When “Love Is Blind” premiered on Netflix in February 2020, it was immediately set to be a success. 1.5 million viewers tuned in to watch its first four episodes. Four years later, the show’s Season 6 was released, and it reportedly became the most-viewed program across all streaming platforms, with an astounding 6-billion-minute watch time. In its seventh season, “Love Is Blind” recorded an impressive 1.1 billion views on Netflix, coming in third in viewership numbers after “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” and “Nobody Wants This.”

The show’s ability to command an audience has resulted in spin-offs worldwide, in countries like Brazil, the United Kingdom, and Sweden. The big question is, what exactly is its allure? According to “Love Is Blind” co-host Vanessa Lachey, its charm has everything to do with the emotional bonding that happens in the pods — a set of designated booths in which participants share the most intimate details about themselves. Lachey told Remezcla, “It comes down to the simplistic fact that everybody wants to be loved for who they are on the inside.” Unfortunately, even the deepest of emotional connections can be stained by a dark secret, and through the years, the cast of “Love Is Blind” has not been exempt.

In Season 1 of “Love Is Blind,” Carlton Morton and Diamond Jack had a strong emotional connection in the pods, which led to an engagement. When the duo went on a vacation alongside the rest of the cast in Mexico, Morton opened up about his bisexuality. The disclosure resulted in a heated exchange by the poolside, during which Jack returned her ring, and Morton tossed it in the pool. Following the contentious split, the couple broke up and never walked down the aisle.

At the reunion, both Morton and Jack seemed to have more compassion for each other. When they looked back at the scene, Jack told the host, Vanessa Lachey, that she should have been warmer toward Morton. He, on the other hand, expressed that he should have done everything in his power to salvage the relationship.

In an op-ed for Women’s Health, Morton went into detail about his journey to exploring and being confident in his sexuality; he became bi-curious as a teenager and “began identifying as bisexual” in college. He wrote about how coming out on national television was a bittersweet affair because he was genuinely excited to be engaged to Diamond, but that he also “began to self-sabotage because her reaction didn’t seem 100% positive.” Morton further wrote, “Do I have regrets about when or how I came out to Diamond? Yes. But I’m very proud of myself for doing it in such a public way.”

Abhishek “Shake” Chatterjee paired with Deepti Vempati on Season 2 of “Love Is Blind,” but when the duo walked down the aisle, Vempati declined to get married. Contrary to the show’s premise, Chatterjee had asked about Vempati’s physical qualities in the pods, and when the pair finally met in person, he revealed that there was a lack of desirability. The veterinarian explained himself during the “Love Is Blind” Season 2 reunion, saying, “I want the emotional connection [and] everything that we know the show is supposed to do. But there’s also certain criteria there that goes beyond the emotional connection.” Chatterjee further revealed his real love interest: Vanessa Lachey. “I think you’re all beautiful,” he told his castmates. “I’m not attracted to all of you. Unfortunately, the only one I’m attracted to is Vanessa … and I wish I wasn’t.”

According to Vempati, the admission didn’t mark the first time Chatterjee was making a pass at Vanessa, who co-hosts the show alongside her husband, Nick Lachey. Speaking to the “We Have the Receipts” podcast, Vempati claimed, “He [Chatterjee] was hitting on her [Vanessa] at the couple’s reveal … so disrespectful.” After the reunion, Chatterjee didn’t hide his disapproval of Nick. He took to social media to lash out at the former 98 Degrees band member for his supposed bias and belittling comments on his profession. Chatterjee signed off the now-deleted post by writing, “Say hi to @vanessalachey for me,” as People reported.

Mark Cuevas was Jessica Batten’s second choice on Season 1 of “Love is Blind.” Although Cuevas was determined to make the relationship work, Batten was concerned about their 10-year age gap and even tried to exit the show. Batten eventually said no to Cuevas at the altar. The pair was cordial with one another on the show’s Season 1 reunion. However, when the “Love Is Blind: After the Altar” special aired, Batten revealed that there were rumors of Cuevas cheating while they were engaged.

Cuevas moved on with Lauren “LC” Chamblin, someone he also formed a connection with in the pods, and that relationship, too, was marred by cheating allegations. According to Chamblin, she and Cuevas began dating in May 2020 after the show finished airing. The following month, a Reddit user disclosed that their friend was in a relationship with Cuevas, which prompted Chamblin to ask them to reach out for details about their relationship. Chamblin wrote on Reddit (via People), “I definitely just broke it off with mark so I really do appreciate you posting this and saving me the energy on dating another liar.”

Chamblin and Cuevas had conflicting accounts on whether their relationship was serious or not. Chamblin told People, “Mark and I were casually dating, but talked about remaining exclusive, especially because of Covid-19, but that’s over now,” while Cuevas denied claims of them being in an exclusive relationship. Cuevas has since tied the knot with Aubrey Rainey, with whom he has two children.

