Roxanne might be chronically busy, but surely you’ve had plenty of time to wonder where the couples from The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On Season 2 stand today.
When we last left them, each of five couples who risked it all for love (yes, even Brian and Lisa) came back together for the first time to relive all the premarital mess one year later. Hosted by Nick and Vanessa Lachey, the reunion served up more than enough tea about this season’s most shocking moments — from that positive pregnancy test to the finale’s proposal-palooza — to keep our silver goblets overflowing.
But despite the setbacks (and one particularly anatomy lesson from James), every single relationship that entered the experiment came out stronger on the other side, proving — at least for this group — that ultimatums can in fact work. So what’s next? Well, for Lisa and Brian, Ryann and James, Riah and Trey, Roxanne and Antonio, and Kat and Alex life hasn’t slowed down in the slightest since they left the reunion couches.
Check back in with all the couples below to find out who’s planning to start a family, who hasn’t even started wedding planning, and who’s still together after all the drama.
How it Happened: At the end of the experiment, a “terrified” Roxanne faces her fear of marriage and accepts Antonio’s proposal. With one handwritten, origami note, she finally expresses her deep feelings for Antonio, calling him “the kindest person [she’s'] met in the world.”
Dating History: Before Antonio issued the ultimatum, he and Roxane had been together for four years. The pair started out as friends, but reconnected years later and immediately fell for each other.
Consider Roxanne and Antonio forever changed — both as individuals and as a couple — by the experiment. “You can’t be in a healthy relationship if you don’t fix yourself, period. By being on the show, we fixed ourselves,” Roxanne tells Tudum.
Since we last saw them, the two have adopted a major growth mindset when it comes to their relationship — and, yes, business. Roxanne, a Sagittarius, has expanded her understanding of “what marriage, commitment, and love means,” while Antonio, a Leo, has tapped into “what motivation and the next career path step means” for him. The result? The couple say they’re on the strongest footing in the history of their relationship — and now they know how to keep it that way. “Our relationship is the best one I’ve ever had with another human being,” says Antonio. “We’ve developed a skill set for arguments to become less like arguments and more just joint problem-solving.”
While issues do pop up, there’s one roadblock the couple has overcome entirely: Antonio’s job. Now, he’s a successful entrepreneur in his own right, as the new owner of an automotive styling company. “It’s a dream come true,” Antonio says. “I could almost cry myself to sleep every night out of happiness. My friends and my family have all really seen a big change in my life.” Roxanne has certainly taken notice, describing her future husband as almost an “entirely different person” than the man she knew before. “That was a big thing for me to see that he was on a path and working toward something he was going to do with the rest of his life,” she says. “He found that, he’s doing it, and he’s crushing it.” Antonio has also seen a change in Roxanne, who he says has “never been this calm.” And, despite what others (or one person in particular) might say, respect remains at the center of their relationship. Antonio, for the record, “pushes back heavily on the narrative” that Roxanne doesn’t respect him. “Respect has always been there,” he says. “That’s why we made it onto the experience, that’s why we made it out of the experience, and that’s why we’re where we are today.”
For all those wondering, Roxanne still isn’t wearing that engagement ring, but wedding planning is very much underway, as the couple has secured a date and a location for their future nuptials. “I haven’t put it on once since the reunion,” she says. “I just need more reflection because there’s something about the ring I just don’t love yet, but I think I’ll get there.”
Ring or not, Roxanne is ready to take the next step with Antonio — and she’ll never regret making that choice on her own terms. “Women have so much pressure, and I want them to know that even though that I said yes, it’s OK to be in your 30s and not want to get married.” But for these two, embarking on married life together was the right decision. Antonio adds, “Every single day, we love each other more than the day before, and we’re closer to achieving the goals that we have.”
How it Happened: Still reeling from Trey’s connection to Ryann, Riah struggles to believe his apology. Ultimately, she decides that she “doesn’t want to go through ups and downs” with anyone but Trey, and accepts his proposal.
Dating History: Riah and Trey were together for two years before The Ultimatum, but couldn’t keep the romance in their relationship alive. He decided to issue the ultimatum, hoping it would push her to commit on a deeper level.
Experiences — especially the most challenging ones — are often the best teacher, and The Ultimatum yielded plenty of life-changing lessons for Riah and Trey.
