Domenica Calarco has finally opened up — in great detail — about what, in her view, caused the breakdown in her friendship with former Married At First Sight (MAFS) star Ella Ding on her new podcast, Mad Woman.
Ella and Domenica (Dom) forged a super strong friendship during their season of MAFS and went on to launch a successful podcast called Sit With Us.
However, Rumours were rife that Dom and Ella had ended their friendship after they abruptly announced the cancellation of the pod in August.
How did fans know that Dom and Ella had fallen out?
Dom later confirmed the rift on Instagram. The reality star took to social media to promote her new podcast Mad Woman, and dropped the spicy tidbit in the comments section.
When a follower asked Dom if she and Ella had had a “falling out,” Dom replied, “Yes, we did x.”
What did Dom say about her and Ella’s friendship on Mad Woman?
Dom went into detail about what caused the rift between her and Ella during an episode of her new podcast Mad Woman.
“The breakdown of our friendship really started when the backlash from Sit With Us happened, I think we had very differing opinions and views on the way to handle the situation,” Dom said, referring to the backlash the pair received after they interviewed MAFS‘ Tori Adams and Jack Dunkley.
Fans criticised Dom and Ella for seemingly supporting Jack, who told Jono McCulluogh during a MAFS Dinner Party, to put a “muzzle” on his TV wife Lauren Dunn.
On the new podcast, Dom said that she wanted to respond to the pushback.
“For me, I wanted to face it head on. I didn’t want to bury my head in the sand,” she explained.
“When it’s something as detrimental and fucking huge as what we were dealing with, you can’t just bury your head in the sand. It was making things worse.
“Justifiably, people were kind of shocked that I wasn’t saying anything.”
Dom explained that she was told to stay quiet by the podcast’s production team and Ella.
“I fucking wanted to [say something] so badly, guys, but I was told by the greater powers that be number one, but also my co host, [to] shut up. Don’t say anything. Ignore it. It’s gonna go away.
“I knew in my fucking core this was not going away. Listen to your instincts and your gut. Your gut will never lie to you.”
How did Ella respond to Dom’s tell-all podcast?
Shortly after Dom shared the explosive podcast, Ella, who’s currently on holiday in Bali, took to her own Instagram comments to share some insight into how she felt.
When a follower asked her about Dom’s Mad Woman episode, Ella responded: “How I like to work through it is very different clearly to others.
“I’m on my honeymoon with my beautiful friends and husband, having the most beautiful time. Haha, the premeditated release of that in itself says a lot to me. Don’t worry, I’ll do me and you do you!”
She also hinted to another commenter that she may tell her side of the story.
“I’m not trying to ruin anyone’s image here, honey! I’m just keeping my trap shut for mature reasons… but let’s hope I can keep it,” she replied with a zipped face emoji at the end.
What have Ella and Dom said about their fallout prior to the Mad Woman episode?
Back in early September, both reality stars commented on the cancellation of their podcast and, seemingly, the breakdown of their friendship.
“I’ve got nothing to say, but I wish her the best, of course, always will. All good things come to an end,” Ella told Daily Mail Australia.
Meanwhile, Domenica’s comment to the publication hinted that something had gone down between the former besties. She also confirmed that the pair no longer follow each other on Instagram.
“We definitely unfollowed each other. I don’t even know where to begin,” she said.
What happened to Dom and Ella’s Sit With Us podcast?
In early August, Domenica shared the news that Sit With Us had ended in their official Facebook group.
“Ella and I have come to a joint decision: it is the right time for Sit With Us to come to an end,” she wrote.
“This decision was not made lightly, and it comes with a mix of emotions. We have loved every moment, and ending this chapter is bittersweet.
“However, we believe it is the best step forward for both of us. We think it is the right time now to move on with our own solo projects and explore new opportunities that lie ahead.”
Ella and Domenica started Sit With Us in June 2022, shortly after appearing on Married At First Sight Season 9.
Over the past two years, they shared life updates, advice and interviews with reality stars including Skye Wheatley, Eden Harper and Jack Dunkley.
Call us crazy… but could a joint pod with Dom’s other MAFS nemesis Olivia Frazer be on the cards for Ella?
One can hope!
Listen to Dom’s full Mad Woman podcast episode below.
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