Married at First Sight Australia's Rachel Gilmore has revealed why she is no longer on speaking terms with her ex-boyfriend Steven Danyluk. The pair left the experiment as a couple after deciding to stay together during Final Vows, but they split before the reunion was filmed.
Despite their breakup, Rachel and Steven initially remained friends and attended events together. However, their public appearances became less frequent, sparking fan curiosity. At a MAFS viewing party, Steven claimed they were good friends and talked almost every day, but Rachel has now shared a different story.
Rachel's Decision to Distance Herself
Speaking on The Ella Era podcast, Rachel explained that Steven's newfound 'party boy persona' drove her away. She said: "When he started going to the boat parties and all of that, I had a conversation with him and I was like, 'Look, I think you just need to be really careful about what you're doing. Protecting our story is so important to me.'"
She added: "I kind of felt like we were back in it, in a way. No other couples talk from this season, expect for Steven and I, in terms of exes, so Steven and I are the only two who would be invited to the same event. We had a beautiful mutual respect for each other. But when he started doing it all, the narratives started. 'Stevo's out, where's Rach?' And I'm not going to these big parties."
A Call for Change
Rachel recalled a phone call with Steven where she expressed her concerns: "I remember having a phone call with Steven and I said: 'I'm starting to not recognise you. This is not the man I fell in love with.' But when you've got the lads all telling you, 'This is not going to last forever, live it up', that's so fine but don't call me telling me how much you regret things when that's how you've behaved. It's cringe."
Despite finding his behavior "cringe," Rachel does not blame Steven entirely: "I think Steven just got caught up in it all, it's so easy to do. Even I've had to pull myself back. I know he's had conversations with other cast members being like 'I'm going to stop doing things like that, it's not who I am, I don't want to be seen that way,' but it's too little too late mate, you've been out there doing that. You've created this image for yourself."
She concluded: "Ultimately he's not a bad guy but one that can't say no. He's not a yes man trying to cause harm, he's a yes man because he's trying to people please."
A Message to Steven
Since they are not on speaking terms, Rachel was asked what message she would send to Steven. She said: "I just hope that he's well and he's actually looking after himself. I hope that his healing journey is more than just going to the gym. I hope that he looks at more than that, what actually lights him up, what's actually going to make his heart beat for himself and fill his cup every day, because it can't just be about looks and the way that you look. He's so much more than that."
