Love is Blind (which can be Netflix subscription holders) has featured a plethora of contestants since it premiered back in 2020. When a season is completed, fans are mostly treated to developments regarding a person’s relationship status. That was the case for Season 2 alum Nick Thompson, whose divorce from fellow series star Danielle Ruhl was widely reported on near the end of 2022. Now, almost a year later, Thompson is revealing that he’s suffering from significant financial issues. He also blames the previously mentioned streaming service for his inability to find a job.
38-year-old Nick Thompson participated in a wide-ranging interview in which he was candid about his current financial and professional situations. He also accused the Love is Blind producers of keeping a tight leash on participants and claimed they’re “in control of you 24 hours a day” when you’re on the show. Thompson was particularly critical of his salary, which he says was “$7.14 an hour.” All in all, his 10 weeks of filming (which included After the Altar) apparently amounted to a $10,000 paycheck. He went on to share more critical thoughts about his returns and why he believes he can’t find steady employment:
When you think about the amount of money that's being made, and the way that it's the path for future seasons, and the fact that anyone can go on and watch me… and I'm going to be homeless. I lost my job last November. I'm having an incredibly hard time finding [a new] one. I burned through my savings that cashed out my 401(k). I've got two months left in the bank to pay my mortgage. I can't get a job because people don't take me seriously.
The former software VP was apparently unable to leave the show amid production as well. He claimed to Daily Mail that per the specifics of his contract, he could’ve faced $50,000 in damages had he dropped out. All in all, he’s unsatisfied with the manner in which reality TV stars are treated. He alleges that he and his Love is Blind co-stars “were manipulated” by producers and that their “triggers were utilized against [them].” On that note, he supports the formation of a union for reality show talent, which was recently called for by Real Housewives alum Bethenny Frankel. Thompson was later asked if he would’ve joined the show that “ruined his life completely” if he’d known how it would affect him and said the following:
That's a tough question. I go back and forth. I never thought I'd be on a reality TV show. Even when I took the call, I was like, I'm not for this; I am not very dramatic, I've got my shit together and I've got a good professional job, I've done a lot of therapy. Next thing I know, I was there. When I think about everything that's happened and I think about my relationship, it's hard to say I wish I never did it.
Netflix doesn’t release viewership numbers, but LiB has proven to be a massive success for the streamer. As such, it’s likely that the program has brought in a considerable amount of income for the company as well. Four seasons of the show have been released so far and a fifth is reportedly set to premiere later this year as part of the 2023 TV schedule.
Studio-amassed revenue has been a major topic of conversation in recent months due to the ongoing SAG-AFTRA and WGA writers strikes. Both of those situations don’t directly impact the reality TV shows, as they don’t feature actors and are unscripted. That doesn’t, however, negate genre veterans’ desire to unionize for themselves. Nick Thompson aired more thoughts on how media companies are allegedly able to benefit from the content he and others help create:
They're just making that money because reality TV is extremely cheap to produce, and they can continue to do so through the strike.
As of right now, Nick Thompson – who contributed to some major LiB Season 2 moments – hosts a podcast called Eyes Wide Open. It was also reported earlier this year, that he’s one of the reality show’s many series alums who offers personal cameos. His seems unclear at this point but, at the very least, it sounds like he wants nothing to do with the “brutal, brutal, brutal industry” that is Hollywood.