Jeramey Lutinski cozied up to Laura Dadisman on Season 6 of “Love Is Blind,” but the pair ended up in one of the show’s most startling love triangles; Lutinski was torn between Dadisman and Sarah Ann, with whom he also formed a connection in the pods. Even though he finally chose Dadisman, their troubles began when Lutinski reiterated a “bean dip” joke that was first shared between Dadisman and Amber “AD” Desiree (the controversial joke didn’t sit well with Desiree’s partner, Clay Gravesande). And on the show’s 9th episode, Lutinski’s covert relationship with Sarah Ann led to a disagreement between the couple. Needless to say, the pair decided to call it quits. 

As the show aired, allegations that Lutinski was engaged prior to the show surfaced. His alleged ex-fiancée, Brittani Mcliverty, and her mom, Jenni Gelven Daniel, took to social media to claim that Lutinski and Mcliverty were still an item when he applied to be on the show. They also alleged that Mcliverty and Lutinski had just put their house on the market.

According to Lutinski, his previous engagement wasn’t a secret. He replied to the allegations in a now-deleted Instagram post, saying (via People), “This whole process had not even begun until I was out and on my own. Additionally, yes my home sold a week or two before filming.” At the “Love Is Blind” Season 6 reunion, Lutinski and Ann confirmed that they were still dating and had even decided to live together. The duo eventually broke up, and Ann made their split public in a September 2024 post on her Instagram Stories.

Clay Gravesande and Amber “AD” Desiree made it to the altar on Season 6 of “Love Is Blind,” and even though Desiree wanted a lifetime commitment, Clay said he wasn’t ready to get married. Earlier, when Clay and Desiree’s love story unfolded, Clay’s fear of infidelity came up, and it was due to his own lived experience.

Clay’s parents, Trevor and Margarita Gravesande, had a 24-year marriage that has since ended, and during the show, Margarita learned that Clay was an accessory to his father’s secret affairs. Clay explained why he chose not to disclose the information on “Way Up with Angela Yee,” saying, “It’s like bro code … It’s like, you know, my dad’s my hero and like … I didn’t really process those things when I was a kid when it was happening. So, when I was with AD and you’re, like, faced with this time where you got to get married, I just saw that it was a hurdle.”

In a conversation between Trevor and Margarita that went viral, Trevor said that his behavior had been self-destructive, especially since Margarita had been the perfect wife. He blamed his actions on not having good examples while growing up. “I can’t remember my father being a part of my life,” Trevor said. Margarita, who understood his viewpoint, was of the opinion that they needed to break the generational trauma. She insisted that he owed his son an apology. “Don’t make excuses, just apologize,” Margarita said. “So that closure can be had.”

Tyler Francis and Ashley Adionser formed an emotional connection in the pods that eventually led them to the altar during Season 7 of “Love Is Blind.” In the show’s 9th episode, Francis disclosed that he was a sperm donor to his friends’ three children. According to him, he and the children didn’t have a close relationship. However, the account manager — whose exact profession was also disputed — was accused of hiding key details about his parenting arrangement. Pictures of him posing with his children in cozy pajamas during Christmas surfaced on social media.

In a now-deleted Instagram video, the children’s mother, Bri Thomas, alleged that her agreement with Francis was for him to assist her and her ex-wife with the conception of their eldest child, Kyreaux. However, when her relationship ended in divorce, Francis asked if he could be “stepping up as a father, ” via Page Six. Thomas said of their other children, a set of twins, “Kali and Kamari, are the results of natural, unplanned intercourse with absolutely no complexities surrounding parentage.”

According to Francis’ account, he was selective with information in order to protect his family. Francis explained on the “Dear Future Wifey” podcast, “They [his family] didn’t sign up for it. I didn’t want anyone [doing] exactly what they’re doing — digging, searching, um, these kids’ birth certificates are on social media.”  Although Adionser and Francis’ relationship appeared to be solid amid the allegations, Adionser eventually revealed that they were headed for divorce.

The premise of “Love Is Blind” is for couples who have formed an emotional connection in the pods to go through the entire process — engagement, bonding at a getaway, adjusting to real-world challenges, and finally, a wedding — to prove whether the experiment works. Kenny Barnes and Kelly Chase were participants in Season 1 of the show, and like most couples, they made it to the altar. The duo split at the wedding, but according to Barnes, their separation was premeditated.

“We were adamant about we’re not going to get married,” the lighting expert disclosed in a conversation with People. “And really, the engagement was just to extend the experiment. And we were both committed to that.” Chase claimed that the agreement was only meant to last until the end of the show, and there was an expectation that they would continue to date off-screen, but Barnes ditched the plan.

