MAFS' Paul C Brunson's devastation over tragic loss of close friend

Married At First Sight and Celebs Go Dating star Paul C Brunson has opened up on a time he was left devastated – when he discovered his friend Karyn Washington had died by suicide

Paul C Brunson, known for playing Cupid on hit dating shows like Married At First Sight and Celebs Go Dating, has always taken the ups and downs of matchmaking in his stride. But in 2014, the relationship guru faced personal tragedy when he learned that his close friend Karyn Washington had taken her own life, reports OK!.

Karyn, a young American social media entrepreneur and activist behind empowering initiatives such as For Brown Girls and #DarkSkinRedLip, was only 22 years old. Paul shared a heartfelt message on social media, saying his heart was "crushed" by the news of her passing and honoured her memory: "I met Karyn 4 years ago at an event I hosted in Baltimore and since that night, we periodically emailed and talked."

He continued to praise her, stating: "She was an incredible woman," and noted her passion and organizational skills which led to the success of many of her projects. He concluded with deep emotion: "Passionate about causes close to heart and organized (resulting in the success of several of her projects). My eyes are swelling as I write... Karyn was such a beautiful talent who left too soon."

In an emotional address, he urged those suffering from suicidal thoughts to seek immediate help. "If you feel on the brink of taking your life, tell someone that you're having suicidal thoughts immediately," he implored. "Do not keep this to yourself for one second longer."

He further stressed the urgency by advising: "If you feel like you have no one to turn to during this difficult time, then you should immediately check yourself into a hospital. You may feel like this is dramatic, but this is the seriousness that the situation deserves."

University student Karen has made waves with her inspirational For Brown Girls website which celebrates the beauty of dark-complexioned women. This came on the heels of the #DarkSkinRedLip project, created in response to a controversial statement from rapper A$AP Rocky about dark-skinned women and red lipstick.

On another note, Paul is sharing pearls of wisdom on Celebs Go Dating's latest season. Earlier in the year, the 50 year old dad-of-two, who with his longtime wife Jill, shed light on handling marital discord: "The biggest issue we've had is we used to avoid arguments, especially in our matchmaking business. But we've learnt that being able to repair an argument is one of the most important skills you can have in any relationship. It's the number one issue that couples have; we see it on Married At First Sight. "That's one of the biggest changes we made in our marriage. We have two boys, aged 13 and 10, and we will disagree".

If you've been affected by any of the issues in this story you can contact Samaritans in the UK and Ireland on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie.