When Chris Thielk was shown sobbing on Married at First Sight season 16, many viewers were confused. He was happy with his wife, Nicole Lilienthal, and so far the honeymoon had been going swimmingly. So, what could make this 36-year-old newlywed burst into tears as if a loved one had passed away?
As viewers now know, it turns out that Chris was distraught over not being able to bring both of his dogs to live in the apartment that he and Nicole were assigned to share during filming. While couples used to have to decide where to live on their own, in more recent seasons, Married at First Sight has provided cohabitation arrangements. This year, the chosen apartment had a rule of no more than two dogs allowed. Since Chris owns two dogs and Nicole owns one, he was thinking he was either going to have to abandon one of his dogs, or decline to move in with his wife.
Pet Parents Understand Chris’ MAFS Breakdown
People who view their dogs as children completely understand Chris’ devastation. Others are completely perplexed. In a Reddit post by u/daisydaisydaisy12 which asked “is chris serious about the dogs?” one fan commented, “My dog is my child. If I had to relocate him for 2 months I would sob too.” Replying to the numerous posts which were disparaging Chris for being overly emotional, another Reddit user posted, “How are you so judgmental that a human showing emotion based on love is a negative thing?”
For those whose hearts belong to their pets, it seems completely justifiable that Chris would think about how hard it would be to leave one of his dogs behind and feel heartbroken. He even told Nicole that his dogs have separation anxiety. If naysayers would replace the dogs in this scenario with their children, they would totally get it, and MAFS Insider shows that Nicole stands by her husband.
Some MAFS Fans Think Chris Totally Overreacted
Many Reddit users do not see pets as being the same as children, so they made comments such as “Sir you’re a grown a** man crying about some dogs.” Quite a few fans saw Chris’ reaction as a major MAFS red flag, viewing him as emotionally needy. One Reddit user posted, “that kind of mentality is not stable for a MARRIAGE.” Keshia Knight Pulliam, the host of After Party, asked Nicole if she was freaked out by how upset Chris was, and she supported her husband.
Despite the laughter of the other guests, Nicole was just as compassionate in retrospect as she was in the heat of the moment, as captured by MAFS Insider. Perhaps Chris should have thought about the situation more rationally and tried to come up with a solution before becoming so emotional. However, his tears were likely a knee-jerk reaction to finding out that he might have to put someone he loved through deep emotional trauma. Fortunately, Chris and Nicole, after speaking with the Married at First Sight producers, were able to work out a compromise. Fans will learn more about how the doggie drama will unfold as the season progresses.
Married at First Sight airs on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. EST on Lifetime.
Source: u/daisydaisydaisy12/Reddit, MAFS Insider/Instagram, MAFS Insider/Instagram