Where These Love Is Blind Contestants Are Today
The many guilty pleasures of life can hook us all, whether it be chocolate, soda, or in this case — binge-watching Netflix dating shows. For decades, Americans have fawned over the concept of placing contestants on reality television in hopes of finding their perfect match. From "Are You The One?" to "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette" there is something undeniably addicting about watching people fall in love in front of the cameras. With odds stacked against them, somehow year after year suitors sign up to let down their walls in the search of love. What lies ahead — in true reality television fashion — is often exactly the opposite. The addictive dating shows often capitalize on drama, leaving hopeful contestants with nothing but more Instagram followers and a broken heart.
No one reality dating show is the same, and the popular Netflix show "Love Is Blind" drew viewers in with its unlikely twist. The love experiment takes potential suitors and places them in pods. The special sound-proofed rooms allow them to go on dates with several people, but the catch is that they cannot see the person they are speaking with. After ten days of blind speed-dating, the contestants get engaged with their chosen match — sight unseen. The couples then meet in person, go on a pre-wedding vacation, and ultimately decide to marry their partner at the altar or walk away. While some couples stood the real-world test, many others crashed and burned. We're taking a look at where some of these "Love Is Blind" contestants are today.
Lauren Speed and Cameron Hamilton are going strong
There aren't many "Love Is Blind" couples that are still together after their whirlwind experiences on the show. The heartwarming success story of Lauren Speed and Cameron Hamilton has captured fans' hearts, however, as the duo has stuck by each other's side ever since their Season 1 debut. The pair fell in love quickly, getting engaged on day five of the experiment and saying "I do" to each other just a month after first meeting in the pods. "I think it's a testament to the fact that when you find the right person you can just kind of know, and it doesn't take a ton of time to know that," Speed told People in 2020.
Since filming, however, it hasn't always been easy for the pair to navigate real-life post cameras and lights. The couple told ET Canada that the "Black Lives Matter" movement that went viral shortly after their season aired caused them to sit down together and have serious conversations about race relations. The pair admitted that the necessary conversation was tough but ultimately strengthened their partnership.
Speed and Hamilton are still happily married and living together in Atlanta as of the time of writing. While they have admitted they are trying to conceive, the pair are keeping busy in the meantime being entrepreneurs, social media influencers, and authors. The couple released their tell-all book "Leap of Faith: Finding Love the Modern Way" in 2021, which details their experiences on the show and how life shifted for them once the cameras quit rolling.
Amber Pike and Matt Barnett keep it spicy
Lauren Campbell and Cameron Hamilton weren't the only success story in Season 1 of "Love Is Blind." Matt Barnett and Amber Pike joined the short list of "showmances" post-filming that ended up staying together. The pair formed a deep connection in the pods, and although Pike is known for being an ex-Army tech mechanic, Barnett found a way to break her tough exterior. After saying "I Do" to their whirlwind romance, the Georgia natives returned to normal life and have been going strong ever since.
Barnett posted a four-year wedding anniversary to his wife on Instagram in November 2022, writing, "4 years of being married to the hottest wife ever! Here's to at least 80 more anniversaries." The two have had a busy life since getting hitched, between traveling to Machu Picchu and spending Valentine's Day in Sedona, to hitting the gym together week after week to check off their 2023 goals.
"People may think getting married the way we did is crazy, but I've always trusted my instincts (even the crazy ones) and they haven't steered me wrong yet and thankfully [Barnett's] crazy instincts work damn near perfectly with mine," the ex-Army mechanic told People. As for Barnett, he told The Things that he's had strangers approach him to thank him. "I was at the gym and some guy came up to me and he was like, 'You saved me and my girlfriend's (or fiance's) relationship' ..."I don't think of it like I'm impactful to anybody. I feel like a normal guy," Barnett revealed.
