3 weeks ago
14
They were the couple everyone thought would go the distance.
While other relationships imploded around them, Alissa Fay and David Momoh appeared steady, united and refreshingly drama-free.
But now, as the experiment reaches its final stages, cracks are beginning to show.
And according to insiders, viewers are only seeing part of the story.
The Daily Mail can reveal a turning point in the couple's relationship - one that would have provided insight into their current struggles - was left on the cutting room floor.
The incident, I'm told, involved an awkward mishap during intimacy.
The Daily Mail can reveal a critical moment in David and Alissa's relationship - one that would have provided major insight into their current struggles - was left on the cutting room floor
Since the beginning of the MAFS experiment, David and Alissa (pictured during filming) have been the couple viewers thought would go the distance
According to a well-placed source, the incident was raised on the couch in front of the experts during a Commitment Ceremony - but never made it to air.
While the details of what occurred remain private, insiders say a mishap during their previously active sex life led to a nosedive in their intimacy and overall relationship.
From that point on, everything changed, and what was once effortless became strained.
And as the experiment wore on, those cracks only grew wider.
Speaking to the Mail, Alissa made it clear that significant parts of their relationship had been left out of the edit. This, of course, isn't uncommon on MAFS.
'There are things missing, there are storylines missed,' she said. 'We're dealing with other things in our relationship… things that haven't made it to air.'
It's a sentiment echoed by several cast members this season - that what viewers are seeing is often only a fraction of what is actually unfolding behind closed doors.
From the outside, Alissa and David's relationship appeared to thrive on contrast.
According to a well-placed source, the incident was raised on the couch in front of the experts during a Commitment Ceremony - but never made it to air. (Alissa is pictured during filming)
She describes herself as someone who operates at a 'high frequency', craving intensity and stimulation.
David, by comparison, is calm, grounded and steady. At first, those differences appeared to complement each other.
But as the experiment reaches its end, they're beginning to feel like a mismatch.
Old patterns, new pressure
It's important to note that Alissa and David's early days in the experiment were not without friction.
Viewers will remember Alissa refusing to proceed with the wedding until David got down on one knee - a moment that left him visibly uncomfortable and raised eyebrows among his friends.
That underlying dynamic - her pushing, him accommodating - never fully disappeared.
And as the pressure of the experiment intensifies, those early power imbalances begin to resurface.
The outside chaos taking its toll
Complicating matters further is the relentless drama surrounding them.
Alissa has found herself in the centre of ongoing conflict among the brides, while David has been dragged into group tensions, including confrontations over leaked messages.
According to Alissa, the noise made it nearly impossible to focus on their relationship.
'There were definitely a couple of times that David and I wanted to walk,' Alissa told the Daily Mail. 'This just isn't for us. We didn't sign up for this'
'David and I were continuously in the firing line,' she said.
'It was just drama after drama after drama.'
At one point, the pressure became so overwhelming that the couple seriously considered walking away from the experiment altogether.
'There were definitely a couple of times that David and I wanted to walk,' she admitted. 'This just isn't for us. We didn't sign up for this.'
The fallout that still lingers
Despite attempts to move forward, Alissa admits some moments involving the wider cast left lasting damage.
'They were really hurtful. And you just can't really come back from something like that,' she said, referencing the broader fallout within the group.
Even now, she says, things are not quite the same.
Interestingly, Alissa says her relationship with David felt very different when they stepped away from the experiment.
'We needed to escape the chaos and the noise,' she said.
'It was really, really lovely and we really needed it.'
It raises the question: are the cracks we're seeing on TV a reflection of issues in their relationship, or a product of their pressure-cooker environment of MAFS?
Because as Alissa puts it, the experiment itself may have been the biggest challenge of all.
'There's so much drama and so much noise… it's just too much,' she said. 'There is so much context missing… you have not seen how bad it really was.'
Alissa and David have not had a headline-grabbing explosion yet - but the tension is there - and it's rooted, in part, in an intimate moment viewers never got to see.
They've gone from one of the experiment's strongest couples to teetering on the edge. If the missing context ever emerges, it could completely reshape how we see their relationship.
English (US) ·