Married at First Sight has matched plenty of couples that didn’t work out and never quite found the chemistry the experts thought they would.
Now and then, the show matches a couple so wrong for each other that viewers find it hard to even watch the two struggle through the experiment.
Luke and Kate were that couple in Season 8. Unfortunately, their catastrophic marriage has earned them the title of one of the worst couples to be matched on the entire series, and it’s mostly due to Luke’s confusing and emotionally manipulative behavior towards Kate.
Luke constantly gives Kate mixed signals
On Kate and Luke’s wedding day, Luke instantly recognized Kate, having met her a few weeks prior at an event he was putting on. And unlike fan-favorite MAFS couple Amelia and Bennet, who also had met before the altar, Luke wasn’t exactly thrilled to be reunited with Kate in this way.
Kate was immediately attracted to Luke, and while Luke expressed thinking Kate looked great on their wedding day, he deeply struggled with not being attracted to Kate throughout their troubled marriage.
The wedding was the last time Kate looked genuinely happy because as quickly as the honeymoon began, Luke harshly revealed that kissing Kate made him feel repulsed and dead inside.
Kate found herself in a similar situation to Sonia Granados from MAFS Season 4 when both their husbands were sleeping with them but encouraging them not to reveal that secret to anyone, including the experts.
Eventually, Kate needed to open up about the strange behavior Luke exhibited during their intimate moments, so she spoke with fellow MAFS star Jasmine and admitted that the two had been intimate multiple times but that Luke treated it more like a taxing obligation.
Kate felt it was painful to be in a relationship where her husband didn’t desire her, and so she sought out Dr. Pepper’s advice, which irritated Luke when he learned that she hadn’t kept their intimacy a secret.
Luke tried to claim it was Kate’s alleged excessive drinking that made it hard for him to connect to her, despite Kate saying that Luke presumably drank as much as she did.
Many fans found Luke emotionally abusive and manipulative towards Kate by demanding she keep quiet about all of their issues. In addition, Dr. Pepper expressed feeling as though Luke was sabotaging the relationship based purely on physical attraction.
Towards the end, Kate started to break down emotionally, especially when Luke abandoned her on their one-month anniversary.
After enduring this grueling and emotionally exhausting experiment, both Kate and Luke decided to get divorced on Decision Day.
Even more dirty laundry about the couple came out during the MAFS reunion. Similar to MAFS Season 12 villain Chris Williams, reunion host Kevin Frazier questioned Luke about why he would sleep with a woman he wasn’t attracted to.
Luke got into an argument with Kate and Kevin during the reunion, especially when Kevin called him out for his “rehearsed” responses. Kate suggested that Luke had been wrestling with his sexuality based on questions he’d ask her during the marriage.
Kate and MAFS fans both felt Kate deserved an apology for all that Luke put her through.
Where are Kate and Luke now?
Luke still resides in Philly and does not appear to officially be in a new relationship, although he did post a photo with a woman named Sammi this past Valentines Day.
Overall, Luke appears to be very focused on his vibrant photography and his adorable pets.
Kate also does not appear to be in an official relationship, although she did express being ready to get back on dating apps. Now a businesswoman, Kate founded the women’s lingerie and sleepwear brand Hidden Intimates.
Apart from running a business, Kate spends her time traveling and hanging out with her dog and friends, including friends she’s made from Married at First Sight.
While Luke and Kate had one of the worst marriages on the series, they both appear to be making the best out of their current situations.
Married at First Sight returns Wednesday, July 21 at 8/7c on Lifetime.