‘Married at First Sight’ Alum Jamie Otis Opens Up About Her Husband’s Huge Secret
OG Married at First Sight stars Jamie Otis and Doug Hehner got candid about a difficult time in their marriage during the show’s April 3 cast tell-all.
The couple, who wed during the first season of the Lifetime reality series, opened up about how Doug kept the extent of his past drug addiction a secret from his wife.
The ‘Married at First Sight’ star had ‘addiction issues’ before the show
“I had addiction issues before the show,” Doug explained. “And it was never really addressed on my part why I didn’t drink. I never discussed the extent of it [with] her until recently.”
“The whole time I’ve known him he’s been in recovery,” Jamie added. “He was taking a secret medication that he hid from me to stay sober.”
Doug shared that he’d recently come off that medication, which Jamie said was something to “celebrate.”
“We’ve had a lot of hurdles to overcome,” Doug said. “I think we’re in an amazing place now.”
The couple are feeling so good about where things stand now that they’re planning to celebrate their 10-year anniversary with a vow renewal. At the end of the tell-all, Doug even got down on one knee and presented his wife – who recently announced that she was pregnant with twins – with a ring.
“I want to commit to you for way more than 10 years,” he said. “I chose you every single day and I choose you still.”
Jamie Otis said she’s ‘proud’ of Doug for sharing his experience
Last year, Jamie discussed in detail how she learned that her husband was using Suboxone to treat his opioid addiction.
“Not many people know this but Doug has been battling opioid addiction for nearly 20 years. He kept it secret from me when we were first Married At First Sight,” she wrote in a June 2023 Instagram post.
“He eventually told me about his addiction to pain pills but he kept the med he’s currently on secret by flushing the wrappers,” she explained. It was only when she was seven months pregnant with their first child that Jamie discovered Doug was taking Suboxone.
The Bachelor alum went on to say that she was thankful she fell for Doug before learning about his past. That’s because addiction was a “dealbreaker” for her because of her own history.
“Drugs RIPPED my family apart,” she wrote. Both her stepfather and mother used drugs. At 20, Jamie was even granted custody of her younger siblings because of her mother’s addiction.
“Addiction is a nasty disease that leaves GOOD people depressed & desperate,” she wrote. “I’m beyond *PROUD* of my hubby for opening up and shedding light on this terrible epidemic.”
New episodes of Married at First Sight Season 17 air Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on Lifetime.
How to get help: In the U.S., contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration helpline at 1-800-662-4357.
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