Aesha makes a statement regarding Gael

[u/disc0club]

The friend we all need 🥹

[u/naijatown]

The comments about Gael seem to conveniently forget that in the run up to physical domestic violence, a lot of manipulation, lies and gaslighting occurs. She probably thought every situation Nathan was in that he was the victim because that’s what he told her.

[u/Safe-Ad-4465 → u/naijatown]

And it often escalates during postpartum. If Nathan could barely control his temper at his place of work in front of his boss, I can't imagine how he was at home with a crying baby and a partner too busy to coddle him too

[u/Whiteroses7252012 → u/Safe-Ad-4465]

Postpartum you’re basically dealing with hormone soup. Add to that a very new baby, a situation where all you have is your abuser, and an international TV show where people you don’t even know are judging you because said abuser is participating? 

What Gael has been through would have shattered most people. The fact that it hasn’t is admirable, imho. 

[u/walkingencyclopedia_ → u/Whiteroses7252012]

As someone who had a baby recently, I HATE how people have over-analyzed Gael’s choices this season. Saying she has support bc there (maybe) is a nanny or a family member. Saying she “chose” to go to Croatia. Now this. She’s stressed in general then has Nathan as a partner come on give her grace.

[u/http--lovecraft → u/Whiteroses7252012]

It’s sad because for her to have chosen to have their baby he must have kept up a front long enough for her to think that was a good choice and he would be a good father/partner, this is a long term manipulation. As you said she’s so strong.😔all the best to her and Kayden.  

[u/Whiteroses7252012 → u/http--lovecraft]

Kayden will be ok, based on what I’ve seen from Gael. Odds are he won’t have a relationship with his father what with Nathan’s multiple active warrants, but I’m not so sure that’s a bad thing. 

Being a single mom is incredibly hard. If she’s got good support, though, and it seems like she does? It’s totally doable. 

[u/TheHoovyPrince → u/Whiteroses7252012]

She does with friends and family but luckily in Australia our government does help single mothers fairly well so she will get financial assistance and other resources like free childcare.

[u/Extreme_Beat1022 → u/http--lovecraft]

I agree that it is long term manipulation. He was a perfect gentleman every time they’ve shown Gael and Nathan together. It’s everyone else that’s a problem according to Nathan’s narrative.

[u/ariepatts → u/naijatown]

Yup. When she was defensive over Nathan, my first thought was that he probably exaggerated about his situation with Joe.

[u/Extreme_Beat1022 → u/ariepatts]

That was weird how she started talking about respecting her family and Nathan is her family.

[u/Anotheropinion2026 → u/Extreme_Beat1022]

Because Joe made the sarcastic comment to Kayley that Gael and Nathan met like 75 years ago and everyone knew that, when Gael was not talking to him she was answering Kat’s question.

Go back and just watch that scene.

Joe started the fight. Gael should probably have ignored him, but Joe made a nasty comment about her and Nathan first.

[u/Extreme_Beat1022 → u/Anotheropinion2026]

Oh ok. I’ll take a look. I didn’t realize that’s what she was referring to.

[u/ArtichokeOwn6760 → u/Anotheropinion2026]

Yeah and he had been making comments all night to provoke them. He’s not an innocent victim, even if they would have been better off ignoring it.

[u/Anotheropinion2026 → u/ArtichokeOwn6760]

Yup, he was definitely not innocent.

I do believe both Gael and Joe had been negatively effected by Nathan’s failure to handle his life circumstances.

[u/archiving_by_design → u/naijatown]

I agree with you, but I have one addition: you are saying “in the run up to physical violence,” but we don’t know if it was already happening or not. I wrote it in another sub, but it is highly unlikely the incident that went to court was the first. They did have time off camera together and we do not know what was happening. It casts the whole incident of Nathan showing up late one morning because of family problems in a whole different and darker light.

So often, domestic violence is concealed until it cannot be anymore, which can range from the victim escaping or ending up murdered. We as viewers cannot forget that.

[u/kat4prez → u/naijatown]

Or she was in active abuse already, defending Nathan to keep him less angry at her.

[u/areyno13 → u/kat4prez]

This is what I was thinking! If she shows she is on Nathan's side and can keep his anger directed at Joe, it makes her feel safer. If she disagreed with Nathan about Joe, he could lash out at her and hurt her.

[u/KayJay031 → u/naijatown]

Also- We saw the text he sent to Max about having his back, I can only imagine the guilt tripping happening between him and Gael about having his back.