Giannina Gibelli and Damian Powers are seeing other people
Giannina Gibelli and Damian Powers have had a rocky ride ever since they fell in love on Season 1 of "Love Is Blind." The duo fell in love on the show, but Gibelli was stranded at the altar when Powers couldn't say "I Do." The duo rekindled their romance after the cameras stopped rolling, and they were featured on the "After the Altar" special giving their relationship another try. Gibelli at the time seemed over the moon with her ex-fiance, saying, "Ever since I can remember, I've been dreaming of finding a soulmate. And I found him."
Their honeymoon phase didn't last long. Power's friendship with "Too Hot To Handle" star Francesca Farago was a major highlight of "After the Altar." After Powers and Farago's flirtatious booze-filled lunch date led to her crashing a cast party, tensions hit an all-time high for Gibelli and Powers. The Venezuela native announced that she and Powers broke up in August 2021. Gibelli started dating Bachelor Nation contestant Blake Horstmann in 2022 after the two starred in a Paramount Plus reality show together (dare we say full circle?)
Powers went on to star in Netflix's "The Perfect Match" alongside Farago — but their relationship seemed to burn out as fast as it heated up. "I'm definitely the least close to Damian now and I was probably the closest to him in the house with our friendship," Farago said of her relationship with Powers post-filming. From the looks of his Instagram, Powers is happily enjoying the bachelor life.
Mark Cuevas and Jessica Batten married other people
Mark Cuevas and Jessica Batten met on Season 1 of the Netflix series, and their relationship was riddled with "I don't"s and rumors of infidelity. While the duo fell in love on the show, returning home from their pre-wedding honeymoon took a toll on their relationship. The two decided not to get married during filming, and the beef between the pair escalated once the cameras quit rolling.
As per Batten's account, the television personality claimed that Cuevas was unfaithful to her during the show after a fan commented on an Instagram photo of the pair together. When the user alleged that Cuevas was intimate with women at the gym he worked as a personal trainer, Batten responded back, "Wow. News to me, I only knew about one." Batten also claimed that her ex-fiance cheated on her with cast-mate Lauren Chamberlain, which Cuevas denied. "While Mark was on the show, he was fully committed to the Love Is Blind process and Jessica Batten," a representative for Cuevas said.
The former reality television stars have put their he-said-she-said beef behind them, as they've both gone on to tie the knot with other people. Cuevas went on to marry Aubrey Rainey in September 2022, with whom he shares two sons. In a full-circle moment, his co-star Matt Barnett served as one of his groomsmen. Batten has also found love off-screen, as she tied the knot with Benjamin McGrath the same month as her ex-fiance, and she's expecting her first child with her newlywed.
Abhishek Shake Chatterjee started a feud with show host Nick Lachey
If there was ever a villain on "Love Is Blind" – Abhishek "Shake" Chatterjee fits the bill. Chatterjee fell in love — or so it seemed — with Deepti Vempati. Their Indian roots seemed to bring them closer at first, but their problems seemed to override any similarities they shared. Chatterjee revealed a lack of physical attraction for his former fiance on the show — and the two called it quits when Vampati walked away at the altar.
Since filming wrapped, Vempati wrote a memoir about her experience titled "I Choose Myself" in which she calls out Chatterjee for body-shaming her. "I knew it was my physical appearance and our intimate moments. That was a problem for him," she claimed (via People). Chatterjee has since posted an apology video to Instagram for his former fiance and her family.
The veterinarian-turned-reality television star wasn't done feuding, however. He posted an old video clip of show host Nick Lachey to his Instagram Story in 2022 in which Jessica Simpson complains that Lachey no longer opens car doors for her. "That's because at the beginning of our marriage, I got laid," Lachey says in the clip. "Not even opening the car door for his wife. Sad," Chatterjee wrote. The television star has continued to attack the 98 Degrees singer, telling Us Weekly, "You single me out when you're supposed to be an impartial host, like, bro, you're a washed-up nobody." Lachey has yet to respond to the comments as of the time of writing.
