Although Erik and Virginia’s initial connection was all sparks and smiles, the couple quickly learned that while their list of differences might have been short, it contained all the important issues a long-term couple should agree on.
Virginia reveals starting a family was an issue
On the newest episode of MAFS Couples Cam, some of the issues that led to Virginia Coombs and Erik Lake’s divorce were revealed.
In a one-on-one Zoom call between Virginia and Season 10’s Jessica Hurd, Virginia revealed that the issue of starting a family continued to come up between her and Erik. Virginia admitted she knew that it was most likely a make-or-break issue in the relationship which is why the couple continued to avoid it. Virginia said it seemed like Erik wanted an answer about having kids from her right away, and that she just couldn’t give that to him. Jessica listened sympathetically but gave Virginia the hard news that although the couple may care about each other, it did not overcome the fundamental differences they seemed to have.
Meanwhile, Virginia’s then-husband, Erik Lake, sat with other MAFS Season 12 alum, Vincent Morales, discussing the very same issue. Erik revealed to Vincent that he had gone into the experiment, expecting his new wife to definitely want children too. He expressed the couple’s eight-year age difference was not an issue in and of itself, but that the two were just in very different life stages, where he was ready to settle down and start a family, and she was still interested in experiencing things. Erik said he knew the conversation would be a deal-breaker as well.
It seemed as though the couple knew their fate before it was even sealed.
Erik and Virginia call it quits and file for divorce
While the Couples Cam episodes are still catching up, the couple ultimately does have the conversation, and while we don’t know the details, we do know the ending. The couple quietly filed for an uncontested divorce using Erik Lake’s attorney and the couple was divorced within thirty days of filing.
Many fans speculated as to the causes of the divorce, but the couple was tight-lipped about it until the Couples Cam revealed what many fans had suspected all along. The subject of kids, the couple’s age difference, and lifestyle preferences all played a role in the divorce. Another curveball revealed in the episode was a little back story into what Virginia had termed Erik’s “controlling behavior.” Erik admitted that he had been cheated on three separate times in past relationships and it colored his perspective of his current relationship. No wonder Virginia’s insistence on sleeping at guy friends’ houses triggered Erik so much.
While the couple ultimately could not overcome their fundamental differences, the two did make a statement that they were not “closing the door on a possible future together.” Whatever that means.
So now we have a glimpse into the backstory of what finally tipped the couple into calling it quits. In next week’s episode teaser, it seems that the couple made the announcement that they will be getting a divorce, to the other MAFS couples. We wonder how the news was received.
Married at First Sight airs on Wednesdays at 8/7c on Lifetime.