Timothy Smith says he acknowledges his drug trafficking past after speaking out about his crimes earlier this year.
The 52-year-old Married At First Sight star appeared on Channel Nine news program A Current Affair shortly after the dating series wrapped and opened up about his criminal history, which has seen him spend more than a year behind bars.
On Thursday, the former reality star took to Instagram to speak out about the “bad decisions” he made when he was younger, noting that he takes responsibility.
“I’ve had a lot of people ask me about my ACA interview. I did it, I own it, and I try to be open about my past,” he wrote in the post, adding the hashtag #baddecisions, among other things.
The season 11 star’s criminal history was revealed by A Current Affair in April, with viewers shocked to learn the property mogul has spent more than a year behind bars.
Timothy Smith (pictured) says he acknowledges his drug smuggling past after speaking out about his crimes earlier this year
Timothy was caught seventeen years ago smuggling large amounts of marijuana from Canada into the United States by helicopter.
During his prison sentence, tragedy struck twice when both his mother and younger brother died.
Instead of turning their backs on the reality star, fans flocked to social media to express their empathy, declaring that the groom has “done his time” and is “still a good guy” regardless of his past.
During his appearance on A Current Affair, an emotional Timothy expressed his regret after being caught smuggling marijuana.
“I was a helicopter pilot in North America and I did something really stupid,” he said, revealing that he was paid to take flying lessons for the purpose of human trafficking.
‘It’s something I’m not proud of. I’m certainly not proud of it, but it doesn’t define who I am and I’m not the same person I was seventeen years ago.’
The MAFS star, 52, appeared on A Current Affair shortly after the dating series wrapped and opened up about his criminal history that saw him spend more than a year behind bars.
On Thursday, Timothy took to Instagram to speak out about the “bad decisions” he made when he was younger, noting that he takes responsibility
Timothy said he would make $100,000 per trip across the border in a helicopter full of marijuana.
“I would take off from a small unmanned airfield and I would fly down a valley into a creek where I would encounter an all-terrain vehicle… within a minute the helicopter would be loaded,” he said.
Timothy was arrested by police in Los Angeles when he returned to the country after visiting his sick mother in Australia.
The groom was convicted in 2006 of “trafficking marijuana across an international border,” but Timothy said he spent another “four to six months in immigration detention.”
Despite spending his days locked up with hardened criminals, the real punishment came when both his mother and younger brother Dave died while he was in prison.
During his appearance on A Current Affair, an emotional Timothy expressed his regret after being caught using a helicopter to smuggle marijuana.
An emotional Timothy said Dave called him at the start of his sentence and said, ‘Don’t let anyone mess with you,’ and ‘I’ll be there when you get out,’ but he didn’t.”
Halfway through Timothy’s sentence, tragedy struck when his mother died of cancer and his brother committed suicide just a few months later.
Timothy said he didn’t tell the producers on MAFS that he was a convicted drug smuggler when he signed on for the show.
The groom was linked to fan favorite Lucinda Light during his stint on MAFS this year, but they split after a disastrous visit to a host family in Melbourne.
The couple ended their marriage at the next commitment ceremony, with Timothy acknowledging his lackluster efforts to the experts.
“I didn’t go to a host family with the best attitude,” he said at the time, before admitting that he found deep emotional exploration “uncomfortable” and “overwhelming.”
Despite their romance not working out, Timothy and Lucinda have maintained a close friendship since the cameras stopped rolling.
The former on-screen couple have been spotted together on a night out, with Lucinda recently sharing how ‘delighted’ she is to have Timothy as a ‘dear friend’.
Timothy, who was paired with Lucinda Light (right), said he didn’t tell producers on MAFS that he was a convicted drug smuggler when he signed on for the show