The producers behind Love Is Blind have addressed former cast members’ claims that they were put through “emotional warfare” during their time on the Netflix series.
In a new report published by Insider on Tuesday, multiple contestants spoke out against the allegedly “unsafe” working conditions of the hit reality dating series, Love Is Blind. Season two cast member Danielle Ruhl, who married Nick Thompson in the season two finale, opened up about the panic attacks and poor mental health she experienced on set. Ruhl shared that she underwent a psychological screening before filming, but felt like she shouldn’t have passed the screening as she had a history of mental illness and previously attempted suicide.
Former contestants also claimed they signed a contract which allegedly states that appearing on the show could expose their “personal, private, surprising, defamatory, disparaging, embarrassing, or unfavourable” information. The document allegedly warned contestants they could be subject to “public ridicule, humiliation or condemnation” due to their appearances on Love Is Blind.
Following the report, Kinetic Content – which produces shows such as Love Is Blind, Perfect Match, and Married at First Sight – responded to the claims in a statement to Variety: “The well-being of our participants is of paramount importance to Kinetic. We have rigorous protocols in place to care for each person before, during, and after filming.”
Ruhl, who filed for divorce from Thompson in August 2022, shared how producers allegedly responded to her mental health struggles while filming. She specifically recalled her post-engagement trip to Mexico with Thompson, in which she had a panic attack and told producers she didn’t feel mentally stable enough to keep filming.
“I kept telling them, ‘I don’t trust myself,’” she claimed. “‘I’ve tried committing suicide before. I’m having suicidal thoughts. I don’t think I can continue in this.’”
Meanwhile, Nick Thompson alleged contestants weren’t offered proper mental health services throughout filming or after cameras wrapped, despite intense scrutiny contestants often face once the show airs. “You thrust us into this situation without any support, and everything’s amplified,” he said. “It literally ruins lives.”
Season one contestant Brianna Holmes revealed to Insider that she had also had a panic attack in the pods, but the film crew continued to follow her despite her attempt to escape cameras. She said she left the show one day later.
“They literally chased me off of the set to the trailers, cameras in my face,” Holmes said. “I’m like, this is too much. I don’t want this. I don’t want to be here. I don’t want to do this.”
In addition to mental health challenges, several contestants claimed they weren’t offered enough food or water when filming, and weren’t given enough hours to sleep when dating in the pods. Former stars also admitted that they struggled to return to their everyday lives, with Holmes alleging she quit her job as a mental-health counsellor because it reminded her about her time on the Netflix show.
The report comes after season two contestant Jeremy Hartwell filed a lawsuit against Love Is Blind producers in July 2022, in which he claimed that stars were paid $1,000 per week during their time on the show. Hartwell alleged in the lawsuit that production paid them “less than half of the applicable minimum wage rate of $15.00 per hour” in California, despite the cast working up to 20 hours a week.
The lawsuit also claimed that through a “combination of sleep deprivation, isolation, lack of food and an excess of alcohol all either required, enabled or encouraged” by Love Is Blind producers, it created some “inhumane working conditions and altered mental state for the cast”.
In a statement to The Independent last year, Kinetic Content said there was “no merit” to Hartwell’s claims and that the company would “vigorously defend against” them.
On Sunday 16 April, Netflix attempted to live-stream the season four reunion of Love Is Blind, but were met with many technical difficulties. The reunion special brought together season four married couples and cast members as they broke down the drama of the season with co-hosts Nick and Vanessa Lachey.
Many viewers ended up waiting more than an hour for the live reunion to air, prompting the streaming giant to issue an apology on Twitter to fans nearly 75 minutes after the live reunion was slated to start.
“To everyone who stayed up late, woke up early, gave up their Sunday afternoon… we are incredibly sorry that the Love is Blind Live Reunion did not turn out as we had planned,” tweeted Netflix. “We’re filming it now and we’ll have it on Netflix as soon as humanly possible. Again, thank you and sorry.”
