MAFS couple Gia and Scott have given themselves the title of “strongest couple” in the experiment this year. But they may have spoken too soon, because there is major trouble in paradise.
It happens to the best of us. You’re minding your own business, and then your phone randomly (and for no good reason) chooses to show you a memory from so long ago with someone who’s no longer part of your life.
When this very thing happened to Scott with pictures of his ex, Gia demanded that he delete the photos.
However, the groom said there were no feelings between him and his ex, and he didn’t want to delete an old memory from his phone.
This ultimately led Gia to pack her bags and leave the experiment.
Is it cheating if you keep old photos of an ex while in a relationship?
Cosmina Naum, a self-worth and relationship coach, spoke to WHO about the situation and explained why Scott might not have wanted to delete the photos, and why Gia might have felt so strongly about it.
She also shared how a situation like this could be classified as emotional cheating.
“If someone still has active romantic feelings and is holding onto photos as a way of maintaining emotional attachment, that can cross into emotional infidelity,” Cosmina shared.
“Emotional cheating isn’t defined by a single behaviour. It’s defined by secrecy, ongoing emotional investment, and whether intimacy or emotional energy is being diverted away from the current relationship.”
“Many people don’t erase their past. The more important question is: what does the photo represent?” she questioned.
Why did Gia walk out on Scott?
Gia’s exit came after Scott’s friend asked them at lunch if she was “a better version” of his ex.
“Don’t compare me to his ex-girlfriend!” Gia said, before hitting back at the friend, “I don’t think you can compare, because I would never start an OnlyFans and put that out there for $8.
“So, there’s the comparison there, I feel like I’m a wife.”
While things simmered down and everything seemed well after lunch, this is when things seemingly came to a head between the couple.
Perhaps Gia was still feeling some resentment because of the comment, and the photo made things worse?
Cosmina suggests that this could be part of the reason, offering that the photos might have led to Gia not feeling as though Scott was all in.
“For her, him keeping it may symbolise unfinished feelings, not being fully chosen, or emotional energy still directed elsewhere,” she tells us, adding that while “the image itself isn’t the betrayal”, it’s the idea that there might be some kind of “emotional secrecy, ongoing longing, or prioritisation of a past attachment over the safety of the present relationship”.
She adds that these kinds of arguments are usually not even about the ex-partner, but about “reassurance, exclusivity and emotional security”.
“So the real test isn’t the photo, it’s whether someone is willing to prioritise the emotional safety of the current relationship over preserving a symbolic tie to the past.”
Why did Scott refuse to delete the photos?
Speaking to producers, Scott explained why Gia had bailed, saying, “[My phone] popped up a memory from 2020. Pretty much how it went down was, ‘You need to delete those photos, or I’m out.’
“And I said, ‘I’m not willing to delete photos of a memory from that long ago.'”
He added, “I’ve got nothing to hide. I’m not going to remove memories off my phone of an ex when there’s nothing there. I’m just not going to do it.
“So, Gia pretty much gave me the ultimatum, and said if you don’t delete them, I’m out. And Gia’s just walked out. I’ve done nothing wrong here, I don’t even know what to do… it’s s**t.”
While some viewers might wonder why he wouldn’t just delete the old photos to keep the peace, Cosima explains that there are a number of reasons why he might choose to keep the pictures, regardless of how upset it makes his wife.
“For him, it might represent nostalgia, identity, ego, unfinished attachment, or even autonomy. Deleting it might feel like erasing history or being controlled,” she says
Do Gia and Scott get back together?
Gia’s exit blindsided viewers at the end of the episode, defying her ‘strongest couple’ status and leaving everyone in shock.
The bride was overheard declaring her exit to a producer, saying: “I’m going. I’m done with this experiment.”
“He can f**k off, I’m done!” she continued.
So, will the power couple make a comeback, or is that it?
Fair viewers, your guess is as good as ours, but you’d better believe we’ll be watching to find out.
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