Where are the cast members of The Ultimatum: Queer Love now?

The first season of The Ultimatum: Queer Love had a lot of surprises, and now that the season finale and the shocking reunion have aired, it’s time to look at where the cast members are now.

This popular Netflix reality series was groundbreaking by featuring five female and non-binary couples, but it still followed the format of the first season of The Ultimatum: Marry Or Move On. In each relationship, one partner gave their significant other an ultimatum, leading to dramatic results.

The five couples introduced in The Ultimatum: Queer Love were Sam Marks and Aussie Chau, Lexi Goldberg and Rae Cheung-Sutton, Vanessa Papa and Xander Boger, Tiff Der and Mildred Woody, and Yoly Rojas and Mal Wright.

While some trial marriage pairs formed strong connections, like the bond between Yoly and Xander, others caused problems in their relationships by simply hooking up, such as Vanessa and Rae.

Mariah Zernik and Caleb Lefterys: Engaged

After Caleb was paired with Aria De’Westbrooks during their trial marriage, he found himself in a new situation, while Mariah had to go through the experience alone after her trial partner, Micah Hardeman, left the show along with three other people. Though there was some speculation that Caleb and Aria might have connected emotionally, once Caleb and Mariah were reunited, he decided that Mariah was the one for him and proposed.

Scotty Lewis and Aria De’Westbrooks: Got Engaged But Split

Scotty, who gave his girlfriend of three years, Aria, the ultimatum, became one of the most talked-about figures this season after his tense moments with Zaina Sesay were shown on the show. Despite this, he and Aria decided they were ready to move forward as husband and wife. During the finale, Scotty proposed, and an emotional Aria said yes.

However, at the reunion, Aria revealed that she called off the engagement the day after the proposal. While they tried to continue dating and living together, it “didn’t pan out,” she said.

Sandy Gallagher and Nick Tramontin: Split

Sandy and Nick quickly became a controversial couple when sparks flew between Sandy and her trial partner, J.R. Warren, almost immediately.

To make things more complicated, Nick, whose trial partner Vanessa Hattaway left early, showed up at Sandy and J.R.’s apartment after having a meltdown about the situation. Despite this, Sandy and J.R. did form a bond, even kissing multiple times, and J.R. referred to Sandy as his “wife.”

In the end, Nick and Sandy broke up during the finale after Nick, who gave the ultimatum, told Sandy that he didn’t think she was ready for marriage.

Zaina Sesay and J.R. Warren: Split

After Zaina and J.R. reunited following their trial marriages, they seemed eager to give their almost three-year relationship another chance.

However, when it came to the ultimatum day, the couple decided they were better off separating. And as for the possibility of J.R. and Sandy being together in the future, Sandy decided that they were better off as friends, a conversation that happened before he met with Zaina.

Micah Hardeman and Chanel Watkins: Seemingly in a Relationship

Chanel, who gave the ultimatum to her boyfriend Micah, seemed to connect with fellow contestant Dave Adams. However, she ended up leaving their apartment on the first night as a new couple. It wasn’t just Chanel and Micah who seemed to struggle as a couple; Dave and his girlfriend Vanessa also decided to leave the experiment.

The four of them “secretly met” off camera, according to Netflix, to pack up and leave, putting the rest of the season behind them.

Since then, it appears that Chanel and Micah are still going strong and have made light of their time on the show on TikTok.

Vanessa Hattaway and Dave Adams: Engaged

Like Chanel and Micah, Vanessa and Dave joined The Ultimatum to work on their future together but ended up leaving just one night into their new marriages. Since then, Vanessa has explained why they decided to part ways from the experiment, sharing that she had to prioritize her mental health. “You’re only seeing 1%,” she wrote to a fan on Instagram on December 4.

But they did get their happy ending. Just days after the reunion aired, Vanessa and Dave announced their engagement.

Brian Okoye and Lisa Horne: In a Relationship

In the second season of The Ultimatum, no one expected a couple to drop out of the process, especially not because they found out they were expecting a baby. But that’s exactly what Brian and Lisa did, choosing not to attend the Choice dinner after Lisa took a pregnancy test.

What happened next for Brian and Lisa? “It’s been so good,” Lisa told E! News in an exclusive interview. “We have a baby boy! He’s so cute.”

The couple has been enjoying raising their son, Mason.

“This journey as parents together has been a beautiful one,” Lisa said. “I know that not everyone gets that experience for many different reasons, but it’s been a blessing. It’s been a really nice, peaceful journey.”

However, there’s “no ring yet,” she added, and no immediate plans for an engagement.

James Morris and Ryann Taylor: Married

James and Ryann, who had been together since high school, proved that long relationships can work when James proposed after seven years of dating. They are already planning their wedding.

