'Married at First Sight' : See the Moment Erik Lake Tells Virginia Coombs He Wants a Divorce

The former pair announced their divorce in July

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Published on September 29, 2021 01:21 PM

Erik Lake and Virginia Coombs did not take the decision to divorce lightly.

The Married at First Sight stars called it quits earlier this summer, less than a year after they exchanged vows as strangers on the hit Lifetime show. Now, the demise of their marriage and the moment they decided it get a divorce is playing out on Married at First Sight: Couples' Cam.

In PEOPLE's sneak peek at Wednesday's episode, Erik and Virginia sit down for an honest conversation about their relationship.

"I do care about you and I care about this, but nothing is really progressing or moving in a healthy manner and it seems like nothing else has worked," Erik says. "And this shouldn't be as difficult as it is. It should be easy most of the time. I mean, it really should."

When Virginia questions what he is trying to say, Erik suggests: "I think we should get divorced."

As both Virginia and Erik become emotional, they discuss the logistics of breaking up.

"I guess, I'll start looking for a place," says Virginia, to which Erik responds, "I'll help you with anything you need with that to make it as easy as possible."

While they both seem to be in a place of acceptance, Virginia and Erik acknowledge that moving on without one another will not be easy.

"It's hard to think of any future without you," Erik says. "It's very hard."

In a confessional, Virginia calls the split "heartbreaking," but says she's trying not to see the relationship as a "failure."

"It's hard, but I do have to realize that, you know, maybe we are too different and just rewire my brain [to see] that it's not failure," she says. "I just have to realize that in our situation, divorce will hopefully be a good thing for both of us."

As for Erik, he tells the cameras that he has "exhausted every option to make this work" but that it doesn't seem as if they're "ever going to get there."

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Erik and Virginia appeared on the Lifetime hit's 12th season, which aired earlier this year. At the end of their season, they chose to remain together.

The pair, who tied the knot in August 2020, announced their divorce in July.

"We've made best efforts to keep some parts of our relationship out of the public eye. This entire process has been difficult as is without the constant chatter of public opinion," they said in a joint statement to E! News. "Contrary to popular belief, we've been together and trying to make our marriage work since Decision Day."

"While we have decided to get a divorce, we aren't closing the doors on a possible future together. We love each other and will continue to navigate our new reality post-show," they added.

Married at First Sight and Married at First Sight: Couples' Cam airs Wednesdays (8 p.m. ET) on Lifetime.