The 5 most shocking ‘Love Is Blind’ controversies: from alleged assault to cheating scandals

WASHINGTON, DC: “Love Is Blind” is a popular Netflix series for many reasons, from cheating drama and scandals to heated arguments and infamous sexual assault allegations. While these controversies are nothing new in the Netflix reality TV universe, it’s worth noting how often they occur. Each season, contestants are often caught locking lips with people who are not their partners. Having secret fiancées off-screen is also a recurring theme on Love Is Blind.

Contestants often break up with their various partners after the show without officially breaking up with their on-screen partners. Moreover, on this platform of love experiments, relationships rarely last. While finding love is undeniably difficult, it seems that some contestants are more prone to controversy than others. Here are the five biggest “Love Is Blind” controversies, from shocking sexual assault allegations to multiple betrayals.

1. A contestant from the fifth season of “Love Is Blind” claims that she was a victim of sexual violence during the filming

The Internet was shocked when “Love Is Blind” contestant Tran Dang claimed that she was sexually assaulted by her ex-fiance, Thomas Smith, during the filming of the fifth season. They became engaged during the season, but their romance never made it to the screen. In 2023, Tran filed a lawsuit against production companies Kinetic Content and Delirium TV, claiming they did nothing when she was attacked on set.

According to reports, the alleged incident took place in Mexico. According to a statement published by People, “Smith forcefully groped her without Ms. Dang’s consent, exposed himself naked, and repeatedly engaged in sexual contact despite her explicit objections.” Tran claimed she reported the production incident, but no decisive action was taken. Instead, the producer’s assistant allegedly tried to “flame” her, suggesting that she was to blame for what happened to Thomas Smith because she didn’t communicate effectively or take the “relationship” seriously.

Despite the allegations, “Love Is Blind” creator Chris Coelen has denied the claims, stating that Tran never approached the band about the matter. “Unfortunately, in this case, we were never approached with such views and no alleged misconduct was brought to our attention,” he said.

2. Contestants speak out about poor living conditions on “Love Is Blind”

Love Is Blind often makes headlines due to reports of poor living conditions during filming. In her complaint, Tran alleged that she was “prohibited from leaving the hotel room without express permission.” However, program creator Chris rejected these claims, stating that it was necessary to protect the integrity of the experiment and prevent participants from seeing each other before disclosure. Fellow player Nick Thompson expressed similar concerns to Tran.

In July 2022, “Love Is Blind” season two star Jeremy Hartwell filed a lawsuit against Netflix and the show’s producers, alleging that participants were not provided with enough water, food and sleep during 20-hour shooting days. He also emphasized that the remuneration was insufficient. According to Insider, Jeremy described the work environment as “inhumane” and accused the production of supplying excessive amounts of alcohol and “cutting off their access to personal contacts and most of the outside world.” He added that the production “isolated” the participants for about 24 hours.

3. The production team doesn’t care about mental health

Love Is Blind Season 2 contestants Danielle Ruhl and Nick Thompson opened up about their time on the show. In an interview with Insider, Danielle explained the argument that aired on screen. It started when Nick decided to go to a group meeting with other couples, but Danielle decided to skip it. She revealed that she was not allowed to attend the event because producers feared she might have Covid-19.

Danielle also shared that she has had mental health issues in the past, including a suicide attempt. Without Nick to support her, she had a panic attack and locked herself in a closet to avoid being filmed. “I kept telling them, ‘I don’t trust myself,’” she said during the interview. “I already tried (to end my life). I have suicidal thoughts. I don’t think I can continue with this.” To make matters worse, the production team kept her in a hotel room for three hours, which further contributed to her vulnerable mental state.

Even though they were portrayed as the main couple, Danielle and Nick felt like they were being taken advantage of. Surprisingly, Chris said the production team was unaware of Danielle’s mental health issues before filming began.

4. “Love is Blind” season 6 contestants and their off-screen girlfriends

30-year-old Account Manager Trevor Sova allegedly embroiled himself in controversy after claiming to have a girlfriend outside of Love Is Blind. According to the NY Post, the Instagram account @therealityashley shared what appears to be text messages between Trevor and his rumored girlfriend Natalia Marrero. In the messages, Sova allegedly wrote, “I love you so much, baby. I’m excited about (the show), but I’m more excited to come back to you after it and start our life together. Some of the text messages reportedly showed him telling Marrero that he would marry her and that he was only pretending on the show.

Trevor isn’t the only one involved in this type of controversy. Jeramey Lutinski and Jimmy Presnell also faced allegations of having off-screen partners. Although Jeramey denied having a fiancée outside the show, Jimmy’s case seemed more complex. In February, TikToker Ryann Stringfellow stated that she was dating the man from Season 6 of “Love Is Blind.” “Imagine my surprise when I turn on the new season of ‘Love Is Blind’ this morning and see my f***ing boyfriend,” she said. While she didn’t reveal the contestant’s name, her clues pointed to Jimmy. However, he completely denied the accusations, stating: “I have never met this woman. This is not true,” in a post on TikTok.

5. The shocking cheating scandal of “Love Is Blind” star Izzy Zapata

In August 2024, “Love Is Blind” star Izzy Zapata was accused of cheating on her by girlfriend Shelby Webb in a revealing Instagram post. The couple had been together since October 2023, but Shelby claimed that Izzy had been unfaithful. In the post she wrote: “They always get caught. Trust your instincts” and shared screenshots of their alleged conversation.

In the text messages, Shelby confronts Izzy, giving him one last chance to confess: “Did you do something with the girl or not?” Izzy replied defensively, “No,” despite Shelby’s claims that another woman had sent her nude photos to confirm the affair. The couple has since unfollowed each other on Instagram.

Season 7 of “Love Is Blind” premieres on Wednesday, October 2 on Netflix