The fan-favorite couple from season 4 are pulling the plug on their marriage after more than a year together, PEOPLE can exclusively reveal

“After much thought and reflection, and after being married for over a year, we have decided to file for a divorce. This was not an easy decision for either of us because we do love each other very much but sometimes God has other plans,” the pair tell PEOPLE in an exclusive statement. “This is the route we have decided to take, and all we request is that you respect our privacy in this delicate matter. Divorce is never easy for anyone, especially not such a public one.”

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Image zoom Courtesy A&E

The pair add that they “remain best of friends and will always be there for each other even if we are not married. We plan to continue to grow our relationship, just without a piece of paper binding us together. We appreciate all the love and support you have all shown us during our marriage and hope you continue to support us during this time.”

Image zoom Courtesy A&E

After their split was announced, Vilchez shared the couple’s joint statement to Instagram — where she added “@tomyachts Still love you though!” — and also opened up about their decision to call it quits.



“Someone can be madly in love with you and still not be ready. They can love you in a way you have never been loved and still not join you on the bridge. And whatever their reasons you must leave. Because you never ever have to inspire anyone to meet you on the bridge,” she penned in her post.

“You never ever have to convince someone to do the work to be ready. There is more extraordinary love, more love that you have never seen, out here in this wide and wild universe. And there is the love that will be ready,” she concluded.

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Vilchez, a 25-year-old real estate agent, and Wilson, a 29-year-old yacht interior specialist, met for the first time as they walked down the aisle on Lifetime’s hit social experiment show (produced by Kinetic content).

“They tried to make it work. They really, really did,” a source close to the couple — who wed on April 2, 2016 — tells PEOPLE. “I’ve never seen two people fight for their marriage like they have, but at the end of the day they realized they are moving in different directions. On paper, they are truly the perfect match but life got in the way.”

Though the duo certainly had many sweet moments as newlyweds, they also butted heads over their future together, with Vilchez often feeling insecure about her husband’s commitment to their marriage.