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Katie Conrad was often a controversial figure among fans on Lifetime’s Married at First Sight season 10 in Washington, D.C. Not everyone liked how she treated her husband, Derek Sherman, on the show.

The 27-year-old mental health professional is now in a relationship with Brandon Eaves, an Air Force officer for whom she moved to the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The Married at First Sight star recently took to Instagram to defend herself against criticism about her behavior, both on- and off-camera.

Derek and Katie had a tumultuous relationship on ‘Married at First Sight’

Katie and Derek had some initial chemistry and an early rapport in the first few weeks of their marriage. But the young newlyweds’ relationship soon fell apart, with Derek accusing Katie of being overly jealous and angry, as well as of having lingering feelings for her ex.

Derek and Katie decided to stay together on Decision Day, although both spouses admitted that their marriage had major problems. Sure enough, their relationship fell apart not long afterward.

At the Married at First Sight season 10 reunion, Derek accused his ex-wife of cheating on him. For her part, Katie admitted to hooking up with her ex – but she insisted they were already separated at the time, leaving no reasonable expectation of fidelity.

Some fans also criticized Katie and Zach Justice (Mindy Shiben’s husband) for grabbing a drink together after the season wrapped. After Katie saw what happened between Mindy and Zach play out on camera, however, she said she wanted nothing to do with him.

Katie raved about her new man when she went public with their relationship

Not too long after her season of Married at First Sight ended, Katie debuted her new boyfriend on Instagram. She even met his mom on Mother’s Day 2020, which many fans took as a sign that the two were already serious.

Those suspicions were confirmed when Katie moved from D.C. to the Gulf Coast for Brandon’s new job. At the time, a Married at First Sight fan asked if Katie had had to give up her own job to make the move.

“I did,” Katie revealed on Instagram, adding romantically: “But there’s other jobs, not another him.”

Derek’s ex-wife penned a poignant tribute to her partner on his birthday, writing sweetly, “Happy birthday to Jax and I’s everything!! @brandonzeaves you’ve made us the happiest girl and dog in the whole world and we’re so grateful for you. I’ll do my best to make sure your week is filled with hammocks, oversized slices of pizza, and naps/cuddles from Jax ❤️ P.S. thanks for never letting me forget my purse.”

The ‘Married at First Sight’ star defended herself against critics’ accusations on Instagram

Although Married at First Sight seasons 10 and 11 have both come and gone, some fans still reach out to Katie about her behavior on the show. Some have voiced their support for Katie, while many others continue to criticize her for what they perceived as her negative actions toward Derek and others.

In a recent Instagram post, Katie grinned widely while posing with her mom outside a restaurant. “Showing mom around the Gulf Coast,” she captioned the snapshot.

One critic immediately brought up her argument with her mom that aired on Married at First Sight, throwing Katie’s own words back at her.

“‘I don’t appreciate that in my life!’ -you to your mom at brunch,” the Instagram user wrote.

But Katie defended herself, replying simply, “Lol we tell each other how we really feel in my family.”

The same fan wanted to know if Katie’s mom had an opinion on her alleged infidelity against Derek. But the Married at First Sight star defended herself once again, pointing out that she and Derek had already decided to split when she moved on. It wasn’t clear whether the fan was referencing Katie’s hookup with her ex or her date with her castmate, Zach (or both).

“Nope cause I didn’t cheat on him,” Katie wrote. “We would’ve had to be together for it to be cheating.”

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Katie also compared her boyfriend favorably to her ex-husband

Fans also wanted to know if her new man was as open about his bathroom habits as her ex-husband, Derek.

Katie often complained on Married at First Sight that Derek seemed like “a little boy” and that he made unnecessary, immature remarks, especially about his bodily functions. She found it hard to develop respect and romantic feelings for someone who made what she saw as fourth-grade jokes.

Her current boyfriend, Katie confirmed, wasn’t quite so open about his private behavior.  

Comparing Derek to her new partner, Katie clarified, “It wasn’t so much the talking about bodily functions that bothered me, obviously we all have them. It was the way he did so blatantly and immaturely and SO early on top that bothered me 🤷🏼‍♀️ but yes definitely got some laughs from it too.”

In earlier Instagram stories, Derek’s ex revealed that she and Brandon never fought and that she was looking for someone like him when she signed up for Married at First Sight. So it looks like she might have found her happy ending after all.

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