Exclusive Interview

‘Perfect Match’: Why Marissa George Wanted to Bring Demari’s Ex Bri on the Show

As viewers, we were able to do a little studying up on the cast‘s reality TV history before tuning in to Perfect Match Season 4. For the season’s breakout single, Marissa George, this was not the case.

Fans got to know Marissa on Season 6 of Love Is Blind, where she fell for Ramses Prashad sight unseen. Outside of her own dating show experience, Marissa made it clear that she doesn’t watch a lot of reality TV. Ahead of the Perfect Match premiere, she told Swooon, “It’s funny, I actually don’t watch a lot of reality TV.” While she catches bits and pieces here and there on social media — Who could miss the viral “I’m a Mommy… Mamacita” moment last year? — She came into the competition not knowing many people from “the reality-verse.”

She explained, “I was just wanting some hot people. That’s all I wanted: hot people, beautiful girls, and people who were just there to have a good time.” Maybe that’s why she instantly fell for Demari Davis. “I’ve never seen Too Hot to Handle. Never seen Demari, even on Instagram,” she revealed. “So I walked in, and I was like, ‘Okay, I don’t know where you’re from, who you are, but I like it.'”

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From our side of the screen, it was clear that Marissa and Demari, who became the inarguable power couple of the early episodes, were locked in on each other from the moment they met. From Marissa’s perspective, the moment was no different: “When I first walked in, I think we kind of locked eyes, and it was kind of like something passed between us. ”

Once Marissa met Demari, there was no need to explore any other options. “I feel like me and Demari locked it in pretty early,” she told Swooon. “I definitely talked to everybody, and Yamen [Sanders] was someone that I initially was like, ‘Okay, let’s see if there’s something there.’ But I think pretty instantly I saw him more like a brother or an uncle.”

That said, there was one single who deeply complicated their situation: Demari’s Too Hot to Handle ex, Bri Balram. The couple, who dominated the competition, staking their claim in the boardroom more than once, consistently faced the option of bringing Bri into the competition.

Surprisingly, Marissa was not worried about Bri’s potential entrance into the game. “I wasn’t worried about Bri entering the competition. I don’t know if they showed it, but I was wanting to bring another Black girl in there with me. So I was like, ‘Bring her in!’ and Demari’s like, ‘Absolutely not.'”

Having not lived through Too Hot to Handle‘s wild sixth season and its aftermath, Marissa confessed, “I didn’t know their history. I’ve never seen her on the TV show, either, so I didn’t know anything about them.”

That said, she confessed, “Had I known, maybe I wouldn’t have pushed so hard. I just thought it would be fun, and I wasn’t concerned about whether Demari would go back to her. He was pretty adamant about not wanting that.”

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Related

'Perfect Match' Season 4: Which Couples Matched in Part 1?

Now, viewers know that ultimately, Bri did make her way into the competition as a “Femme Fatale” during Nick Lachey‘s split into separate guys and gals’ mixers. Looking ahead at the rest of the season, Marissa teased, “After the mixers, I think things start to really pick up. We see a little bit more. It gets very tense in the house. Things start switching up again. Demari ‘s ex shows up, so it definitely adds a little spice, but I’m excited for everyone to watch it. We all had a really good time.”

Perfect Match, Season 4, Episodes 1-5, Streaming Now, Netflix

Perfect Match, Season 4, Episodes 6-7, Wednesday, May 20, Netflix

Perfect Match, Season 4, Episode 8, Wednesday, May 27, Netflix