When The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On first hit Netflix, nobody—and I mean absolutely nobody—bet on Madlyn Ballatori and Colby Kissinger making it past the reunion. It was a chaotic mess of a season. You had Madlyn openly admitting she found another guy, Randall, more attractive. You had Colby doing some questionable "exploring" off-camera that he tried to frame as being "for her."
It looked like a recipe for a very public, very messy breakup.
But then the finale happened. Colby got down on one knee, and instead of walking away, Madlyn said yes. Then, in a move that felt totally unhinged at the time, they got married right there on the spot. Fast forward to 2026, and they aren't just still together; they’ve built an entire life in Texas that looks nothing like the toxic whirlwind we saw on our screens.
The Reality of Madlyn and Colby Today
Honestly, it’s kinda wild to think about how much the narrative has shifted. Most reality TV couples fade out within six months, but Madlyn and Colby have basically become the poster children for "trust the process," however messy that process was.
They’ve moved way past the trial marriage drama. As of early 2026, the Kissinger household is officially a party of five.
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Their first daughter, Josephine "Josie" Riley, was born in May 2022. She was the one Madlyn was famously pregnant with during the Season 1 reunion. Then came Conrad Lloyd in September 2023. And most recently, in April 2025, they welcomed their third child, a son named Royce Cannon Kissinger.
Three kids in under four years.
That’s a lot for any couple, let alone one that met on a show designed to test if they even liked each other. Madlyn has been pretty vocal on Instagram about how "back-to-back pregnancies" have been a blur, but she also credits the chaos with grounding their relationship.
Why the Critics Were So Wrong
People used to drag Colby for being "manipulative" and Madlyn for being "disinterested." But looking back, it's clear the show’s edit didn't capture the full picture.
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- The Legal Side of Things: While the TV wedding looked impulsive, they actually went to a courthouse the very next day with an executive producer to make it legal. It wasn't just a stunt for the cameras.
- The Texas Life: They stayed in Texas, stayed close to family, and stayed away from the Los Angeles "clout-chasing" scene that kills most reality relationships.
- Real Roles: Madlyn has leaned into the "mom-fluencer" life, focusing on breastfeeding advocacy and postpartum reality. Colby, meanwhile, has kept a lower profile, mostly appearing in family photos looking like a tired but happy dad.
It's easy to judge a relationship when you only see the worst 40 minutes of their week. But you can't fake a stable, three-kid marriage for years just for a Netflix check that stopped coming ages ago.
What Really Happened with the "Other Woman"?
One of the biggest sticking points for fans was Colby's "cheating" during the show. Remember that? He was talking to a girl he met at a bar, claiming it was to prove to Madlyn that he was desirable or to "practice" for her.
Yeah, it sounded like a total line at the time.
However, in interviews since the show, they’ve both been weirdly chill about it. They’ve basically said that the "ultimatum" environment created a pressure cooker where they made mistakes, but they chose to forgive and move on rather than hold a grudge for the sake of the audience.
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The Kissinger Family Expansion
If you follow them now, their feed is less "dating show drama" and more "toddler tantrums and baby snuggles." Madlyn posted some maternity shots before Royce was born where she admitted that the "joy and wonder" of pregnancy is sometimes lost when you're doing it for the third time in a row.
It was an incredibly human moment.
She wasn't trying to sell a perfect life. She was saying, "I'm exhausted, my kids are wild, and I'm just trying to keep my head above water." That kind of honesty is probably why they’ve outlasted almost every other couple from the franchise.
What We Can Learn From Them
It’s easy to be cynical. Reality TV is built on cynicism. But Madlyn and Colby prove a few things about long-term success after the cameras stop rolling:
- Privacy is King: They don't overshare the drama anymore. They share the kids, the house updates, and the "God is good" posts.
- Location Matters: Staying in their home state of Texas kept them anchored to a support system.
- Commitment isn't a feeling: It's a choice. They chose to stay when everyone told them they shouldn't.
If you’re looking to follow their journey or learn more about how they’re handling a family of five, you’re best off checking Madlyn’s Instagram. She’s the one who really keeps the fans in the loop, while Colby seems content to just be "the husband" in the background.
To keep up with the latest on the Kissinger crew, look for Madlyn's updates on breastfeeding advocacy and her "honest motherhood" series. If you're a fan of the show, it's worth revisiting their season to see the "clues" of their compatibility that we all missed while we were busy hating on Colby's choice of hats.