On Love Is Blind season 3, Cole Barnett was announced as one of 30 Texas singles looking for love, and viewers wondered if Cole was a relative of LIB season 1 star, Matt "Barnett" Barnett. Of course, they were also curious about who Cole, a 26-year-old realtor, would match with. When Love Is Blind season 3 premiered on October 19, he quickly stood out, thanks to his quirky personality and witty jokes. Barnett, who made an impact for similar reasons on Love Is Blind season 1, married Amber Reed at the end of the installment. While Amber and Barnett are still together after almost four years, season 3 viewers now have their eye on Cole and his fiancee, flight attendant, Zanab Jaffrey.
Although Cole and Barnett's surnames were initially thought to be a coincidence, as fans got to know Cole, speculation that the two Love Is Blind stars were related continued to grow. With similar personalities and physical appearances, viewers were convinced that Netflix cast two members of the same family, especially when they acknowledged Cole and Barnett's uncanny resemblance on Instagram. Unfortunately, despite everything that the Love Is Blind cast members have in common, the streaming platform confirmed that Cole and Barnett are not related, via a comment at the Loveisblindnetflix Instagram page.
Cole Barnett Joked That He & Matt Barnett Were Brothers
Cole has shown that he is always down for a good time, so it was only a matter of time until the newly engaged Love Is Blind season 3 star referenced the Barnett conspiracy. In response to Netflix's post, Cole pondered, "Maybe I have a 3rd sibling I never knew about?" In a now-deleted Instagram Story reshared by Us Weekly, Cole also stated that he was surprised to find out that Barnett was, "the brother I never knew I had." By including the shrug emoji, and Netflix's, "no relation" addition, however, Cole subtly reaffirmed that the only tie he and Barnett share is the fact that they filmed different Love Is Blind seasons.
What Matt Barnett & Other Love Is Blind Stars Have Said
Like Cole, Barnett and his former Love Is Blind co-stars also offered their opinions on the humorous resemblance. In an attempt to throw Love Is Blind fans off, Barnett quipped on Netflix's post, "I did live right outside of Dallas for a few years in my early 20s... just saying." Kelly Chase responded to the comparison with a simple laugh emoji, while Cameron Hamilton, who married Lauren Speed at the end of Love Is Blind season 1, referred to Cole as, "a very different Barnett."
Although Cole and Barnett could easily pass for brothers, cousins, or distant relatives, they aren't the only Love Is Blind stars who have been compared by fans since season 3 dropped. In addition to Barnett, Cole has reminded viewers of Shayne Jansen, who was engaged to Natalie Lee on Love Is Blind season 2. Rejected contestant Andrew Liu gave viewers similar vibes to Deepti Vempati's ex-fiance, Shake Chatterjee. Cole's co-star Colleen Reed has already been compared to Love Is Blind season 1 stars, Giannina Gibelli and Jessica Batten, who recently married Benjamin McGrath. Cole and Barnett's uncanny similarities may surprise viewers, but Love Is Blind season 3 has already proven that there are much more shocking events in store.
Sources: Love Is Blind Netflix/Instagram, Cole Barnett/Instagram, Us Weekly, Cameron Hamilton/Instagram