Love Is Blind is meant to bring couples together, but some cast members have joined the series to chase clout, and some have used their appearances to gain traction in their personal lives after. When Love Is Blind first premiered in 2020, audiences were captivated by the way the series brought couples together without any understanding of physicality. Participants on Love Is Blind meet each other through a wall, finding depth in their emotional connection rather than a physical one. Though this can set some couples up to fail, it allows others to build an incredibly strong foundation for them to build on as they move into serious relationships. The first season of the series, which focused on a handful of couples as they got to know each other and decided if they wanted to get married at the end of the Love Is Blind process, was a major success for Netflix and left audiences ready for even more.
Though Love Is Blind is created by the same production company that makes Married At First Sight, the series is incredibly different in the way that it allows the contestants more personal freedom, but asks more of them as the series continues on. As Love Is Blind participants move through their relationships, they are phased back into normal life with their partner after leaving the sanctity of the pods, which gives them a somewhat easier time in keeping themselves accountable for their feelings. Some participants struggle outside of the pods, having a hard time as they move from a non-physical relationship to a suddenly physical one. While some have an idea of what their partners will look like that ultimately leaves them disappointed, others form instantaneous connections with their new fiance and begin to build a life together.
Love Is Blind has quickly become one of the most popular reality TV dating shows on the air, which means that more people who know about it are interested in appearing on the series. This push of popularity has made Love Is Blind an aspiration for more than just singles, but people who are looking for reality TV fame or notoriety. With people signing up for the show with the express interest of becoming famous, there have been several matches on Love Is Blind that don’t work out because of a lack of interest in a long-term relationship or marriage on one side. Cast members who are simply looking for clout and connections have tainted the experiment for others, especially when they connect with cast members who are hopeful to find the love of their lives.
While it was the same in terms of premise, Love Is Blind season 1 looked a lot different than the series does now. The participants were largely left to their own devices without expectations about what was meant to happen after agreeing to get married in the pods. Cameron Hamilton, who met now-wife Lauren Speed during the earliest moments of the pod phase, wasn’t looking for fame when he entered into Love Is Blind season 1, but after putting his life out there for the world to see, he found more than he’d bargained for.
Cameron and Lauren’s love story was sweet, as they were one of the couples from the very beginning who appeared to genuinely care for each other. As their relationship developed, it was obvious they’d choose to say yes at the altar, and they ultimately got married at the end of the experiment. After Love Is Blind season 1, Cameron began taking Instagram sponsorships and making YouTube videos with Lauren. While he may not have been looking for fame from the series, he’s certainly found an overwhelming amount of it.
After meeting and falling in love with her now-husband Cameron, Lauren hoped that she would be able to pivot in her career after Love Is Blind season 1 played out. Though she never realized just how big the series would become, Lauren already had a following before her time on Love Is Blind. As a host and presenter, Lauren had been working hard to develop her brand and jettison herself into the spotlight, but she didn’t imagine that the reality TV dating series would bring her to new heights.
While Lauren found love in the series, her journey on Love Is Blind season 1 wasn’t just about her relationship with Cameron. After the couple got married, they wound up beginning to work together to share their lives online. Developing their own YouTube content and launching a podcast, Lauren took advantage of the level of fame that Love Is Blind brought her. She has since become a full-time influencer, working with Netflix whenever possible and promoting Love Is Blind each season.
Giannina Gibelli was another cast member of the first season of Love Is Blind, and her time on the series was memorable for a plethora of reasons. While Giannina was a character of her own, the relationship she entered while on Love Is Blind season 1 was difficult to watch. Giannina and Damian Powers seemed like they could be a great match in the pods, but as things moved forward, the couple struggled to connect despite Giannina’s consistent attempts to establish them in the real world. Giannina and Damian’s dramatic wedding, where he let her down by telling her he couldn’t proceed with their marriage, led to one of the most iconic Love Is Blind scenes of all time.
Giannina ran away from the wedding in embarrassment, with her mother following close behind in shock. After Love Is Blind, the couple tried to make things work for over a year, but ultimately broke up, which put Giannina on the right path. After her split with Damian, Giannina tried reality TV again on Paramount+’s All-Star Shore, where she met The Bachelorette‘s Blake Horstmann. The pair connected quickly and fell in love, getting engaged and welcoming a son. While Giannina lives a relatively normal life, she has also become a self-made brand, selling products on Instagram and curating content on her social media pages.
