Even though The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On Season 2’s Antonio Mattei knew that Roxanne Kaiser was “wife material” from day one, she was too focused on her career to even think about a wedding. After four years together, on and off, Antonio issued Roxanne the Netflix reality dating experiment’s titular ultimatum, believing he needed to apply “that kind of pressure” for her to consider seriously accepting a proposal. His plan worked: Roxanne and Antonio got engaged in the Season 2 finale, which was filmed in late 2022.
Perhaps no one was more surprised at the outcome than Roxanne. “Being engaged is huge for me,” the PastedNip co-founder tells Bustle, confirming that she and Antonio are still together today. “I feel a different level of commitment to someone, which is dope. I love it, it’s cool. I still am shocked to be in this place, but I’m happy to be in this place.”
Still, Roxanne admits that she’s “still working through” her reservations about marrying Antonio in couples therapy. “It’s a new place, and I think sometimes therapy or guidance can help anyone with uncertainty or new things in their life that are uncomfortable and weird,” she adds. “And we do that to make sure we’re on the right path for what we want in the future for both of us. It’s a lot to take in, and the next stage now is obviously a wedding. I need Ultimatum: The Wedding because I don’t know, are we ever going to do it? I will get there. It’s just going to take a little bit of time.”
In the meantime, the closest she’s gotten to wedding planning is taking note of a “dress that might be dope,” but that’s as far as she’s gotten, preferring to “soak in being engaged,” instead. Antonio, for his part, has also been “super busy” with his new business, a Tint World automotive styling center franchise in Georgia. As viewers might recall, one major issue the couple faced was Antonio not meeting Roxanne’s expectations in terms of income and business ambition. So, “pretty much right when” they returned to the Atlanta area, he bought a car wash and got started converting it into his new venture.
“Roxanne and I are finally able to explore what it’s like to not worry about finances as much and really just enjoy each other and get to know what it’s like to be in a relationship with each other where all of our needs are met,” Antonio says, admitting that he was “pretty concerned” Roxanne might reject his proposal. “It’s been a great experience since we got back. I’ve never been more sure about something in my life. I’ve got this confidence that I haven’t had before and this feeling that I’ve made the right decision and I’m on the right path. It’s very empowering, and I’ve kind of hit a new stride. So life’s pretty good.”
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