“We have a wedding coming up soon,” Ryann confirmed during The Ultimatum reunion, saying they will marry on September 30. James had planned a second proposal during their weekend trip to the mountains to make it more intimate. “It was more unexpected and natural,” Ryann said.

“It took me by surprise.” After the show ended, James moved in with Ryann and her family, and they got married as planned. In April 2024, they announced they were expecting their first baby, Sunny James Morris, in October 2024.

Alex Nelson and Kat Shelton: Married

At first, it seemed like Kat, who was more passive, might not be the best match for the ambitious Alex. However, the couple ended their journey engaged and have set a wedding date for May 10, 2024. Kat shared that Alex seems eager to settle down and even buy a house together. Alex said, “I’m excited” about their future together.

Trey Brunson and Riah Nelson: Engaged

Trey admitted that he developed feelings for Ryann during their trial marriage, but he and Riah were able to work through their issues and ended the show engaged.

They are thinking about having a destination wedding in the spring of 2025. However, Trey mentioned that they’ve had some challenges because of their work schedules. “Real life hit us again,” he explained, but he added that their relationship is much better than it was before the show. In January 2024, they announced the arrival of their first baby.

Antonio Mattei and Roxanne Kaiser: Married

The couple shocked everyone when Roxanne accepted Antonio’s proposal. “I did a lot of work on myself with where I am being engaged,” she shared during the reunion.

While she wasn’t wearing her engagement ring at the time, it wasn’t because they had broken up. She explained, “It feels very possessive…maybe I’m just weird as shit?” However, when Antonio expressed that it hurt him, Roxanne promised to wear it more.

They are focused on their careers for now, and Roxanne said, “We’re still not where we want to be.” Antonio recently bought a car wash in South Georgia and plans to open two car customization shops in Atlanta. They married in October 2024.

Madlyn Ballatori and Colby Kissinger: Married and Expecting Again

After welcoming their daughter Josie in May 2022, Madlyn and Colby, who surprised fans by getting married in the finale, announced they were expecting their second child.

“Baby Kissinger coming Sept ’23!” Madlyn shared in January 2023. Their second child, Conrad Lloyd Kissinger, was born in the fall. Madlyn said she loved being pregnant, saying it gave her a new sense of confidence and love for herself and Colby.

They also announced in September 2024 that they are expecting their third child.

Alexis Maloney and Hunter Parr: Married

Alexis and Hunter, who left the show early after Hunter proposed, got married in Palos, Verdes, Calif., in June 2022. Alexis shared moments from the wedding on Instagram, showing photos of the wedding party and videos of them dancing at the reception. They spent their honeymoon in Santorini, Mykonos, and Athens and now live in Los Angeles.

Shanique Imari and Randall Griffin: Still Together and Engaged (Again)

Although Shanique and Randall broke up for six months after Randall proposed at the finale, they later reconciled and decided to hold off on getting engaged again.

“We are still together,” Shanique said, adding that they are working on their relationship. In July, Randall proposed again in front of a heart made of white flowers with a neon “Marry me” sign. Shanique shared a post on Instagram saying, “Yes! Today and all of our tomorrows.”

Nate Ruggles and Lauren Pounds: Married

Despite some cast members thinking Nate’s proposal to Lauren seemed fake during the reunion, the couple got married in October 2022 in a Colorado ceremony.

“Thank you to all of our amazing vendors, family & friends for making this wedding an absolute dream,” Lauren wrote on Instagram. Since their wedding, they have shared photos from their trips to Turkey, Switzerland, and Japan.

April Marie: In a Relationship

April didn’t have the ending she wanted on the show, but she still found her happily ever after. She and her boyfriend, Cody Cooper, welcomed their first baby together in August 2023.

“Baby Girl IS HERE!” April shared on Instagram, along with hospital photos. “It’s been a long week for us, but we made it!” April first revealed she was dating Cody at the 2022 reunion show, though she didn’t name him at the time.

“Mr. Right came along and swept me off my feet,” she later told E! News. “While I was supposed to have my hot-girl winter, he interrupted it, and we’ve been dating for six months.” In May 2024, April shared that she and Cody are expecting their second child together, with baby Ava Miley Cooper due in August 2024.

Jake Cunningham: In a Relationship

Jake Cunningham broke up with April to be with Rae Williams, but he revealed during the reunion that he was single. Since then, he has stayed out of the spotlight, though Rae mentioned on the Zachary Reality podcast that producers of Netflix’s Perfect Match contacted Jake about joining the show.

In September 2024, Jake seemed to reveal his new relationship with Maritza Benitez, posting on Instagram, “Say hello to the Queen.” She added in another post, “The best things in life are better with you.”

