Married at First Sight alum Sam Role is married, having secretly wed fiancé Chris Wise last year.
Role, who appeared on Season 3 of the Lifetime series, marrying and later divorcing Neil Bowlus, confirmed the news in a statement to Us Weekly, explaining why she and her new husband had opted to keep their exciting news a secret for so long.
Videos by PopCulture.com
“After a very public marriage and even more public and heartbreaking divorce, I didn’t want to carry out another relationship in the public eye,” she told the outlet. “Chris and I met privately and quickly fell in love. It only felt right to get married and keep it to ourselves. I signed up to marry a stranger and have it documented — Chris, however, did not.”
“But with the release of my new digital series, Love At First Baby, I knew I had to be as honest and vulnerable about my marriage as I was on my journey to try to get pregnant,” she continued. “Feels good to finally share it all!”
Speaking to PEOPLE, Role said that she and Wise tied the knot on April 20, 2018, just before the birth of their first child together several months later.
“[We] wanted to keep that to ourselves for as long as possible,” she said. “My first marriage was so public — we wanted to keep this one private and sacred for as long as possible. Probably my best-kept secret yet.”
Wise had dropped down to one knee and popped the question while he and Role were celebrating his birthday in Atlanta in January of 2018.
“I flew to [Atlanta] this weekend to celebrate [Chris Wise’s] birthday,” Role announced at the time. “Not only did I get to spend time with him, but HE PROPOSED! [I said yes].”
Just months later, in March, the couple announced that they were expecting their first child together, daughter Isabella Myra Wise, who they welcomed on Friday, Sept. 7, at 6:58 p.m. Baby Myra ticked in on the scales at “7 lbs., 2 oz., and measured at 18½ inches long,” according to the little one’s birth announcement.
Following the exciting news, the couple had explained the special meaning behind their little girl’s name, revealing that they had chosen Myra to pay homage to Role’s late grandmother, who shared the name.
Prior to her marriage to Wise, Role had been married to Neil Bowlus, whom she met and got married to in 2015 during season 3 of Married at First Sight. Their relationship ultimately fell apart, resulting in the former couple choosing to separate during the 2016 “Decision Day” episode.
