Married At First Sight: The Truth About Zach Justice And Mindy Shiben's Marriage
Married at First Sight's tenth season didn't have the greatest track record for creating lasting love, with just one couple, Austin Hurd and Jessica Studer, still happily together following the reunion special. The least surprising breakup was, of course, Zach Justice and Mindy Shiben, who were matched by the show's relationship experts in spite of being demonstrably different people with opposing outlooks on life.
Following their emotionally turbulent journey to almost-happiness, during which Justice was accused of being unfaithful, Shiben requested a divorce before "Decision Day." Although it originally seemed like they were going to give things another shot, both parties made it very clear at the reunion that that was never on the cards, and now we finally know why.
The writing was on the wall for Zach Justice and Mindy Shiben from the start
In an exclusive interview with In Touch magazine, Justice admitted he had no idea what he was getting himself into, describing how he was "in over [his] head" and admitting the couple had no connection right from the outset. "I struggled to attach any emotional meaning to the words 'marriage' and 'wife,'" Justice explained. "Traditionally, those words are filled with an individual you would have envisioned yourself with. ... I clearly underestimated the difference between a traditional marriage with growth in a chosen partner versus an assigned partner." However, he noted that he doesn't blame the show's matchmakers. "There's still so much that is out of their control after the fact, such as connection and chemistry," he argued.
The Married at First Sight star just couldn't get his head around the idea of marrying somebody he barely knew. However, Justice is ready to commit whenever the right woman comes along, advising "transparency and communication" are the two most important factors in making a relationship work.
Married at First Sight's Zach Justice and Mindy Shiben are looking to the future
There's clearly no love lost between them, as Shiben revealed during a May 2020 appearance on Married at First Sight alums Jamie Otis and Doug Hehner's podcast, Hot Marriage Cool Parents (via Reality TV World) that she was relieved to break it off with him. "I hate saying that [our divorce felt good] because I feel a little mean, but it did feel so good! Like the biggest weight was lifted off my shoulders, and I just wanted to celebrate!" she admitted.
Shiben actually went on to host a so-called divorce party (like Jenni "JWoww" Farley did on Jersey Shore Family Vacation) and even filmed it for the show. The reality star told Otis and Hehner that, when it came to filming, there was very little of her relationship with Justice that happened off-camera, revealing, "After I made demands of Zach after 'Recommitment Day,' he spent time with me off-camera a couple of times." Still, she's looking to the future and learning from the experience in much the same way Justice is, reasoning, "It's a new beginning for something else."