On Friday, the latest batch of episodes of Netflix dating show “Perfect Match” documented one of the show’s most dramatic break-ups to date — a split between Massachusetts native and “Surviving Paradise” star Justin Assad and “Too Hot to Handle” winner Elys Hutchinson.
But according to Assad, many illuminating moments in his relationship with Hutchinson were left out of the final cut of the show, as was a connection he nearly pursued with another cast member. These unaired scenes paint many aspects of the show — including his relationship with Hutchinson — in a substantially different light.
The rise of Justin and Elys
It can be difficult for viewers to accurately gauge how much time has passed between scenes while watching “Perfect Match,” but according to Assad, he and Hutchinson were together in the villa — the show’s residence and primary setting — for somewhere between 10 days and two weeks. This is a lengthy relationship by “Perfect Match” standards, he said.
After a somewhat awkward first date involving a tiny ice bath, Hutchinson told Assad she was romantically interested in him, and they matched at their next opportunity. In the next day or two, he began to relax and get more comfortable with her, and she soon told him that she was seeing a new, fun side of him that she liked, he said.
The couple grew closer and developed a routine where Assad would make Hutchinson coffee and avocado toast each morning — an aspect of their relationship that “Squid Game: The Challenge” star Bryton Constantin later mocked as being “boring” while trying to coax Hutchinson into leaving Assad for himself. But the conversations about life that Assad and Hutchinson had each morning were among the things Assad liked most about their relationship, he said.
“It’s the little things, right?” he said. “Big dates are fun … but if you had to pick and choose the greatest moments, it’s probably the ones that lay in between when you’re just solely existing with one another.”
In fact, according to Assad, one of the show’s producers later told him the 160-page compatibility questionnaire the cast members filled out prior to the show indicated that Assad and Hutchinson were the most compatible pair among the cast.
The conflict viewers didn’t see
Despite Assad’s and Hutchinson’s strong connection, Assad said a conflict between another couple later led to cracks in his and Hutchinson’s relationship, though these scenes weren’t included in the final cut of the show.
In one episode, Assad can be seen backing Hutchinson in suggesting to “Love is Blind” star Micah Lussier that she explore other romantic connections after Lussier expresses frustration with her current match — “Dated and Related” star Kaz Bishop. What viewers didn’t see was that Assad later regretted his support for Hutchinson’s recommendation after realizing he hadn’t discussed the issue with Bishop, who Assad said is still a close friend of his.
After an apology from Assad led to an emotional reconciliation with Bishop, Assad went upstairs to the room he shared with Hutchinson in tears and told her he was thinking of leaving the show. Filming had become stressful and nearly cost him a valued friendship, he told her.
Hutchinson became angry and upset, questioning how much Assad cared for her if he was willing to abandon their connection, he said. He ultimately decided to stay on the show and try to make things up to her by being more affectionate — as she had requested.
It was Hutchinson’s previous encouragement of Assad being more open about his feelings for her that made her decision to match with Constantin a few days later so shocking to him, he said. Even more surprising was the explanation viewers heard her give to other cast members — that the relationship had become “too serious too quickly.”
“For everything to slip and switch in a matter of, like, 10, 15 minutes was crazy,” he said.
The episode later showed Hutchinson attempting to explain her decision to Assad only to see her attempts spurned by her former match. He ultimately leaves the villa, citing on camera a lack of romantic interest in other cast members.
Hutchinson and Scarfone did not reply to multiple requests to comment on this article.
An unaired romance that sheds new light
Regardless of what transpired between Assad and Hutchinson, viewers saw “Perfect Match’s” producers repeatedly reinforce Constantin’s characterization of their relationship as dull and unexciting through their scene editing.
The most blatant example is during a scene that takes place shortly before their split in which Assad can be heard telling Hutchinson he wants to solidify their connection. The show’s editors superimpose images of Constantin over the scene and play a romantic song reminiscent of ’80s yacht rock while Assad speaks, implying that Hutchinson is not listening to him and is instead fantasizing about Constantin.
In a less obvious example in an earlier episode, Assad is seen apparently trying and failing to connect with “Too Hot to Handle” star Holly Scarfone. The clip shows Scarfone telling Assad he speaks eloquently, after which she asks what his favorite book is. In the show, he answers “Goodnight Moon” — a famous children’s book, which appears to put off Scarfone. The episode then cuts to a confessional clip of her saying she “didn’t feel a spark” with an unnamed cast member and would not be pursuing him.
