Several former Love Is Blind contestants have come forward, accusing the show’s producers of depriving them of vital necessities during filming.
The stars recently opened up to Business Insider, revealing that they were forced to film in “unsafe” working conditions.
According to the report, Season 2 veterans and former spouses Danielle Ruhl and Nick Thompson spoke out, saying their experience caused them physical and mental suffering.
Danielle shared an incident that occurred when she and Nick arrived in Mexico for their post-engagement trip. She detailed having a panic attack in the closet of her hotel room, where she retreated since she knew it wouldn’t be filmed.
Her then-fiance, Nick, reportedly told Love Is Blind’s producers that he and Danielle didn’t want to film any longer. Danielle said that despite making them aware of her past suicidal thoughts, they continued to push her to continue filming.
“I kept telling them, ‘I don’t trust myself. I’ve tried committing suicide before. I’m having suicidal thoughts. I don’t think I can continue in this,'” Danielle shared.
Former Love Is Blind contestants detail ‘inhumane’ working conditions while filming
However, Danielle said producers continued to encourage her to stay, telling her she and Nick were Season 2’s “love story.”
In addition to the mental anguish they experienced, Danielle also claimed that the contestants were deprived of food. Danielle said that oftentimes, all there was to eat in the kitchen was one hard-boiled egg, causing everyone to “fight” over who would get to eat it.
Reports also state that contestants were deprived of sleep and food and were encouraged to drink “excess” amounts of alcohol, accounting for “inhumane working conditions.”
“The sleep deprivation was real,” Danielle shared in her interview. “I feel like they do it on purpose because they’re trying to break you. They want you on your edge.”
Now, the production company behind Love Is Blind, Kinetic Content, is speaking out in response to the allegations.
Love Is Blind’s production company, Kinetic Content, issues a statement in response to complaints
In a statement to E! News, the company said, “The well-being of our participants is of paramount importance to Kinetic. We have rigorous protocols in place to care for each person before, during, and after filming.”
Netflix was also contacted for comment but has not yet responded as of the publishing of this article.
Following the interview’s publication, Danielle took to Instagram to address the topic once again.
She included two separate video posts and, in the caption, wrote, “Looking back, I never should have agreed to go on a reality show. I wish I was more educated and self aware at the time.”
“I will always admit it was a giant mistake to participate and I’m still trying to re-find myself and who I was before filming,” Danielle added. She also noted that she shared the videos in the hopes that Kinetic Content “learns to treat contestants better.”
Danielle is currently attending trauma therapy to deal with her experience. Meanwhile, she and Nick have since divorced.
Season 4 of Love Is Blind is currently streaming on Netflix.