For every Lauren and Cameron, there’s a Shaina and Kyle. For every Brett and Tiffany, there’s a Bartise and Nancy. With the good, comes the bad. After cozying up with viewers for seven seasons in the U.S., with an eighth to debut on Valentine’s Day, 2025, Netflix’s Love Is Blind has no shortage of both love and drama. Fans of the series fell in love when participants first stepped into the pods to blind date a handful of singles in their area. Would they find their soul mate behind the wall? Would they make it to the altar, or would their engagement crash and burn?
With casting seemingly only doing a preliminary vetting process for participants, the increasing popularity of the show drawing fewer genuine people, and the simple unpredictability that comes with dating (especially blind dating), Love Is Blind has many watercooler moments to discuss. Not only do viewers bask in the drama provided in the series, but they also dig deep into the participants’ real lives – sometimes unearthing a whole well of new information that the show either glosses over or wasn’t aware of. The online sleuths fill in the gaps during and after the episodes air, often causing hosts Nick and Vanessa Lachey to have to address the issues at the reunion. Here are some of the most controversial, talked-about moments from Love Is Blind, both on and off the show!
10. The Live Reunion (and “Babies!”)
Season 4
By Season 4, Love Is Blind was an unstoppable hit, and viewers were treated to the news that the reunion would be a live event on Netflix. Viewers gathered around their TVs awaiting the scoop on Kwame Appiah and Chelsea Griffin, and Zack Goytowski and Bliss Poureetezadi. As it grew closer to the reunion, though, Netflix began crashing and projecting updates for the start time, which progressively got later and later. The 8pm kickoff came and went, with even other subscription services lambasting Netflix for their technical difficulties. The live stream failed spectacularly, with the reunion finally being viewable around an hour later.
The Season 4 reunion wasn’t done being one of the worst episodes, though. Love them or hate them, Nick and Vanessa Lachey have been hosting the dating series for all seven U.S. seasons, and don’t seem to be going anywhere. During this reunion, though, Vanessa got particularly chastised for asking many of the participants when they would have kids. Tiffany and Brett Brown handled the questioning like champs, per usual, but Vanessa persisted in her excitement for “Love Is Blind babies.” Many viewers found her prying questions insensitive and enthusiasm misplaced. Since Season 4, Vanessa has thankfully gotten the hint and relaxed on asking about babies.
9. “Cutie-Gate”
Season 3
Cole Barnett and Zanab Jaffrey seemed like a mismatched couple from the start. His laissez-faire attitude and her more type-A mentality often butted heads, but they found a strong bond in the pods. While Cole also had a connection with Colleen Reed, he saw Zanab as someone he could build a future with and proposed. Throughout their relationship, Cole’s flirty behavior set off Zanab’s insecurities about her physical appearance, and Zanab’s “stick-in-the-mud” attitude sucked the life out of Cole. When the wedding came, almost everyone was on Zanab’s side, thinking Cole was a disrespectful flirt. In an unexpected moment at the altar, Zanab laid into Cole, belittling him for every indiscretion, however small. Some viewers basked in the “you go girl” moment, but others found it brutal for Zanab to embarrass Cole like that. The discussion might have been better suited to being more private.
At the reunion, Cole was visibly distraught over the imploded relationship and his part in it. He tearfully apologized to Zanab, but she doubled-down on accusations of disrespect and derogatory comments. She shared a specific story of how Cole fat-shamed her for eating two small oranges (Cuties) before dinner. The debate raged and feelings were hurt, but there was no real resolution, leaving audiences to decide for themselves who to believe. Until… Netflix came with the footage after the reunion credits rolled. Without fanfare, the “Cuties” scene was replayed for audiences to see exactly who might have been over-exaggerating. “Cutie-gate” is now referenced whenever viewers don’t see heated footage during the run, but are hoping for clarity and tea at the reunion.
8. Location-Sharing Reveals All
Season 6
In Season 6, Jeramey Lutinski found himself in a love triangle with Sara Ann Bick and Laura Dadisman in the pods. He decided to propose to Laura because he thought he only had sexual chemistry with Sara Ann; Laura would make a better long-term partner. The relationship proved problematic early on, with Jeramey’s “bean dip” comment to A.D. Smith causing a stir during the honeymoon. Even though Laura came across as controlling at times, Jeramey continued to show his true self as the episodes went on, especially off-camera. Sara Ann, not one to back down, sent Jeramey a DM expressing she still had interest if his relationship with Laura didn’t work out. From there, it was only a matter of time before the implosion.
One night, Laura stayed home while Jeramey went to a bar with friends. He apparently shared his location with Laura, thinking it would cover his tracks. However, Laura discovered that instead of staying with his friends, Jeramey “ran into” Sara Ann and then took her home. Laura wasn’t buying his story, and neither were the viewers. When confronted about his night out by Laura, Jeramey lied and talked in circles, but his Apple Watch location didn’t lie. Laura and Jeramey called off their engagement, and Jeramey swiftly fell into the arms of Sara Ann, even bringing her to a group outing to rub the new relationship in Laura’s face. The toxic twosome were still together at the reunion, and even though Laura was unable to make it, she called in and read Sara Ann and Jeramey for filth. It was also revealed through social media that Jeramey had been previously engaged before coming onto the show, but both women admitted they were aware of that going in. According to current social media, Sara Ann and Jeramey are busy focusing on themselves.
