‘Love Is Blind’ Couple Splits After Controversy That Confused Fans

As Love Is Blind celebrates its five-year anniversary, another couple that made it to the altar is calling it quits. PEOPLE reports that Season 7 stars Ashley Adionser and Tyler Francis are breaking up after over a year of marriage. After meeting in the pods, the duo became a fan-favorite but things ultimately took a turn for the worse. Francis shared that he was a sperm donor and had three biological children, insisting that he had no relationship with them. While it was hard for Adionser to comprehend at first, she eventually understood, and the two continued their engagement and was one of two couples to get married during Season 7.

“After much reflection, I want to share that Tyler and I have been separated for several weeks and have now made the difficult decision to end our marriage,” Adionser told the publisher in a statement. “While I had hoped for mutual understanding and transparency in our relationship, it has become clear that our paths are no longer aligned, making it impossible for me to continue in this marriage. This was not a decision I made lightly, but one I know is necessary for my own growth and peace. While this chapter is ending, I will always hold respect for the time and love we shared. I kindly ask for privacy during this deeply personal time as I focus on healing and building a new future. Thank you for your understanding.”

The split comes after it was leaked as the show was airing last fall that Francis did indeed have a relationship with his children, with photos floating around of him and the kids spending Christmas morning together. Additionally, there were allegations that he owed money in child support and abandoned the kids in order to be on Love Is Blind. Francis confessed during the Season 7 reunion that he helped “a friend and her wife start a family” and “voluntarily” cared for the children once his friend’s wife left. He admitted to lying about not knowing what his kids looked like so he could protect them and their privacy.

While people thought that Adionser wasn’t aware of what was going on, she shared that Francis didn’t want to discuss the topic on camera. They had talked about it on camera in “some capacity,” but “there were things he was comfortable sharing and things he wasn’t.” When Francis appeared on the Dear Future Wifey podcast in November, he explained he “wasn’t active” in his children’s lives because of his rocky relationship with the mother and denied allegations he was an absent father.

Meanwhile, fans will be seeing who else will make it down the altar in Season 8 of Love Is Blind, premiering on Friday, Feb. 14 on Netflix. The first seven seasons are streaming now, and the reality show has been renewed through Season 10.