“It was our last filming day, and he [Barnes] had a conversation with me like, ‘Hey, I think I am not emotionally available right now. I need to take some time apart from you,'” Chase told People. Barnes has since moved on with Alexandra Garrison, with whom he got engaged in August 2020 and tied the knot two years later. At the time of writing, Barnes and Garrison are set to become first-time parents.

Although viewers followed the love stories of four couples on Season 5 of “Love Is Blind,” only two lovebirds, James Milton Johnson IV (aka Milton) and Lydia Velez Gonzalez, got married. The season wasn’t without its fair share of controversies. Another couple, Renee Poche and Carter Wall, allegedly participated in the show, but their story never made it on air. Poche and Wall’s involvement came to light when Poche opened up about her unpleasant experience, and in turn, the show’s production (Delirium TV) retaliated with a $4 million lawsuit.

In court filings, Poche made allegations of abuse against Wall, which she claimed occurred both on and off the screen. She also alleged that the working environment on set was not favorable — it wasn’t the first time a participant had sued the show for the same reason —since her movements were restricted. Poche further accused the production team of seizing her personal documents. 

Poche said in a press statement (via USA Today), “My experience on ‘Love Is Blind’ was traumatic. I felt like a prisoner and had no support when I let Delirium know that I didn’t feel safe … I felt it was only right to let others know the truth of what all of the castmates had to endure.” In a now-deleted Instagram post, Wall promised to share his side of the story, but at the time of writing, he has not made a public response to the allegations.

Monica Danús and Joey Leveille appeared to be one of the strongest couples on Season 8 of “Love Is Blind.” The duo had no drama of their own, but one major disapproval got in the way of their fairytale: Monica’s sister, Nicolle Danús, didn’t give them a nod of approval. By the time she had to walk down the aisle, Monica already had her mind made up, and she said no to the marriage because there was a lack of full show of commitment on Leveille’s part.

At the Season 8 reunion of “Love Is Blind,” Danús dropped a surprising bombshell: Leveille allegedly showed interest in fellow castmate Madison Errichiello when they were still engaged. “He slid into one of the other cast members’ DMs after he saw her,” Monica claimed (via Instagram). “And I still don’t know exactly what was said, and to be honest, I don’t care. It could have been ‘How was the weather?’… It’s the act of doing that (where I’m here trying to get you to want me). It’s a slap in the face.” Leveille has since been rumored to be dating his Season 8 co-star Sara Carton, but Carton denied those claims.

Monica Davis and Stephen Richardson, who appeared on Season 7 of “Love Is Blind,” were worlds apart; Davis worked as a mid-level sales executive while her then-beau made a living as an electrician. Nevertheless, the duo connected in the pods, fell in love, and seemed to be headed to the altar. When the pair finally met in person, things began to go south as their differences became apparent. The couple had several issues, including a lack of intimacy.

Shortly after they returned from their vacation in Mexico, Davis and Richardson split over explicit texts found on his phone. Ironically, Richardson had confessed to cheating in a past relationship. Davis “discovered the texts just by total coincidence,” as she disclosed in a conversation with EW. “I just knew in that moment I was so disgusted and shocked that I needed him to be away from me,” she said.

Richardson offered an apology to Davis, but the pair never made it to the wedding. In a conversation with People, Richardson shared his biggest takeaway from the experience: “It is probably smart to put a password on your phone.” He also observed that being on the show opened his eyes to how fleeting the healing process was, saying, “You don’t know if you’re fully healed until your next relationship.” Davis has since entered into a relationship with Zac Vavrek, with whom she bought a house in February 2025.

When Matthew Barnett and Amber Pike appeared on Season 1 of “Love Is Blind,” the couple faced two main challenges. First, there was a love triangle with Jessica Batten that had viewers on the edge of their seats — Barnett was torn between Pike and Batten in the pods and had considered proposing to the latter. Second, even though he finally chose Pike, she had $20,000 worth of student loan debt that had accrued interest over the years. Additionally, she had no source of income nor a place of her own.

Barnett said in a joint interview with EW, “It may have seemed a little bit like I was stressed out about finances at some point, but I never thought of it as something that was a deal-breaker.” On the show’s “After the Altar” reunion special, fans learned that Barnett, who appeared to be the more stable partner since he had his own house and worked in construction, had found a buyer for his home and used the money to clear student loans. The couple also revealed that they had since moved in with a roommate.

In an unexpected turn, it emerged that Barnett was, in fact, in more debt than Pike. The reality TV star confessed in their chat with EW: “When I was on the show, I think I had almost $30,000 in student debt.” Nevertheless, the duo is still one of the few couples from the show to have stayed married.