An Australian woman who fell for an American prisoner after connecting online has revealed the dramatic twists her life has taken amid their unconventional relationship.
Jessica Silvey, 30, from Brisbane married Craig Silvey, 34, while he was serving a 10-year prison sentence in Kansas for attempted aggravated robbery.
The pair met through a prison pen-pals program and later starred in the hit reality show Prison Brides which followed seven women from around the world who married convicted criminals in America.
But despite packing up her life in Australia in 2023 and bidding farewell to her worried family to be with her husband, Jessica now admits it was all a mistake.
‘Ah man, I wish I never did it,’ she said on social media.
The couple tied the knot halfway through Craig’s sentence in a prison ceremony and had been husband and wife for five years before he was granted early release in 2023.
Craig admits his rap sheet was long, and that he had only been a free man for around three years since he was 12 years old.
During his most recent sentence, he spent most of his time in a correctional centre before being placed on a work release program.
Jessica and Craig Silvey tied the knot halfway through his sentence in a prison ceremony
Jessica packed up her life in Brisbane and moved to the US for her husband’s release
Jessica now admits she wished she never married Craig
‘It’s a facility they allow you to go and reintegrate yourself to society where you can go to work and have a job, to make money,’ he said on the show.
‘So I got a job as a welder and I have saved about $35,000 – that’s a huge accomplishment. I have never even held $2,000 in my hand before.’
Cameras then followed Jessica as she flew across the world to start a new life with the man she had only known in a prison setting.
‘She is moving away from everyone she has ever known for someone she has only met once, that is in prison,’ her concerned friend said.
Jessica, an insurance broker, was giddy with excitement as she stood at the prison gates ready to start her new life – but the fairytale romance was over within months.
Viewers saw awkward moments as the pair adjusted to life outside prison walls with Craig struggling to adapt while his wife was eager to start a family.
Just weeks after his release, Jessica became pregnant and while the news was met with excitement on the show, behind the scenes, tensions were building.
‘Money is one of our biggest points of contention,’ Jessica admitted to the camera as more and more packages of baby gear arrived.
The couple admit that money was the main cause for their arguments
Jessica flew back to Australia to give birth to her son Hudson
Jessica claimed Craig had no idea of the sacrifices she had made, but he was concerned by his prison wages dwindling away.
‘You just can’t take any accountability,’ he replied.
‘Seven years saving and I spent the majority of it on this relationship.’
By early 2024, rumours swirled that the marriage was in trouble and Craig was arrested for domestic violence charges.
Jessica ended up moving back to Australia to have her baby saying at the time, ‘We both underestimated how difficult it was going to be coming out of doing 10 years in prison.’
After giving birth to their son, Hudson, Jessica had a change of heart and moved back to the US in November 2024.
‘This time coming back to the States has been a really tough adjustment for me,’ she said in an Instagram post.
‘Craig has stepped up and taken on so much over the last week.
‘He has been absolutely amazing with Hudson and is a complete natural with him.’
She went on to thank him for being patient with her.
Jessica announced her return to the US in November but seems their reconciliation was short-lived
Fans of the show have now speculated that the apparent rekindling of their relationship may mean the pair will appear in a second season of Prison Brides.
The couple have further fuelled the rumour by locking down all of their social media accounts in recent months.
But it seems the rocky relationship is still over, with Jessica commenting on social media posts about the show just a week ago, saying she wished she had never married Craig.
Daily Mail has contacted Jessica for comment
