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Bride & Prejudice participant dead, Seven pulls episodes offline

A very sad footnote to a recent reality show prompts a quick network decision.

Seven has pulled episodes of Bride & Prejudice off 7plus and removed the show’s homepage following the death of 2019 participant Micah Downey.

Downey died on December 28, aged just 26.

The cause of death has not been confirmed but the The Daily Telegraph quoted his drug counsellor Jodi Barber saying, “a mixture of illegal and prescription drugs were the reason for Downey’s death.”

Ex-fiancee Milly Johnson, who has a son with Downey and is pregnant with his second child, posted on Instagram, “It is so sad & unbelievably surreal that I am making this post ? On the 28 December 2019 Micah Patrick Downey passed away. I am struggling to put into words how sad & heartbreaking this is ? I just hope he is at peace wherever he is & that he will always be watching over his babies ?? A bad, bad dream. I can’t believe you’re not here. Rest In Peace Micah ?”

In a statement, Seven said: “The team at Bride & Prejudice is devastated by the news of the loss of Micah Downey. Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with his family and friends at this incredibly difficult time.”

On Bride and Prejudice Downey was portrayed as a Californian who smoked pot as a lifestyle choice, but Milly’s mother, Catherine, branded him “a stoner, a loser, he is not the man that I want for my daughter or the father I want for my grandson.”

While the couple had an “off / on” relationship, Downey had moved back to the US after he was asked to leave the home he shared with Milly & her mother.

“The visa that I had didn’t allow me to work in Australia and I had run out of money, so there was no other option, I had to move back to the US. Having to leave Julian and Milly was absolutely devastating for me. Everyone makes mistakes but I know that I need to show that I have changed,” he had said.

Despite Milly seeking her mother’s approval, she broke up with Downey during filming, which she described as “not easy” on national television, but also a difficult decision the show helped her make, while she was pregnant.

Seven has also removed all videos of Downey from its Facebook page.

A Seven spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia: “These were removed out of respect during this very difficult time.”

Source: News Corp, Daily Mail

5 Responses

  1. Sad news which again raises the issue of how much, if any, aftercare was offered by the producers of the show? I agree with Gaz but if they choose to be involved support measures need to be put in place for those people. We’ve already seen the tragic results of what can happen to reality contestants around the world if support is inadequate.

  2. Well this is very sad news. I don’t think being involved in a reality show is a good idea for someone with addiction issues, or psychological issues for that matter. Rest in Peace Micah ?️

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