MAFS bride Bec Zacharia breaks down as her Instagram is shut down after $20,000 Fashion Week ‘lie’ scandal
The controversial reality star, 35, told Daily Mail she is now facing financial ruin after losing access to her business account, insisting the backlash stemmed from a ‘genuine mistake’ rather than deliberate deception.
But her claims quickly unravelled when two designer hire companies publicly accused her of misleading fans, revealing they had in fact supplied multiple gowns for her on-screen appearances, including her dramatic Final Vows dress.
Now, the Sydney-based bride says the fallout has gone far beyond public embarrassment.
‘This is my only form of income, and that has now been taken away from me,’ Bec told Daily Mail on Sunday.
‘I am a small business now. All of the deals that I’ve got going on rely on me having my Instagram, and the hate that I’m getting every five minutes, I’m getting abuse.’
‘I thought Savannah was happy because she had commented saying I look beautiful,’ Bec explained.
She said the emotional trauma attached to her Final Vows experience clouded her judgement.
‘It took me so long to get over what happened to me at Final Vows. I walked into it thinking it was going to be the best day of my life, and it ended up being the worst day of my life.
‘Even now, seeing the dress is extremely triggering for me.’
Bec admitted she understood why the company may have been upset but wished concerns had been raised privately before the public fallout.
‘I wish there had been communication where she could have told me her grievances… I would have done everything to fix that for her,’ she said.
‘I’m not an influencer. I’m just a normal girl. I thought what I had done was satisfactory.’
Bec also pushed back on reports she falsely claimed to have personally purchased every outfit worn on the show.
‘I didn’t say I spent $20,000 on dresses. That’s not what I said,’ she clarified.
‘Over the whole four months of the experience, that’s the money I spent.
‘When I said I dressed myself, I curated my looks for commitment ceremonies, dinner parties, accessories.
‘It was never intended to not mention my Final Vows wedding dress. It just didn’t come to mind in that moment.’
The reality star described the interview in question as a brief exchange that has now spiralled into a career-threatening controversy.
Bec is pictured wearing rental gowns on MAFS
‘It was a one-minute-and-thirty-second interview,’ she said.
‘It wasn’t maliciously intended at all.’
Bec is now desperately hoping Meta will restore her account before the damage becomes permanent.
‘My small business is now completely gone. It’s my livelihood,’ she said.
‘I just need my Instagram back.’
Her distress comes after designer rental businesses RESRVD Designer Bridal Hire and Sustainably Dress Hire both publicly disputed her claims, with RESRVD alleging Bec failed to credit them despite wearing multiple complimentary gowns.
The scandal has sparked fierce online debate, with some accusing Bec of dishonesty while others argue the punishment is disproportionately severe.