Former Married at First Sight (MAFS) bride Domenica Calarco has hit back after copping a wave of online criticism over comments she made about co-parenting with ex-partner Jarod Bogunovich following their daughter Dove’s first birthday.
The influencer shared an emotional video over the weekend, revealing she was devastated her ex wasn’t able to spend the entire day with Dove on her milestone birthday.
In the since-deleted clip, Domenica claimed Jarod had committed to being a groomsman at a wedding that fell on the same day as their daughter’s first birthday.
Her comments quickly divided social media, with many arguing she was being unfair given the pair are no longer together.
Speaking to nine.com.au, Domenica said she was surprised by the amount of backlash the video received.
“I didn’t get this level of hate during MAFS, I didn’t when stuff happened with the podcast in 2024,” she told the site.
“I made that video, I posted it, and I was like, ‘I think it might ruffle some feathers’ … but I didn’t know this was going to happen. It just ended up on a part of the internet I genuinely didn’t believe existed. I am dumbfounded at the comments.”
Critics pointed to videos Dom shared, which showed Jarod spending time with Dove on the morning of her birthday before later attending the wedding. He also attended Dove’s enchanted garden-themed birthday party the following day.
One commenter wrote: “The dad visited baby Dove on Friday (her actual birthday) for an hour before the wedding events. He is returning on Sunday for her scheduled birthday party. Expecting a groomsman to back out of a wedding because it falls on a birthday especially when a separate birthday party is already planned for Sunday is a classic example of all-or-nothing thinking.”
Another added: “You’re not together. Sadly the idea of perfect co-parenting rarely works out. He did the right thing by being there and then going to the wedding of someone who is obviously also important to him.”
The reality star later said people were judging her entire co-parenting relationship based on one vulnerable moment.
She explained there was much more context behind her disappointment than what had been shared publicly and said she had stayed quiet about previous issues while navigating co-parenting.
She also addressed criticism of the emotional speech she delivered at Dove’s birthday party, where she reflected on her first year as a solo mum.
“Them saying that I was making it all about me — it’s just like, excuse my language, but f*ck you, I am going to pat myself on the back,” she said.
“Because, at the end of the day, no one else was going to that day. [Dove’s] dad wasn’t going to stand there and say, ‘Thanks to Domenica for 12 months of raising a beautiful child’.
“The comments are disgusting, but I’m not going to delete that video because I stand by it and I would do it again.”
Abbie Chatfield defends Domenica Calarco amid backlash over now-deleted TikTok
Before the video was taken down, fellow influencer Abbie Chatfield threw her support behind Domenica, despite the pair’s history of public disagreements, as spied by Influencer Updates AU.
Commenting on the TikTok, Abbie argued people were treating the birthday drama as an isolated incident instead of considering the broader context of the co-parenting relationship.
“If he was the co-parent of the year, and everything was going incredibly well then yeah, sure, I’m sure you would be okay with him going to the wedding,” she wrote.
She said that if Dom’s ex had made it clear Dove’s birthday was the priority by discussing a compromise, she may not have been left feeling so hurt.
She also pointed out that, based on what had been shared publicly, it didn’t appear the co-parenting relationship had always been easy.
Abbie also criticised the online pile-on, saying mothers are often judged more harshly than fathers and arguing Domenica shouldn’t be vilified simply for expressing disappointment.
“You aren’t a bad person for being disappointed that your child won’t have her dad around for her 1st bday,” she penned. “It’s wild how people take your personal feelings as a reason to prove you’re awful.”
She also noted that while many argued Dove was too young to remember the occasion, that wasn’t the point, adding there didn’t need to be “a hero and a villain” in the situation.
CHATTR has reached out to Domenica, Abbie and Jarod for a statement.
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