Doug Hehner and Jamie Otis have cemented their role as the standard for Married At First Sight couples. Their social media following is large, Jamie hosts a plethora of Married At First Sight spin-off shows, and they are always a point of reference for new couples on the show. However, theirs was not an easy start, which makes it all the more inspiring. They both went through a lot to get to the point they are at now, and it is great to see them giving hope to so many other new couples passing through the show. However, sometimes their comments do go too far, and they manage to upset a few castmates.
Jamie Otis was not pleased when she first saw Doug. In fact, she cried when she saw him at the end of the aisle, while Doug was blown away by how beautiful she was. Jamie did not like the fact that Doug smoked. Though he told her he would stop, he continued. Back then, the experts included Dr. Joseph Cilona, the clinical psychologist, Dr. Logan Levkoff, the sexologist, Greg Epstein, the humanist chaplain, and Dr. Pepper Schwartz, the sociologist, who is the only original expert left on the panel. While viewers only saw a dumpster fire at the time the experts matched these two together, they turned it around and proved fans wrong. The couple chose to remain together and even renewed their vows a year later with a TV wedding.
After their season, Jamie and Doug announced they were expecting a baby in July 2016, but they later miscarried (via In Touch Weekly). The name they had chosen for what would have been their firstborn son was Jonathan Edward. The couple said, “We decided to name our baby boy Jonathan because he is truly a gift from God. We love him so much and cannot wait to one day be reunited with this little one.” However, their fortune soon turned as they announced they were expecting again in January 2017. Jamie then gave birth to a daughter named Henley Grace. Jamie had two more heartbreaking miscarriages. Thankfully, after the losses, the two continued to expand their family. In May 2020, they welcomed their baby boy Hendrix, and said the name was, “loosely tied to our angel baby Jonathan.” Take a look at this sweet family below:
Jamie has continued to be a regular on TV screens, as she has long hosted the spin-off show Married At First Sight: Unfiltered. The couple also has a YouTube channel where they give fans a sneak peek into their family life. The videos consist of day-to-day events that show how they navigate their marriage and parenting. When Jamie is not hosting fashion events or red carpets, she is a registered nurse and works at Columbia Presbyterian in New York City. She has also started a jewelry line named after herself and published a book in 2016 titled, Wifey 101: Everything I Got Wrong After Finding Mr. Right.
Jamie and Doug got off on the wrong foot, but it just goes to show that MAFS participants must keep at it. This could be why Jamie is coming so hard for Chris Williams from season 12 of Married At First Sight. Chris dragged her, but fans sided with Jamie in this argument. She has never been one to hold her tongue. Jamie and Doug have been incredibly lucky, especially considering the start of their relationship. But despite all their adversity, they've managed to create their fairytale ending.
Married at First Sight airs Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET on Lifetime.
Source: In Touch Weekly, Jamie Otis/Instagram