Chris Mansfield has been axed from Married At First Sight after details emerged about allegations of domestic violence in the US. Photo / MediaWorks
Chris Mansfield has been axed from Married At First Sight after details emerged about allegations of domestic violence in the US. Photo / MediaWorks
The former partner and alleged domestic violence victim of axed Married at First Sight contestant Chris Mansfield says she is glad he has been removed from the show.
She has also revealed that writing about her relationship - which she alleges was rife with physical and mental abuse - helped her to work through her trauma and rebuild her life.
And she and a previous ex have explained why they came forward to "bring light" to Chris Mansfield, saying they have no vendetta, only "concern".
Mansfield, 39, was due to appear on the third season of reality show Married At First Sight which airs on Three on September 8.
His removal came after his ex Candace Casady, 32, claimed he "almost killed me a couple of times (through) strangling" before he was arrested on a domestic violence charge on May 4, 2009.
The 39-year-old pleaded not guilty and was released on bail but the Herald understands that after missing a second pre-trial hearing on June 15, he was taken into custody by US immigration services and sent home to New Zealand.
Casady was pregnant with his child at the time he left the US but did not have the baby. Mansfield, via MediaWorks, has not responded to the claims.
Casady later penned several stories detailing the vicious beatings she claims Mansfield inflicted on her and the cyclical nature of the abusive relationship.
She says writing helped her to begin a cathartic process of working through her trauma and allowed her to connect and support others who have suffered at the hands of domestic abusers.
"At the end of 2012 I wrote my first article and pressed send. And that article freed me in so many ways," Casady told the Herald in an interview this weekend.
"It conveyed the experiences I had with him and the healing mechanisms and tools that I used to help myself.
"I got so much from that, people reaching out from around the world, telling me their stories and telling me that I wasn't alone. It was really amazing.
"This is so much bigger than just me. I know that I am just a catalyst to help other people heal.
"[Writing] was just a tool that was able to help me express to the world and when these people came back to me, even today, I already feel like my work is done.
"It's amazing, there's healing in sharing stories and this is so important."
Casady met Mansfield in May 2008, and quickly fell for the New Zealander, who arrived in the US on a temporary visa, before staying for another seven years, she said.
Casady said despite the allegations she made against Mansfield, she had no ill feelings towards him.
"I forgive you," she said when asked if she had a message for the embattled would-be reality star.
"I've done a lot of deep, deep work. And, I would also say, I am praying for you that you get the help that you need … I'm praying for you."
Yesterday MediaWorks confirmed it had edited Mansfield - and his on-screen "wife" Aimee Collins - out of all episodes of MAFS.
Casady and another of Mansfield's ex partners agreed it was the right thing to do.
"It's not fun to rethink about that time I was with him," said Kim, who was with Mansfield when he first went to the US, before his relationship with Casady.
"But I think it's important that these (allegations) come to light.
"This is in no way a celebration or a victory for us, it's a sadness.... and we are concerned about other people.
"I think it sent a very clear message by pulling him from the show - otherwise it would have been like, who cares?
Corporate affairs director Amber McEwen said the company became aware of the allegations "upon their publication in the media on Thursday afternoon".
"We began investigating the details as a matter of urgency," she said.
"Next steps will be dictated by the results of these investigations, which are being taken very seriously.
When the allegations emerged on Friday MediaWorks also said it was "shocked".
The confirmed they checked each MAFS contestant's criminal record before accepting them on the show.
However, they do not check offshore history.
"We can confirm that prior to commencing filming, every participant is subject to a New Zealand criminal record check, participates in a psychiatric assessment and must have been deemed by a professional psychologist to be fit to participate in the format," a spokesperson said.
"All our participants are required to confirm that they have no undisclosed convictions of any kind and have never been investigated by the police for any criminal activity but not then convicted."
However, under the country's privacy law it was "not possible to obtain information about any charges or outstanding warrants (international or otherwise) an individual may face". It revealed yesterday it was only made aware of the allegations after filming had been completed.
"Chris Mansfield had already completed filming prior to these allegations being made, and will not be required by the production or network for any further commitments."
• Phone the police on 111 or ask neighbours of friends to ring for you. • Run outside and head for where there are other people. • Scream for help so that your neighbours can hear you. • Take the children with you. • Don't stop to get anything else. • If you are being abused, remember it's not your fault. Violence is never okay.
Where to go for help or more information:
• Shine, free national helpline 9am- 11pm every day - 0508 744 633 www.2shine.org.nz • Women's Refuge: Free national crisis line operates 24/7 - 0800 refuge or 0800 733 843 www.womensrefuge.org.nz • Shakti: Providing specialist cultural services for African, Asian and middle eastern women and their children. Crisis line 24/7 0800 742 584 • It's Not Ok: Information line 0800 456 450 www.areyouok.org.nz