“Every day is a learning experience when it comes to being with someone else,” Riah tells Tudum. “Going into the experiment, I had very very very little experience and knowledge about dating, relationships, or even marriage. Talking and observing everyone else helped me because I’ve never been around other couples, let alone seen what a relationship or marriage dynamic should be like.”
With this newfound understanding of both themselves and their relationship, Riah, a Cancer, and Trey, an Aries, are committed to each other like never before, as they chart the next stage of their lives. The couple is currently still engaged and living together in Charleston, South Carolina, where they’ve added a new member to their home — an adorable puppy. But maintaining their happily ever after requires hard work, especially given how the pair has struggled with expressing their emotions in the past. “My time in this experience taught me a lot about myself and how I can be a better communicator,” says Trey, who now has plenty of “tools to communicate” when problems arise. Riah, meanwhile, has learned to trust Trey on a deeper level by “being open with all of my emotions and feelings,” instead of keeping her past experiences close to the chest. “I held on to so much from the past and also present, which made it hard to move forward and focus on the future,” she adds. “The biggest [lesson] was learning to let go.”
Out of respect for each other, both Riah and Trey haven’t had any one-on-one contact with their respective trial spouses, James and Ryann, since getting engaged. But, it turns out, the foursome just couldn’t stay away — the two couples happened to bump into each other at mall in Myrtle Beach just days before the reunion. Riah and Trey have also maintained a friendship with Kat and Alex, and the group recently enjoyed a lunch date together. “My relationship with the rest of the [couples] is good,” says Riah. “We have a group chat, so we will stay in touch for possible big moments.”
Reflecting on the highs and lows of the experiment, both agree that ultimatum was the push their relationship needed to evolve — whether they ended up together or not. “When it comes to an ultimatum, you have to be willing to accept any outcome that comes with it,” says Riah. “An ultimatum can be the best decision or the worst decision.” Luckily, for these two, it was decidedly the former.
How it Happened: After the highs and lows of the experiment, James finally makes Ryann a “top priority” and the two get engaged. While he says he might not be in a “perfect place,” James and Ryann commit to growing together forever.
Dating History: Ryann and James met when they were just 16 years old and have been together for seven years. Former prom queen Ryann issued the ultimatum because she felt James should be more certain of their future, especially after so many years together.
Since getting engaged, life has only gotten sweeter for high school sweethearts James and Ryann.
With over seven years as a couple under their belt, the two say they’ve never been “so secure” now that they have a lifetime of memories together to look forward to. “I’ve been so happy and can’t wait for us to get married and discover what the future holds,” Ryann, a Virgo, tells Tudum. “I know our journey has been different, and some people will never understand it, but if you are happy that’s all that truly matters.”
the proposal, the couple has been busy making plans for the future — something James, a Capricorn, has struggled with in the past due to financial insecurity. As a recent postgraduate student, he was initially hesitant to get down on one knee before landing a job secure enough to support his family one day. But since the experiment, James has made major strides in his career journey, sharing, “I started a new job and am working on purchasing a house.” As for his emotional journey, he discovered a “considerable amount about myself and the things I need help with” over the course of the eight weeks.
The couple has now made a habit of having “hard conversations,” which has brought them even closer together. “Taking the time to work on ourselves individually as well as a unit has done wonders for us,” Ryann says. “We communicate how we feel every day and are constantly trying to find little ways we can continue to improve and grow our relationship.”
Looking back, Ryann and James are thankful for how both issuing and receiving the ultimatum kicked their relationship into high gear. “I learned that there is never a ‘right time’ to take such a leap,” says James. “Sometimes diving headfirst into whatever you might be putting off is the better option.” Ryann, meanwhile, has zero regrets about putting her foot down when it came to a proposal. “Communicating how you feel and what you need in a relationship isn’t a bad thing,” she says. “It’s real, and discovering if you and your person can compromise on what you both need in a relationship is important. Sometimes people really need that push in the right direction and if it’s the wrong direction, they will eventually figure that out for themselves.”
How it Happened: Alex put his commitment issues to the side and proposed to Kat, thanking her for continuing to “light the way” for their relationship. She happily accepts, and the two are discussing the possibility of starting a family together.
