Jessica Castro has publicly addressed the death of Ryan de Nino, her former husband from the reality television series Married at First Sight, who died suddenly at the age of 40.
The 42-year-old Castro released a statement on Friday, August 14, expressing condolences to de Nino's family while acknowledging the years of separation between them.
"I have not had contact with Ryan in years so I have/had no idea what his life entailed. However, I do send my sincerest condolences to his family during this very difficult time," Castro told Page Six. "I can not imagine what they are going through. May he rest peacefully."
The announcement of de Nino's death came earlier the same day, though authorities have not disclosed a cause of death. His sister, Melissa de Nino, shared news of his passing via Facebook on Tuesday, August 11.
"Ryan was so damn funny and witty. He was fiercely loyal to those he loved," Melissa de Nino wrote in her Facebook post. "He had a huge heart, always."
She continued with a reflection on sibling loss: "I can't explain what it's like to lose a sibling. Someone who's been there from the beginning and shares the same memories. No matter what we were going through, I loved him immensely. Life as I know it will never be the same."
The post drew numerous supportive responses from friends and acquaintances who remembered de Nino fondly. One commenter wrote that the world was fortunate to have known him, while another praised his potential and character.
Castro and de Nino participated in season 2 of the Lifetime network's Married at First Sight, a social experiment in which strangers are matched by relationship experts and married upon their first meeting. The couple chose to remain together when the filming period concluded.
Their union proved short-lived, however, dissolving within weeks after production wrapped. Castro subsequently sought legal protection through a restraining order, alleging that de Nino had made threats against her and her family. She also accused him of infidelity during their brief marriage.
The former couple's final televised interaction occurred during the season 2 reunion special in 2015. The confrontation ended dramatically when Castro threw a $100 bill at de Nino, stating that he needed the money more than she did. De Nino collected the cash and departed the set without responding to the allegations leveled against him.
Following his exit, de Nino was captured on a hot microphone making an apparent threat. "She's f**king dead. When I get back to Brooklyn, she's f**king dead, this girl," he said at the time.
The production company responded to the incident by arranging security protection for Castro. Kinetic Company, which produces Married at First Sight, issued a statement addressing the situation in 2025.
"The experts on our show have the best of intentions and highest hopes for success for each couple. After undergoing extensive background and psychological checks by third parties, couples agree to be legally married on our show," the statement read. "We document their journey for six weeks after their wedding, but we can't control how they behave, or govern their actions after production."
Castro had expressed optimism about marriage during her appearance on the program, citing her family background. The reality of her experience, however, diverged significantly from those expectations, resulting in one of the franchise's most contentious separations.
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Ava Hart
Ava Hart is a pop culture junkie and loves to share what's happening in Hollywood and what trends are taking the world by storm.