Rae Williams: In a Relationship

During the reunion, Rae said she briefly tried to work things out with her ex, Zay Wilson, and with her trial partner Jake but didn’t have success. She mentioned she was enjoying a “casual” relationship with a woman and was “figuring out myself and my sexuality.”

She later confirmed to E! News that she was single and had moved to Houston. “After the whole process, I need to heal and take some time to myself,” she explained. Rae later moved back to Austin, where she works as a 9-1-1 operator and bartender.

Although she was asked to appear on Perfect Match, she decided against it because Zay had already signed up. “I think it was just more Zay’s vibe,” she said on the Zachary Reality podcast. “If I had been cast at the same time as him, that would’ve just been a mess because him and I just can’t seem to get along.”

Rae didn’t need a TV show to find love again, though, as she revealed a new relationship in a TikTok on July 25. While she didn’t reveal her boyfriend’s name, she captioned the video, “Hard launch?”

Zay Wilson: Still Single

Zay is still single after his relationship with Rae ended. He later joined the first season of Perfect Match, but he left the show without finding a connection. Zay works as a model and splits his time between Austin and Los Angeles.

Vanessa Papa and Xander Boger: Split

Vanessa and Xander from The Ultimatum: Queer Love decided to end their four-year relationship after Xander developed feelings for Yoly Rojas during their trial marriage. “I thought I was going to be able to give you the world,” Xander told Vanessa.

“You deserve a lot more than I can offer you right now.” Although they discussed the possibility of getting back together in the future, Vanessa revealed at the reunion that they haven’t talked since the show ended.

Yoly Rojas and Mal Wright: Split

Even though Yoly fell in love with Xander during their three weeks together, Mal stayed true to their commitment. “It’s always been you,” Mal told Yoly before proposing. “Will you do life with me? Will you marry me?” Yoly said yes after a brief pause, asking, “What took you so long?”

However, Yoly started having doubts. “If Xander were to fight for me,” she admitted, “I don’t know what I would say.”

While Yoly and Mal left the show engaged, Mal later revealed during the reunion that they were “happily broken up.” They disagreed on the exact timeline of their breakup.

“My fear was that as soon as the cameras stopped filming, we were going to go back to our old ways,” Yoly explained. “That happened, we spent some time apart. During that time apart, she said, ‘This isn’t going to work out.’ I didn’t fight back.”

After watching the show, Mal said she now sees their relationship in a new way. “You feel like a dangerous stranger to me,” Mal said. “I had your back so hard and all you did was make a complete fool out of me.”

Xander and Yoly: Just Friends

After Yoly’s engagement to Mal and Xander’s breakup with Vanessa, they had an emotional talk where they expressed love for each other. “I don’t want to let you go,” Yoly told Xander. “This isn’t a matter of not loving you. It’s not from lack of love.”

It turns out their feelings didn’t fade, and they tried to rekindle their romance after Yoly’s engagement ended. “We stayed in communication some,” Xander said, “and we saw each other while we were at Coachella.”

The pair denied anything physical happening during the festival, but later admitted they were making plans for Yoly to visit Xander in Hawaii. “I had a great time with Xander,” Yoly said. “I was hoping to reconnect and try in any way possible.”

In the end, they decided to go their separate ways. “We were in each other’s journey for a little bit, but now we’re back to doing our own stuff,” Xander said. “I feel like I really needed to commit to myself and figure out how to change the things I wanted so I could show up better for myself and any partner I had.”

Lexi Goldberg and Rae Cheung-Sutton: Engaged and Then Broke Up

Rae’s physical intimacy with Vanessa during their trial marriage shocked Lexi. However, the couple of three years worked through it and both proposed to each other in the finale. They revealed they were moving to Philadelphia together after Rae got a new job.

At the reunion, they confirmed they were still engaged. “The last year has been amazing,” Lexi said. “Proposal, vacations, we moved back to California a few months ago. It wholeheartedly has been the best year of my life.”

Lexi was so happy that she joked she would marry Rae at the reunion if Rae would let her. “I am actually an ordained minister,” host JoAnna Garcia Swisher offered, before Lexi revealed they already had a wedding date.

However, a title card after the episode aired revealed that, shortly after filming the reunion, Lexi and Rae ended their relationship. The wedding had been called off.

Lexi: In a New Relationship

After her breakup with Rae, Lexi began a relationship with photographer Kristin “Zanc” Zancanelli. “Never felt more alive than with you,” Lexi shared in a June 2023 TikTok post to announce their relationship.

Lexi explained how the new romance began. “Back during one of the hardest months of my life, I let my best friend do a photoshoot of me wearing my reunion dress,” she wrote on Instagram.

“It’s so incredibly amazing to see the smile that this woman put on my face even as a friend in some of my darkest moments. I feel overwhelmed by how I see myself through her lens, how clearly happy she made me.”