Love Is Blind Contestants Who Have Accused Producers Of Manipulation

Netflix may have increased their viewer base with Love Is Blind, but while many fans have been happy to watch the series, several former contestants have accused the production company of bias, manipulation, and more controversial behavior. Since the first season of Love Is Blind premiered in 2020 with Nick and Vanessa Lachey as hosts, the once-small series has become a franchise with international spin-offs in countries like Brazil and Japan. Over the almost-three years, hundreds of singles looking for love have been cast on Love Is Blind, although as of December 2022, only four couples still stand.

Although Love Is Blind has a strong track record when it comes to entertaining moments and Internet memes, the series has faced its fair share of criticisms from viewers and former contestants alike. Lauren Speed from Love Is Blind season 1 recently complained that Netflix doesn't focus enough on Black men and women, for example, while others have proposed that the social experiment on Love Is Blind doesn't actually work for several reasons. One of the biggest accusations that have been thrown at the production team behind Love Is Blind, however, is that they manipulate their contestants behind the scenes to capture extraordinary conflicts or other events. Here are some former Love Is Blind cast members who have alleged that the series is more manipulative behind-the-scenes than fans know.

Viewers may not recognize Jeremy Hartwell since he failed to connect with other Love Is Blind season 2 cast members like unexpected fan favorite Mallory Zapata, but he was one of the first contestants to accuse Netflix's Love Is Blind team of seriously sketchy behavior. In July, several months after Love Is Blind season 2 concluded, multiple outlets like Variety reported that Jeremy sued Netflix and Kinetic Content for alleged inhumane conditions. Although a representative for Kinetic Content rejected Jeremy's allegations, the short-lived Love Is Blind season 2 star complained that the Love Is Blind producers overserved the contestants with alcohol, paid less than minimum wage, and denied them adequate food and water.

Shake Chatterjee is one of the most controversial Love Is Blind contestants to appear on the show, and has gotten into dozens of arguments with Nick, Vanessa, and other Love Is Blind season 2 cast members since he was rejected by short-lived fiancée Deepti Vempati. Although Shake's behavior towards Deepti was heavily criticized, Shake made some great points about Love Is Blind when he first called out the series as manipulative at the reunion. Since his initial conflict with Nick, who he publicly accused of bias, Shake has routinely criticized Love Is Blind as exploitative and fake, and passionately defended Cole Barnett from Zanab Jaffrey and the rest of the Love Is Blind season 3 cast when the show concluded in November.

Although Natalie sent Shake a cease and desist in August, recent comments made on Iyanna McNeeley's TikTok that were captured by Reddit user u/Loveya448 proved that the Love Is Blind season 2 stars actually have something in common. Natalie, who almost married Shayne Jansen despite hesitations that Shayne was attracted to Shaina Hurley, blasted the producers of Love Is Blind and wrote, "We did not sign up for the extreme producer manipulation that [made] us feel crazy." Although Natalie split from Shayne at the altar after a major argument the night before, Natalie further claimed that a producer urged Natalie to wed Shayne until another crew member stepped in and reminded Natalie of the "verbal abuse" she suffered. While Love Is Blind season 4 and Love Is Blind: Sweden have been ordered, the show may not be as a genuine as fans think.

More: Everything We Know About Love Is Blind Season 4

Sources: Variety, u/Loveya448/Reddit