7. Lydia’s Reveal
Season 5
In Season 5, viewers were captivated by contestant Aaliyah Cosby, who fell into what seemed like a fairy tale romance with Uche Okoroha. Audiences followed the couple’s ups and downs, including the quotable “Oh, so you’re a recent cheater” moment. Aaliyah had confessed to Uche that she had cheated, and had made amends for her transgressions. Even though Uche made Aaliyah feel bad about her past, they moved forward in the relationship. Aaliyah found herself in the ladies’ quarters confiding in fellow contestant Lydia Velez Gonzalez about her love story with Uche. But, little did Aaliyah and the viewers know, Lydia had a very big secret up her sleeve.
In Episode 7, Lydia finally tells Aaliyah the truth that she and Uche had previously dated, and it shattered Aaliyah on multiple fronts. When Aaliyah brought up the hypocrisy with Uche, who hadn’t disclosed this to her, they agreed to talk about it more later. In the ladies’ quarters, though, Lydia elaborated on her involvement with Uche, as well as little details about him and his life, despite Aaliyah’s objections. Seeing that the situation was more complicated than it appeared, Aaliyah left the show without telling Uche. In a later episode, Aaliyah tried to make amends with Uche, and they attempted to date off-camera, but it didn’t last long. At the reunion, Aaliyah came to question Lydia about her intentions for going on Love Is Blind, to expose Uche for making disparaging comments about her, and to explain why she left the show early. Lydia didn’t respond much, remaining stoic next to her new husband, Milton Johnson, while Uche didn’t show up at all.
6. Not Happily Ever After
Season 2
One of the married couples from Season 2 (along with Nick Thompson and Danielle Ruhl, who are now divorced), Iyanna McNeely and Jarrette Jones, seemed like a couple to root for. Jarrette had another potential partner in the pods, Mallory Rose Zapata, but she decided to go with her other connection, so Jarrette proposed to Iyanna. Fans rallied behind Iyanna due to her kind spirit and genuineness, but Jarrette started having doubts about his “second choice” during the honeymoon vacation, (not so) coincidentally coinciding with the first time he met Mallory in person. Viewers caught a glimpse of Jarrette’s huge red flag when he confessed to Mallory that the ring he gave to Iyanna should have gone to her.
Despite Jarrette’s indecision and Iyanna’s worry about his loyalty, the two both said yes at the altar. They were even still married at the reunion, where Iyanna talked about the struggles in their relationship. Jarrette was more of a partier and flirt, while she preferred a more quiet life; they continued to work through their issues in therapy. Shortly after the reunion, though, speculation online circulated via several sources that Jarrette had been unfaithful to Iyanna during their marriage. In several social media posts, Jarrette tried to explain the situation and deny the claims, but the couple eventually divorced due to growing apart. Iyanna, in a tearful and heartbreaking social media video, shared her story with her followers and hoped for a more nurturing and loving relationship in the future.
5. A Secret Life
Season 3
Raven Ross was a tough nut to crack in Season 3 of Love Is Blind, initially coming across as a mean girl. When listening to Bartise Bowden (the less said about him the better) wax poetic about his past, the Pilates instructor decided to get her jumping jacks in. Raven’s other connection, Sikiru “SK” Alagbada, however, was patient with her and more compatible with her reserved nature. Viewers weren’t surprised when Raven accepted SK’s proposal, and were rooting for the two despite their cultural differences and differing lifestyles. The courtship was generally smooth-sailing, with Raven eventually forming a close bond with SK’s mother. Raven truly let her guard down with SK, saying yes at the altar, which made it all the more devastating when SK said no.
A spark of hope came for the duo when internet sleuths uncovered that the two had been in contact after the reunion, fueling speculation of a reconciliation. But those hopes were dashed when a woman named Hannah Beth came forward with social media evidence of SK and Hannah together during the time of his engagement to Raven. After the Altar gave SK the chance to address the situation, saying that he and Raven weren’t serious at the time of his and Hannah’s encounter. But the damage was done, and Raven was heartbroken, posting about her pain on her social media accounts. It was for the best these two didn’t actually tie the knot, and both seem to have moved on.
4. Love Is…Partially Blind
Season 2
One of the biggest villains to ever come out of Love Is Blind, Shake Chatterjee had both viewers and the Lacheys fuming in Season 2. He started off poorly with the women due to his not-so-indescreet prying into what his dates looked like and whether he’d be able to pick them up. In an experiment that was supposed to involve blind dating, this rubbed everyone the wrong way. It was a shock, then, that Deepti Vempati forgave Shake his shallow conversations and continued to form a bond with him. It was even more of a shock when Shake, who explicitly said he didn’t date Indian women, proposed to Deepti and she said yes.
