TikTok…'
'I was drowning next to him every time I helped him. I'm done rewarding poor behaviour because I feel sorry for someone.'
Now removed from the chaos of filming, Awhina says she's begun to heal.
After filming ended, Awhina says she tried to remain kind and supportive, keeping communication open because she felt sorry for Adrian
'I think I've got my glow back. It's amazing what cutting off someone toxic can do for your soul,' she said.
She also revealed that she had originally applied for the show alongside her twin sister Cleo, who pulled out due to work commitments.
'We went through the whole casting process together. That made it exciting. I truly believed my forever person was waiting at the end of the aisle.'
Instead, she says she was paired with someone who didn't align with her values or desires for a future.
'I asked for someone with children – Adrian didn't want to date someone with a child. I asked for kindness, someone who'd go out of their way for others. I got someone who only does kindness for himself.'
While she's grateful for the experience overall, Awhina says she no longer feels the need to stay quiet.
'Adrian's not a child. I'm allowed to speak about what happened without fear of repercussions.'
She also slammed Adrian's behaviour post-show, accusing him and his family of launching online attacks against her and her sister.
'They've all been relentless. That's another reason I didn't want to speak out – I didn't want to open the floodgates. I needed to heal.'
'He thought he was going to come out of this a hero. He really believed I was the villain. But the truth is out now – and I'm done protecting him.'