Love Is Blind season 2’s Deepti Vempati was looking for something specific on the series, hopeful she’d come in to make a connection with someone that was far more than skin deep. When she met Shake Chatterjee, she was hopeful she’d found a wonderful match. Things were off to a decent start for the pair as they began getting to know each other outside the pods, but shifted as they continued to discuss what their future would look like together.
Though Deepti was interested in Shake, she ultimately chose not to marry him at the altar, sharing that she wanted to be true to herself. Though she was hurt in the moment, Deepti has shared that she knew what she needed to do to be happy. Though she wasn’t planning on becoming a social media maven after the series, Deepti has moved into the influencer side of things after Love Is Blind. She currently has a podcast with another Love Is Blind alum, and released a book about her life and experiences in 2023.
Love Is Blind season 2 introduced Shayne Jansen, as well, and his love story didn’t go quite as he planned on the series, but his life after the show has been exciting. While Shayne was matched with Natalie Lee, who he wound up engaged to during the series. Though the pair had connected in the pods, their relationship was turbulent on the outside and the couple struggled to make things work as their wedding grew closer. They chose not to get married at the altar, but their issues didn’t end after the series wrapped.
Though Shayne has become somewhat of an influencer after his time on Love Is Blind, his clout chasing has far less to do with his Instagram presence and far more to do with his treatment of Natalie. While he swears he doesn’t have any contact with his ex, Shayne has made it clear that he feels Natalie’s take on him is wrong, and he’s also spoken out about wanting to clear the air on her podcast. Shayne appeared on Netflix’s Perfect Match season 1 after Love Is Blind, where he went on to cause more drama between himself and Too Hot To Handle‘s Chloe Veitch. While Shayne’s clout chasing may not be as effective, he’s become someone who’s always seeking attention.
Shayne’s ex Natalie has also been able to get through the pressures of reality TV, though she hasn’t come out the other side fully unscathed. In returning to her normal life, Natalie decided she wanted to be open about her experiences on Love Is Blind. She began recording podcasts about her experience and other reality TV topics from the angle of knowing what happens behind the scenes but didn’t consider that these might be difficult for her ex to read.
Natalie may not be a traditional clout chaser, but she’s always interested in speaking her mind when it comes to troubling or trivial ideas on Love Is Blind. Seeing along and commentating with Deepti, Natalie has found her voice and done her best to share things about her experiences on the show without throwing Shayne to the wolves. While the couple was tripped up during their relationship, things have become clear for Natalie as she’s made her way through the public eye.
As one of the most hated contestants on Love Is Blind season 3, Bartise Bowden appeared to be charming and interested in getting married very early on in the season. After working his way through the pods and nearly ending up with two women vying for his affection, Bartise had a tough time committing to just one person. When he did, his levels of certainty were wavering with each passing day as he got to know Nancy Gonzalez better.
Bartise made it appear like he was going to choose to marry Nancy during the final moments of their relationship, but he ultimately chose to forego the larger commitment. Surprising Nancy and both of their families, Bartise appeared to move on from the relationship quickly. Though he isn’t exactly the style of influencer many recognize, Bartise has been sharing everything he can online, excluding photos of his surprise newborn son.
Damian, Giannina’s ex from Love Is Blind season 1, was clout-chasing from the very beginning of the series. Though Damian seemed like he was genuinely looking for a loving relationship on the series, the notoriety he’s gained from the show has made it clear he was likely just looking to get famous on reality TV. During the After The Altar special on the Love Is Blind season 1 cast, Damian had been spending time with Too Hot To Handle‘sFrancesca Farago behind Giannina’s back, which had been documented in the media with paparazzi photos and articles.
Damian’s decision to be seen out and about with Francesca, who was known for her sultry behavior on the other Netflix dating series, was odd for someone who claimed he was trying to work on the trust in his relationship. After his split from Giannina, Damian has done everything he can to remain relevant. After appearing on Perfect Match season 1, Damian went on to a new venture. Now with an active OnlyFans, Damian has been working hard to maintain his Instagram following while posting on the adults-only platform.
Micah Lussier was polarizing from the beginning of Love Is Blind season 4, when she connected with both Kwame Appiah and Paul Peden. While Micah did seem to be joining in on Love Is Blind for the right reasons, it quickly became clear that she likely wasn’t ready for a mature relationship with some of the mean girl behavior she exhibited while she was still in the pods. After getting engaged to Paul and moving out into the real world, things changed for her relationship.