The third season of Netflix's unconventional dating experiment, The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On, has already served more drama than a soap opera marathon, with an unprecedented twist occurring just three episodes in.
When confronted by fans about her sudden departure from the show, contestant Vanessa Hattaway made a cryptic yet telling statement on Instagram:
"I know I just had to do what was best for my mental health. You're only seeing 1%."
The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On, which premiered on December 4, follows six couples on the brink of marriage, where one partner issues an ultimatum to their hesitant significant other.
The format requires couples to separate and enter "trial marriages" with other contestants before making their final decision: marry their original partner, choose someone new, or walk away solo. However, Vanessa's early exit, with three other contestants, has left viewers with more questions than answers.
How did the two couples leave The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On?
In what could be dubbed as 'The Great Escape: Reality TV Edition', surveillance cameras caught Vanessa Hattaway, Dave Adams, Micah Hardeman, and Chanel Watkins pulling a midnight runner on their trial marriage partners on The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On.
The drama unfolded in Episode 4 when Nick Tramontin and Mariah Zernick arrived at their apartments only to find their trial partners had vanished faster than free food at a party.
Chris Coelen, the creator of The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On, shared with Variety that he first noticed something was amiss during "The Choice" segment. After returning to Los Angeles, he received a call that would make any reality TV producer's heart skip a beat.
The contestants had gone rogue, with Dave and Chanel expressing doubts about the show's format. As Coelen puts it,
"Then they snuck around. As a group, they secretly met. And listen, they're adults. We don't put restrictions on what people do or don't do."
When addressing the drama, Vanessa isn't holding back on social media. When a fan demanded she apologize to Nick for leaving during their trial marriage on The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On, she responded with the energy of someone who's been waiting to speak their truth:
"You don't know what happened behind scenes. I have nothing to apologize for."
She even responded to a fan rooting for her and Nick with a succinct "Yikes."
How did the other escapees react?
While Vanessa has been the most vocal after leaving The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On, her fellow escapees have had their own ways of addressing the situation.
Dave took to Instagram with a meme-worthy approach, posting a Photoshopped image of himself in the Elmo fire meme with the caption: "How it looked on @ultimatumnetflix vs. how it felt." He even went as far as calling the season "a dumpster inferno." Meanwhile, Chanel and Micah kept things simpler, reposting a show photo with the understated caption: "Well... this escalated quickly."
Vanessa has promised more tea will be spilled, stating,
"I will likely talk more about it at some point soon but there is only so much I can say. I'll add more context after the reunion."
With the next batch of episodes dropping on December 11 and the finale set for December 18, viewers are left wondering what drama awaits the remaining couples: Zaina and J.R., Nick and Sandy, Mariah and Caleb, and Scotty and Aria.
Trending
The next three episodes of The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On will release on Netflix on December 11, and the final set of episodes on December 18.
Reply
