Married at First Sight’s Ryan de Nino has died. He was 40.
A family member told TMZ on Friday, August 14 that the reality TV personality died “suddenly” in New Jersey “earlier this week.”
The family will not be releasing any additional details about Ryan’s death, according to the outlet.
Ryan’s sister Melissa paid tribute to her late brother via Facebook on Tuesday, August 11.
“Ryan was so damn funny and witty. He was fiercely loyal to those he loved. He had a huge heart, always. I can’t explain what it’s like to lose a sibling,” she wrote. “Someone who’s been there from the beginning and shares the same memories. No matter what we were going through, I loved him immensely. Life as I know it will never be the same.”
Along with Melissa’s heartfelt words were a series of photos of Ryan and Melissa over the years, including from their childhood.
The post’s comments section was filled with words of support for Melissa following Ryan’s death.
“Oh my gosh, my heart breaks hearing this. I am so incredibly sorry, he was so funny and witty and the world was lucky to have him,” wrote one person.
Another added, “Melissa everything you said about your brother is true. Incredible potential with a great heart. I miss him so much. I smile when I think of him.”
Ryan participated in season 2 of Married at First Sight, which was filmed in 2014 and aired on Lifetime in 2015.
The business owner was matched with law firm receptionist Jessica Castro and the pair endured a tumultuous relationship throughout the reality show.
Despite their rocky relationship, Ryan and Jessica chose to stay together at the end of the season.
“I come from a family of long successful marriages,” Jessica said on the show at the time. “The word ‘divorce’ just doesn’t fall into my lifestyle.”
However, their relationship turned even more volatile after cameras stopped rolling, with Jessica calling it off after Ryan was reportedly unfaithful. She also filed a protection order against Ryan after he made threats against her, including while filming a Married At First Sight reunion show six months after their wedding.
“She’s f**king dead. When I get back to Brooklyn, she’s f**king dead, this girl,” Ryan said, while wearing a live mic. (Following the cast member’s threat, the show’s producers provided Castro with a security team.)
Kinetic Content, the production company behind Married at First Sight, could not comment on the specifics of the couple’s dispute at the time, but told Us that after-care is provided to all contestants.
“The experts on our show have the best of intentions and highest hopes for success for each couple. After undergoing extensive background and psychological checks by third parties, couples agree to be legally married on our show,” their statement in 2015 read. “We document their journey for six weeks after their wedding, but we can’t control how they behave, or govern their actions after production.”