Dating History: Two years ago, the couple met, started dating and became instant best friends. Since then, they’ve struggled communicating their needs, leading Kat to put her foot down for once and issue an ultimatum.
Kat and Alex’s wedding is only months away, but these two are already thinking about what comes after the altar.
“We are debating if we jump right into settling down and starting a family or fight that urge and take another year or so to travel and enjoy each other’s company together while we are still so flexible,” Alex tells Tudum. For now, the couple is busy in wedding planning mode ahead of their spring nuptials. They’ve also been on the hunt for a forever home to settle down in — should they choose to press pause on their globe-trotting adventures.
But no matter which path they choose, both Kat, a Scorpio, and Alex, a Pisces, have come out of the experiment with a new outlook on life and love. Kat, for one, credits the experience for boosting her self-confidence and teaching her to “put myself first more than I put others first,” especially when it comes to her relationship. “This experience really took me out of my comfort zone,” she says. “I learned to say what I’m thinking even if I don’t think the other person wants to hear it, as well as say what I want more often.” As for Alex, he realized that analysis paralysis was at the root of many of his issues. He think with his heart and not just his head — and life has gotten all the better for it. “The experience pushes limits and pushes you to be uncomfortable for all the right reasons,” he says. “I feel lucky to have had the time to self-reflect and have strong accountability and come out the other end with my favorite person ever.”
As for their trial spouses, neither Kat nor Alex has had much contact with Roxanne or Antonio, who Kat says only recently unblocked her on Instagram. “There are no hard feelings there, and I don’t think he’s a bad guy,” she says. When it comes to the rest of the group, Kat and Alex try to stay somewhat connected when they can to “talk through the ups and downs” of the experiment together. “We share a pretty strong bond,” Alex says. “The experience is so unique and so different that only we understand how we were tested.”
How it Happened: Brian and Lisa left the experiment early, but their love story continued. The couple put marriage on the back burner for now, but are devoted as ever to their relationship and raising their child.
Dating History: Lisa and Brian were together for nearly two years before she issued the ultimatum. The two started out as just a casual hook-up, until Lisa made Brian choose once and for all between love and friendship.
While Brian initially thought that Lisa was joking about being pregnant, he knew that he had to make a life-defining choice once things got real. “Either I could be like, ‘I’m not ready for this,’ or I can man up and say, ‘I’m with you 100%,’ ” he tells Tudum. “We decided that we were going to focus on building a family and bringing a child into the world.”
Brian, a Sagittarius, and Lisa, a Gemini, have since welcomed a son and are now committed to being the best co-parents and romantic partners to each other. Fatherhood has “completely changed my life in the best way possible,” says Brian. Lisa, meanwhile, went immediately back to work weeks after giving birth. “I’ve only been able to make it work because of Brian and his support,” she says. “He works from home, so he’s holding down the fort with the baby and my daughter.”
As for what led to the argument before their exit in Episode 2, Lisa reveals she’d been holding on to a past “intense situation in [their] relationship” that reared its head while they tried dating other people in the experiment. “There were things that I was still trying to heal from, so being in that situation triggered me,” she says. “As a woman, when you’re put through certain things in a relationship, especially when you haven’t had adequate time to heal, you’re on edge.” Brian, meanwhile, admits that he used to be “very self-centered in many ways” before receiving the ultimatum from Lisa. “I was always wanting to be the best boyfriend, but in the sense that I didn’t necessarily hold myself accountable for my actions,” he says. “I didn’t take criticism well, but now I’m at the point where I’m really open-minded and trying to be the best listener possible.”
Brian does stress that the “moment of high tension” between the couple that the public saw isn’t what defines them, particularly when it comes to Lisa, who’s “completely opposite of who she was” that night. “Obviously, there was a lot of hormones flaring, but she’s a truly beautiful person,” he says. Both have used the conflict to better understand themselves and how they can be the best parents to their future child. After undergoing therapy and exploring better ways of communicating, Brian and Lisa had to find out whether they were truly meant for each other.
“This baby isn’t a crutch for us, and we’re not going to use it as that,” says Lisa. “We needed to figure if we wanted to be together in the long run and that our goals aligned.” Since then, the two are back on the same page about most things, including marriage, which has taken a back seat… for now. “We’re still not engaged,” Brian says. “We both have it very top of mind and it could be happening very soon, I will say that.”