The reveal seemed promising, with Shake alleging that he was attracted to Deepti, but the relationship quickly turned sour. During the honeymoon, Shake showed his true colors and feelings toward Deepti by constantly picking apart her appearance, and saying things like she reminded him of his aunt and that she was not his type. But Deepti, thankfully, wasn’t oblivious to Shake’s toxic behavior and chose to say no at the altar, instead choosing herself. The viewers could collectively breathe in relief, until the reunion. Shake, when confronted about his conduct by the Lacheys, doubled-down on his opinion that love isn’t blind. He continued by interrupting most of the cast, finally being shut down by the Lacheys and called out for his misogynistic treatment of women. While Deepti now lives her best life, Shake continued his villain status on the competition reality show,House of Villains. At least he knows it.
3. A Toxic Love Triangle
Season 4
Marshall Glaze and Jackelina Bonds played a major part in Season 4, as drama seemed to follow the pair. Marshall came across as a sweet guy (albeit with his own issues), and Jackie seemed to want someone better than her previous toxic boyfriends. The two hit it off in the pods, with Jackie opting to say yes to Marshall’s proposal. During the honeymoon trip, Jackie rekindled her relationship with another of her pod connections, Josh Demas, and found she had more chemistry with him. Jackie and Josh appeared to go on a date while she was still engaged to Marshall (she even skipped the dress fitting!), after which she called off her engagement, kept the ring, and swerved to date Josh.
Fans were ready for the boxing gloves to come off between the three at the reunion, but Jackie and Josh didn’t show up. They instead opted to pre-record a softball interview with Vanessa Lachey beforehand, something viewers saw as a cop-out. Jackie did try to clarify that she broke up with Marshall before her date with Josh, and pointed out that both she and Marshall said hurtful and derogatory things about one another behind the scenes. In the After the Altar special, Jackie and Josh also proved extremely toxic to one another, bickering and getting into a heated argument after a cast meet-up. Jackie revealed to her followers on social media that the two broke up shortly after filming.
2. The Lacheys Showed the Reciepts
Season 6
Initially seen as the golden retriever of Season 6, Trevor Sova charmed audiences as the “aw-shucks” beefcake attempting to woo Chelsea Blackwell in the pods. The sob story about his dog dying and gifting Chelsea the collar was the linchpin in his persona. Even with his polarizing mullet, Trevor seemed like a really good guy, leaving viewers disappointed when Chelsea opted to get engaged to Jimmy Presnell instead (opening a whole different can of drama). Trevor managed to make audiences swoon enough that he subsequently got cast on Netflix’s other reality show, Perfect Match. But with great highs come great lows.
Between the airing of Love Is Blind Season 6 and the reunion, Trevor was fully outed as a liar and scam-artist by his ex-girlfriend. It was revealed that Trevor went on Love Is Blind fully intending to play a part, get airtime, and use it to boost his influencer status and business. All while he was charming Chelsea and audiences in the pods, he had a girlfriend that he wanted to marry after the money started rolling in. Unfortunately for Trevor, the Lacheys brought the receipts to the reunion, and his girlfriend kicked him to the curb. In one of the most excruciatingly awkward and uncomfortable moments in Love Is Blind history, the Lacheys read aloud Trevor’s texts to his ex-girlfriend that exposed his plan. In response, Trevor stumbled over his words, shifted in his seat, and looked visibly shaken by the confrontation, eventually asking if he could leave.
1.Just a Donation?
Season 7
The most recent season of Love Is Blind took Trevor’s secret life and added three kids into the mix. In Season 7, audiences were initially drawn into the love story between Ashley Adionser and Tyler Francis. They bonded over their religion and love for God, with Tyler often leading prayers before bed and meals. The two seemed so in sync and genuine, but the truth always comes out, especially on social media. Viewers learned via multiple sources that Tyler was potentially omitting from Ashley the fact that he had three kids with his close friend. To rub salt in the wound, Tyler would often bring up having kids with Ashley during the episodes, never once mentioning that he had three of his own, leaving viewers just waiting for it to come out during the season.
The tea kept coming when Bri, the mother of the three children, shared her story online, outing Tyler for a myriad of transgressions – including owing child support. Yes, Tyler had initially helped Bri and her (now ex) wife with having their first child – albeit the old-fashioned way – but the other two children were conceived after that, and were not just a “sperm donation.” Tyler had photos with the children, both at their birth and as recent as the current holidays, but erased everything from his accounts upon leaving the pods. Eventually, in Episode 8, Tyler and Ashley had a discussion about his kids, in which he downplayed his involvement severely and lied to her and the audience (according to his own photos). Despite the news, Ashley stuck with Tyler, marrying him in the finale. By the time the reunion rolled around, Ashley was blaming the audience for wanting better for her; she argued that she (as Tyler’s wife) knows more than the viewers and is standing by her man. So with that, Ashley, if you like it, we love it.
