Love is Blind is one of the most controversial shows on TV. Why aren’t we talking about it?

Warning: This article deals with suicide and includes an account of sexual assault and may be triggering for some readers.

Love Is Blind is more than just a reality show. 

The reality phenomenon has already filmed six seasons since it made its debut in 2020 and has been adapted into three international versions. 

Each season skyrockets to the top 10 of Netflix. The first season, which debuted during the COVID pandemic, became one of the year's most-watched shows, drawing in 30 million viewers. 

So yes, it's not just any ol' reality show. It's one of the biggest reality shows in the world. 

Love Is Blind is most known for its love stories and hilarious moments. Eight couples who wed on the series have gone the distance, including season one favourites Cameron Hamilton and Lauren Speed-Hamilton.

The series has platformed some truly strange characters, such as Jessica Batten who was filmed feeding her dog a glass of red wine. In another made-for-TV moment, Raven Ross was caught doing jumping jacks while listening to Bartise Bowden cry about his parents’ divorce.

When Love Is Blind made its debut, it quickly lured in fans for its unique concept: two people from the same US city form a connection sight unseen from the privacy of pods, they agree to get engaged and it's only at this point that they meet face-to-face. They then need to decide if they want to take the plunge and get married. 

But with every new season, a little of Love Is Blind's original magic has diminished. 

There are no dogs sipping inappropriate liquid or mid-confession jumping jacks — in its place, there's a lot more toxic behaviour being exhibited by the contestants and mismatched connections that end before they've begun. 

And as the show has released the first lot of episodes for season six, it's difficult to enjoy the reality series without thinking of the controversies that have plagued the show in recent years.

Controversies that, seemingly, no one is really talking about. 

Watch the trailer for season six of Love Is Blind. Post continues after video.

One of the more alarming examples is claims made by ex-contestant Tran Dang. In 2023, she sued production companies Kinetic Content and Delirium TV alleging she was sexually assaulted by her match during filming.

Dang and her former fiancé Thomas Smith got engaged during the filming of season 5 — however, their romantic dalliance never made it to screens. This isn't atypical as in most seasons, a few of the engaged couples are cut out of the final edit to focus on the more dramatic (or well, interesting?) unions. 

Based on a complaint obtained by PEOPLE, Dang alleged that she was sexually assaulted on set by her former fiancé yet production house Kinetic allegedly did nothing to stop it. In the same suit, Dang claimed that while filming the reality show she was falsely imprisoned and alleges that producers acted with negligence.

On her honeymoon in Mexico, Dang alleges she was sexually assaulted by Smith. "Smith, and without Ms Dang’s consent, forcefully groped her, exposed himself in the nude, and repeatedly made sexual contact over her express objections," the complaint reads.

She allegedly reported the incident, but claimed in the suit that an assistant producer "gaslighted her, implying that she was at fault for what had happened with Thomas Smith by not communicating effectively or somehow not taking the 'relationship' seriously."

In response, Love Is Blind's creator Chris Coelen told PEOPLE that production was "never told that she felt unsafe or experienced any of the allegations that she made. If anybody ever came to us and said they felt unsafe in any way, we would immediately remove them from the experiment," he said. 

"We would not continue filming with someone who was expressing that an incident of that sort had happened."

Coelen referred to Dang's claim she was 'falsely imprisoned' as "preposterous and ridiculous." 

But Dang's lawsuit is just one of many. 

Another season five contestant, Renee Poche, started legal proceedings against Netflix in January 2024. She is suing the streaming platform for being penalised $4 million (over $6 million in Australian dollars) for publicly discussing her time on the show, which Netflix said breached her contract.

Poche became engaged to Carter Wall in the pods. They were filmed on their honeymoon and all the way up to their wedding where she turned him down — however, the couple's scenes were cut from the final episodes.

"My experience on Love is Blind was traumatic," Poche told USA TODAY. "I am now being sued for $4 million despite earning only $8,000 for my participation on the show."

In a 2023 expose published by Insider, several ex-participants described an environment where they were deprived of food and sleep, had their insecurities exploited and could not leave freely. 

Season two contestant Danielle Ruhl, who married Nick Thompson on the show, shared her experience.

Danielle Ruhl and Nick Thompson on Love Is Blind. Image: Netflix. 

Ruhl admitted she was surprised she passed the show's psychological screening tests as she spoke openly about her history of mental illness and revealed she had tried ending her life in the past. "Looking back I'm like, they are only doing that to check the box," she claimed. "They didn't care."

On her honeymoon, Ruhl became increasingly anxious when she was left alone without Thompson who had gone to a cast party, a scene which played out in an early episode. This became a panic attack which left Ruhl hiding in a closet so she wouldn't be filmed. 

"I kept telling them, 'I don't trust myself,'" she said. "'I've tried [ending my life] before. I'm having suicidal thoughts. I don't think I can continue in this.'"

These claims follow two high-profile instances of Love Island UK contestants dying from suicide with the tragic deaths of Mike Thalassitis in 2019 and Sophie Gradon in 2018.

The Love Island UK deaths are two out of dozens of reported instances of reality stars dying by suicide. In 2020, Hana Kimura died by suicide after being trolled for appearing on Netflix's Japanese reality show Terrace House. 

Chris Coelen claimed to Variety that producers weren't aware of Ruhl's vulnerable state while she was filming. "These are very serious issues that she describes, and if her recent allegations about her mental health history are true, unfortunately she didn’t disclose this before filming," Coelen said about Ruhl's claims.

"She didn’t inform the production team that she was having any thoughts of self-harm. If she had, we wouldn’t have continued to film with her." 

Dang and Ruhl's allegations follow a season two participant, Jeremy Hartwell, filing a lawsuit against Netflix and the producers. "They intentionally underpaid the cast members, deprived them of food, water and sleep, plied them with booze and cut off their access to personal contacts and most of the outside world," Hartwell’s attorney, Chantal Payton, claimed in a statement. 

Jeremy Hartwell on Love Is Blind. Image: Netflix. 

In response, Coelen said production is "really transparent about the detail of what participating in Love Is Blind entails," he said. 

"We tell them that they won't be able to travel freely while they're in the pods... We tell them they won't have phones or TV or internet service in the pods or in their hotel rooms where they stay or in the romantic getaways."

In response to claims participants are deprived of food and sleep, Coelen said that participants were given catered meals and bottled water. 

He said the pods are never open for more than 16 hours a day, adding that cast members can sleep in the lounge when they're not on dates, or take a shuttle bus back to their hotel at any time.

Whether there's any truth to Hartwell's claims, given the mounting allegations from former contestants, the experience of watching a new bunch of hopeful singles for season six feels tainted. 

But I'm probably in the minority. 

For the majority of viewers who are blissfully unaware of the worrying allegations around this show, they will continue to stream it by the millions. 

As for Love Is Blind's controversies, it can't get much worse.

If you think you may be experiencing depression or another mental health problem, please contact your general practitioner or in Australia, contact Lifeline 13 11 14 for support or beyondblue at 1300 22 4636.

If this post brings up any issues for you, or if you just feel like you need to speak to someone, please contact 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) – the national sexual assault, domestic and family violence counselling service. It doesn’t matter where you live, they will take your call and, if need be, refer you to a service closer to home. 

Feature image: Netflix.

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