Married At First Sight Couples With Kids: Who Ended Up With Families?

Lea Veloso
·7 min read

If you have a knack for growing families after the show aired, here are all the Married At First Sight couples who have kids. The Lifetime TV show was created in July 2014 on FYI. The premise derives from the Danish TV show Gift Ved Første Blik. The first season took place in New York City and New Jersey and showed off three couples, who like the show describes, are married when they first meet each other.

The couples then spend time together on their honeymoon and spend eight weeks together living a family lifestyle. After eight weeks, they get to decide whether they want to divorce or stay together on Decision Day. There are several experts on the show that examine the couples’ compatibility with each other. For season 17, experts Pastor Cal and Dr. Pepper and are reunited in the host city of Denver, Colorado, along with Dr. Pia, who joins the show as a full-time expert.

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Talking to E! News, Dr. Pepper Schwartz revealed the tedious process of making the couples. Hundreds of people apply to the show and the experts go to churches, bars, dating apps or anywhere that people meet to “make the prospective pool as big as people.” There’s more steps to the vetting process including a meet-and-greet, several interview sessions and psychological and background checks. The final step is a home visit from Dr. Pepper.

“My hope was that we would be able to support these people and help them grow into better versions of themselves by bringing out skills to the process, by matching them through science and maybe this really could work and it could work even beyond helping these people grow and get more information about themselves, but to give them skills. And to augment what we hoped was already thought was a good match according to our scientific tools. And the more we went on, the more I believed in it because I could see people listen and learn and it was fascinating and wonderful. She continued, “It worked out beyond my wildest fantasies.”

Pastor Cal told the site about his views on marriage on the show. “I’ve learned and tell couples now that marriage doesn’t work—people work. And quite often, we want the marriage to work,” he said. “Sometimes we want to blame the marriage and say the marriage is not working, but it’s you. You’re not working. You’re not doing the things that are necessary. You’re not communicating and not being vulnerable. You got to be kind. You got to be honest. And you’re gonna have to put in the time and don’t give up too quickly.” Since its premiere, the show’s overall success rate in long-term marriages is less than 20 percent. So which Married at First Sight couples are still together from every season? Read more below to find out.

Jamie Otis & Doug Hehner

Season: 1
One of the longest-lasting couples from the reality show, Jamie Otis and Doug Hehner welcomed their first child Henley “Gracie” Grace Hehner, on August 22, 2017.

The two welcomed their second child, Hendrix Douglas Hehner, on May 13, 2020. The birth was documented in Married at First Sight: Couples’ Cam. Jamie gave birth at their home with the help of a midwife during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ashley Petta & Anthony D’Amico

Season: 5

Ashley Petta and Anthony D’Amico have two daughters. Their first is named Mila Rose, in January 2019. Their second daughter, named Vaeda, was born just over two years later, in February 2021.

“I was so ready to be a husband and start a family. I’ve done a good amount with my life and that was the next adventure for me,” Anthony told MikeStaff.com.

They’re going strong, obviously, from their loved-up social media activity. On October 18, Ashley commemorated her time on the show. “Seven years ago, I married a stranger on Season 5 of Married at First Sight. Tonight, Season 17 premieres, and I can’t believe there have been 12 more seasons since then! I love how the show keeps going. I’m very hopeful for some successful and happy marriages this season!”

Jephte Pierre & Shawniece Jackson

Season: 6

Jephte Pierre & Shawniece Jackson welcomed their daughter Laura Denise Pierrewho was born in August 2018. Laura was named after Jephte and Shawniece’s parents. Shawniece and Jephte returned to television on Married At First Sight: Couples’ Cam seasons 1, 2, and, 3.

“When I found out I was pregnant, I was absolutely shocked,” Shawniece told People ahead of the season 6 finale. “I was in the emergency room because I felt awful and had no idea what was wrong. They came back and told me all my symptoms were from pregnancy and that I was pregnant. I was totally shocked.”

Shawniece was excited about her baby’s birth. “I’ve always wanted to be a mom. I’ve always felt like that’s my purpose in life — to recreate some little Shawnieces in life,” she says. “I think it’s the greatest gift a woman can have. Life is a beautiful thing!”

Danielle Bergman & Bobby Dodd

Season: 7

Danielle Bergman & Bobby Dodd have three children together: a daughter Olivia in February 2019, followed by a baby son in December 2020, and the youngest of which was born in August 2023.

When Olivia was born, the couple was “absolutely enamored with” the new arrival and they told People, “The second we laid eyes on her, we both knew that she is exactly what we waited our whole lives for.”

Deonna McNeill & Gregory Okotie

Season: 8

Deonna McNeill and Gregory Okotie are still happily married. They welcomed their first child in 2021, son Declan. “We are so blessed and excited to welcome our baby boy, Declan, into the world. We’re all healthy and doing well, just happy to be home as a family of three!” the couple told PEOPLE in a statement.

Austin Hurd & Jessica Studer

Season: 10

Austin Hurd and Jessica Studer welcomed their first child in 2021, a son named Westin. “We’re ALL doing great and are healthy just very tired,” the couple told PEOPLE. “Thrilled to finally meet him and excited to bring him home.”

They continued, “We are very excited that the newest addition to the Hurd fam is going to be a baby boy. Neither of us had a huge preference but now that we know it’s a boy (we both guessed it would be) we can’t wait to meet the little man,” the couple said. “Austin is excited to pass on his passion for baseball and all things sports! And I’m excited to be a mommy!”

Woody Randall & Amani Aliyya

Season: 11

Woody Randall and Amani Aliyya have one son together, Reign. They celebrated their son’s first birthday in June 2023. “This first year of parenthood has been a huge learning experience,” they told People. “Not just learning about Reign, but ourselves also. [It’s] been challenging. Handling sleep regressions due to growth spurts or teething has caused a lot of sleepless nights.”

“It was hard but we made it through and couldn’t be happier to spend every day with him. Reign is one of the happiest babies we’ve ever met and that’s been worth every tough moment we’ve encountered.”

Briana Myles & Vincent Morales

Season: 12

Briana Myles and Vincent Morales are the latest parents from Married At First Sight and welcomed their first child in June 2023 and are still happily married. “Baby Morales has finally made her debut!” the couple said in a statement to E! News. “We are over the moon excited to finally be able to hold Aury Bella in our arms. God has trusted us to protect this little one and we can’t wait to love her endlessly!”

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