'The Ultimatum' Season 1 Couples: Where Are They Now?
When The Ultimatum premiered on Netflix in 2022, fans got seriously invested. The reality series followed six couples at a crossroads in their relationships: Should they get married (as one of them insists, hence the title of the show)—or should they break up?
The reality show's rules of engagement (see what we did there?) are simple: each half of all six couples selects a new partner from one of the other couples for a three-week "trial marriage." Once that experiment wraps, each participant is reunited with their original partner for another three-week trial.
Following both periods, everyone is given a choice: leave engaged to the person they came with, leave with their new love interest, or leave single.
So, how did each couple from Season 1 fare? Keep reading for answers.
Related: Meet the Couples From 'The Ultimatum' Season 2
The Ultimatum Season 1 Couples: Where Are They Now?
Alexis Maloney and Hunter Parr
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If you don’t quite remember Alexis Maloney and Hunter Parr from Season 1 of the Netflix hit, we don’t blame you. The couple made an early exit from the show when, rather than choose someone from one of the other couples to enter into a trial marriage with, Hunter proposed to Alexis as the cameras rolled. The newly engaged pair left together and tied the knot not long after, in a June 2022 ceremony held in Rancho Palos Verdes, California.
Related: Which Bachelor Nation Couples Are Still Together Today?
Lauren Pounds and Nathan Ruggles
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Another couple to make an early exit from The Ultimatum, Lauren Pounds and Nathan Ruggles also got engaged on the show—right after Hunter and Alexis, in fact. Nathan proposed to Lauren minutes before the couple was set to enter into their trial marriages, and the scene was met with a lot of uncomfortable and judgmental glances from the rest of the participants. What does it matter, though? The couple wed in October 2022.
Madlyn Ballatori and Colby Kissinger
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Madlyn Ballatori and Colby Kissinger surprised everyone when they decided to bypass their engagement entirely and get married immediately following the events of the show. The shocks kept coming when the pair showed up to the reunion with a surprise guest—their unborn child! The couple welcomed daughter Josephine in May 2022 and in early 2023, announced they're expecting baby no. 2. WHEW!
Shanique Imari and Randall Griffin
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Things weren't always looking up for Shanique Imari and Randall Griffin following their time on The Ultimatum. Though the pair got engaged on the final episode of the season, they split from each other after filming wrapped (perhaps because Shanique slept with her trial partner, Zay Wilson?!) and stayed separated for six months. Happily, the couple has since reunited and moved in together, and as of July 2023, they were even re-engaged.
April Marie (formerly with Jake Cunningham)
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April Marie started her journey on the show when she gave an ultimatum to her then-boyfriend Jake Cunningham. However, it became quickly apparent that the couple was not going to work out, especially as viewers saw Jake form a strong connection with someone else during the series (more on that later). The duo decided not to continue their relationship at the end of the show, with April leaving single. In August 2023, she welcomed a daughter with her current boyfriend, Cody Cooper.
Jake Cunningham (formerly with April Marie)
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Jake Cunningham arrived on the series at the behest of his then-girlfriend April Marie, and it became evident early on that the couple was not the best match. Instead, fans began shipping Jake and his trial-marriage partner, Rae Williams, as the two had an instant spark and connection. Though the new couple left the series together in the finale, the pairing did not last.
Jake explained that after the series, “... [W]e both agreed that we needed to take time to figure stuff out. ‘Cause after the show ended, I had to figure out stuff with April, had to get closure with that, [and] she had to do the same thing with Zay.”
Related: Which '90 Day Fiancé' Couples Are Still Together In 2023?
Rae Williams (formerly with Zay Wilson)
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Rae Williams entered The Ultimatum with her then-boyfriend Zay Wilson, but she formed a strong connection to her trial-marriage partner, Jake Cunningham. Rae and Zay saw their relationship crumble in an epic fashion during their own trial-marriage period on the show, and Rae ultimately chose to leave with Jake. However, her relationship with Jake was over before it ever really started because both parties needed time to get over their very recent breakups.
By the time Rae showed up for the series reunion, she was in a relationship with another woman. She has since talked about her post-show journey, saying, “I was very uncomfortable with being bi for a very long time. But since Zay and I have been done, I’ve just been with one girl and that’s been kind of great, honestly.”
Zay Wilson (formerly with Rae Williams)
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Zay Wilson saw his relationship with then-girlfriend Rae Williams put to the ultimate test on the show—and it didn’t survive. Rae found a strong connection with her trial-marriage partner, Jake Cunningham, but she wasn’t the only one! When it came out following the end of filming that Zay had slept with his own trial marriage partner, Shanique Imari, it effectively squashed any hope of a reconciliation with Rae, who has since blocked her former beau on all platforms.
Not only is Zay currently single, he appeared on Netflix’s reality star dating series Perfect Match in 2023, where he once again failed to find love. Maybe third time’s the charm?
