Married at First Sight star Jamie Otis is having a tough time celebrating her father’s birthday because not only has he passed away, but she never got to meet him before he died.
Jamie grew up never knowing her dad, but in 2018 she thought she found him after seeing a childhood photo of her and her sister sitting in the lap of an unknown man.
Jamie noticed the resemblance but later discovered that DNA was not a match. But Jamie’s quest to find her father continued and eventually she did find him, but it was two months too late.
Jamie Otis wishes her dad a happy birthday
The Married at First Sight star shared a lengthy message on Instagram today celebrating her father’s birthday and sharing her regrets for not finding him sooner.
Jamie posted pictures of her dad, as he doesn’t appear to be the same person she initially thought was her father when she shared the childhood photo back in 2018.
“Happy bday to my dad up in heaven.❤️ I searched for 33 years but found him just 2 months too late,” she wrote. “I kick myself every freakin’ day for not taking the DNA test thing sooner bc I’ll never get the chance to talk to him or hug him or get to know him.”
Jamie continued, “I know it’s strange to have a framed photo of me holding a giant picture of him but this is the only one I have with him so I framed it & put it on my stand.??♀️? I wanted him to be in my home with me (sounds so weird, I know)”
Jamie Otis opens up about her father
The Married at First Sight star continued to share more about her dad in the emotional Instagram post.
“I try to make sure I’m up in my hometown around his bday so I can go to the lake he loved and just hang out ‘with him’ ….I’ve learned from my aunties and poppy & his friends that he loved boats and being on the water.” wrote Jamie.
“Weirdly, I’ve always had this fear of drowning so boats have never been my thing but now I definitely try to be on the water more bc I think it’ll help me “connect” w my dad more. I just so badly wanna “know” him. It’s like there’s a hole in my heart that can never be filled.”
Before ending her tribute Jamie added, “Happy bday to the greatest man I never knew. I hope you’re having a great time up there & I can’t wait to meet you on the other side.? I’ll spend my life trying to make you proud so when we do meet you’ll be happy to claim me as your daughter.”
Married at First Sight returns Wednesday, July 21 at 8/7c on Lifetime.