In reality, not only did Scarfone attempt to flirt with Assad over the course of a much longer conversation, but according to Assad, his initial answer to her question was “For Whom the Bell Tolls” by Ernest Hemingway. Scarfone didn’t seem familiar with the classic American novel, so Assad unsuccessfully attempted to save the moment through a joke.
Even more notable is that, according to Assad, after Hutchinson matched with Constantin, Assad and Scarfone reconnected and decided to match — a development that was not included in the show. This may be because, after speaking again with Hutchinson, Assad recanted his decision despite his affection for Scarfone.
“I wasn’t gonna falsify some sort of emotion and drag someone along just for the sake of screen time,” he said. “I was really there trying to find my perfect match, so I made the conscious decision to leave.”
Scarfone later told Assad his reversal on their matching left her feeling “blindsided” because he had convinced her to match with him, he said. But the pair reconciled after he explained that his decision was not about his attraction to her and was instead a due to “timing.” They also kept in touch after the show and have since had “cheeky moments,” though Assad declined to go into further detail.
Where Assad and Hutchinson stand now
Initially, Assad felt guilty for shutting down Hutchinson’s attempt to explain why she decided to match with Constantin. At the time, he said, the conversation felt forced and pointless.
“You made your decision. Why don’t you just own it?” he said of Hutchinson.
Assad also cut off the conversation was because didn’t want to risk letting Hutchinson’s view of their relationship impact his self-worth, he said.
“In that situation, I wasn’t going to let someone else determine my own value or my thought and perception of myself,” he said.
After the show, what most troubled Assad most was thought of regressing on progress he’d made in therapy towards letting himself be emotionally vulnerable in romantic relationships. He had gone on the show intent on turning a new leaf and had successfully opened up to Hutchinson only to eventually feel that the carpet had been pulled out from under him, he said.
“I’m not necessarily upset that Elys doesn’t pick me, but my mind starts stressing about ‘Am I gonna revert back to that person that I was before and is it gonna be tough time getting back,’” he said.
Even so, despite some reservations about how viewers might perceive his reaction Hutchinson’s choice, Assad ended up experiencing an outpouring of support from fans that has helped him heal.
“I’m finally able to gain closure from that situation,” he said.
Assad and Hutchinson have communicated since the show ended, according to Assad. So far, the former couple appears to be friendly.
While Assad sometimes wishes he’d pursued other connections on “Perfect Match,” he said he ultimately stands by his decision.
“I knew what I wanted. I followed my heart, and when things didn’t feel natural or organic to me, that’s when I closed that chapter,” he said.
Possible unexpected twists
“Perfect Match” season two’s final episode is set to premiere on Friday, June 21, and there are still many lingering issues.
First and foremost is whether Netflix will decide to air footage that would clarify the biggest source of conflict this season: “Too Hot to Handle” star Melinda Melrose’s claim that Harry Jowsey — another “Too Hot to Handle” alum — kissed her whilst matched with “Love is Blind” star Jessica Vestal. Joswey — who has a reputation for promiscuity — repeatedly denies the claim on the show, and so far, the episodes have only included clips showing Jowsey carrying Melrose, purportedly to spare her bare feet from some rough gravel.
At the time Jowsey is supposed to have kissed Melrose, Assad was sitting with Scarfone with his back turned to Melrose and Jowsey, he said. He did not see what happened between Melrose and Jowsey — who is is close friend, but he still takes Jowsey at his word that a kiss never happened.
Notably though, Scarfone said at the time — and still maintains — that she saw Jowsey and Melrose kiss.
It is unclear if Netflix even captured footage that would support or disprove Melrose’s claim, but Kinetic Content — which produces both “Love is Blind” and “Perfect Match” — is notorious for keeping viewers hooked by waiting until the tail end of a season to air footage of any he-said-she-said moments that caused conflict over the course of the show.
Then there is the question of which couple will win season two of “Perfect Match” — the prize for which is a luxury vacation for the pair. On Monday, Assad indicated that the winners will likely come as a surprise to viewers.
“You’re gonna see who wins this and you’re gonna be like, ‘Wait, when were they a couple?’” he said.
