'MAFS:' Iris Says Keith Was Equally Responsible For Her Not Losing Her Virginity After They Married

TV

Iris and Keith were fan favorites of 'MAFS' but the two split when Keith cited Iris' "sexual immaturity" as a reason he wanted a divorce. Iris says Keith played a part in her not being intimate.

Published on June 5, 2020

Viewers of Married At First Sight were rooting for Iris and Keith to make it all the way and were devastated when Keith opted for a divorce. He cited his wife’s lack of sexual experience in being a virgin as the reason why he felt their marriage did not have a chance. The experts were also visibly upset and disappointed. While Iris was viewed by Keith and some fans as lacking sexual maturity, she explained in a recent interview that she was open to exploring her sexuality with her husband, but that he was nervous and hesitant about the possibility of being her first. 

Iris and Keith struggled with intimacy during their marriage

From the moment Keith discovered Iris was a virgin on their wedding day, it was an uphill battle for the two to connect on an intimate level. They both insisted that they hoped their relationship would progress to the intimate phase but could never get on the same page at the same time. Keith was honest with the experts and his family that he was unsure if he saw a future with Iris because he was nervous in terms of him being her first.

Though Keith felt he and Iris were compatible, he felt she lacked emotional maturity and sexual experience. He cited her hesitation to speak on sexual behaviors, her appearing uncomfortable when speaking of sex and her lack of participation in some of the intimacy challenges the experts assigned.

While Iris felt that Keith was patient with her, she accused him of not fully opening up to her. She also claimed that Keith lacked in the romance department and did not make her comfortable, despite her trying her hardest to show him different sides of her – even going as far as playing one of the intimacy games assigned completely through after being hesitant the first time around.  

On decision day, Iris wanted to stay married and was committed to seeing their relationship through. Keith on the other hand chose to get a divorce, hinting that Iris being a virgin was a burden he did not want to carry and explaining that he did not want to be her foundation of intimacy. He felt that Iris needed to experience more before becoming a wife. 

Iris says Keith was admittedly hesitant in being intimate with her and lacked emotional intimacy

Though Iris was visibility devastated on decision day, she and Keith continued to spend time with one another after filming ended. It wasn’t until after the reunion that Iris cut off communication for good when Keith told her there was no possibility of a reconciliation. 

Looking back, Iris says that she understands how viewers felt that she lacked emotional maturity and had trouble connecting with Keith on an intimate level. But, she insists it went both ways and that Keith did not make it easy.

During an interview with comedian Kevin Fredericks and his wife Melissa on their podcast The Love Hour, Iris opened up about the challenges viewers did not see between her and Keith. She says that she very much was interested in taking their relationship to the next level and in due time she wanted to give her virginity to her husband but Keith was hesitant. 

“The other partner has to be willing to give of themselves as well and it’s hard when you’re the one that feels like, ‘Okay I’m giving, I’m trying,’ but when you’re hitting a brick wall in so many ways, it’s an issue,” she said. “Through one of the questions Pastor Cal asked him was, ‘Why not [have sex],’ and he [Keith] was like, ‘I’m not ready to take her virginity.’”

Iris says she got the brunt of the criticism but viewers failed to look at the overall picture and point out Keith’s contributions to things not working. She also elaborated on the feeling that Keith lacked romantic qualities, pointing out that all of the dates on the show were organized by the experts and that Keith never arranged anything for her the entire time, even on days where they were not filming.

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