Nick Thompson and Danielle Ruhl's nasty breakup
Nick Thompson and Danielle Ruhl were a Season 2 "Love Is Blind" success story until they weren't. The Chicago natives matched up in the pods in 2021, going on to be the first of the contestants to get engaged. They ultimately decided love was in fact blind — and they said their "I Do's" to each other in their home state. Special episodes of the "After the Altar" special that aired in 2022 showed the couple happily in love while hosting their former cast mates on a getaway trip, but their romance fizzled out shortly after. Ruhl shocked fans when she filed for divorce in August 2022, after less than two years after tying the knot.
"There wasn't a big catastrophic event," Thompson told Us Weekly. "Just over time, these things started building up ... I don't wanna speak for her, but I know I wasn't feeling like I was getting the partnership I needed to be successful and to kind of move forward with the relationship." Thompson added that he is not on speaking terms with his ex-wife. As for Ruhl, she told E! News, "I wanted to make sure that it was noted that it takes two, but unfortunately, with every interview, he is putting all of the blame on me and this isn't new. This was something he did the entire relationship." Thompson clapped back at her statement, telling E! News that his former partner made "false claims and defamatory comments about me and our relationship."
Natalie Lee calls Shayne Jansen a liar
Shayne Jansen and Natalie Lee had plenty of up-and-downs during their time together on Season 2 of "Love Is Blind." After falling for each other in the pods, a lack of communication and arguing led Lee to walk away from Jansen at their wedding ceremony. After wrapping the season, the duo decided to give love another try off-camera. When "After the Altar" aired in 2022, viewers got more insight into what went wrong in their rekindled romance, which Lee claims to be infidelity on Jansen's part.
Lee alleged that the reunion episodes failed to highlight important evidence that showed Jansen was cheating on her with their co-star Shaina Hurley. "One thing that the show did not talk about that Shayne and I have text messages and an email talking about him un-sending and deleting messages [with Shaina]," she told People. Jansen and Hurley have denied doing anything scandalous, and have chalked up the messages to a platonic friendship. "When it comes to Natalie, if I blinked at Shaina, it would probably be 'scandalous,'" Jansen said on "After the Alter."
Jansen has since gone on to star in Netflix's "Perfect Match," since filming wrapped, but not without a last word from Lee. "We told each other we declined the opportunity, but I later found out he actually didn't decline and started the casting process in Nov 2021 without my knowledge at the time, while we were still together," she wrote on her Instagram Story following the show airing in February 2023.
Bartise Bowden joined Only Fans
Bartise Bowden is using his newfound clout from his time on Season 3 of "Love Is Blind" and taking it to another platform — Only Fans. The San Antonio native launched his profile on the exclusive site in March 2023, offering fans an inside peek into his bachelor lifestyle. The reality television star has been keeping himself busy, and he tried his hand since he made his reality television debut. Though his ex-fiance Nancy Rodriguez stood him up at the altar during his season, he tied his hand at love a second time as a cast member on Netflix's "The Perfect Match."
While Bowden is enjoying the single life, the reality television star has admitted he would likely still be a married man had Rodriguez said: "I Do." In an interview with Us Weekly, he admitted, "Her parents are divorced; my parents are divorced. I'm not going through that. So yes, if I said yes, we would still be together."
The "Love Is Blind" star went on to reveal that he and Rodriguez did manage to hash things out and form a friendship, but boundaries were established after he began dating other people. "I found it hard to maintain the level of friendship that Nancy wanted with me while I was also trying to be respectful of a new girl I was dating because, you know, she would get jealous that I was talking to Nancy," Bowden said. As for Rodriguez, whatever friendship she had with Bowden fizzled out following the "After the Altar" special. "We're not friends," she told StyleCaster.
Alexa Alfia and Brennon Lemieux are still happily married
One of the few happy endings in Season 3 of "Love Is Blind" was Alexa Alfia and Brennon Lemieux. After meeting in the pods, the two exchanged vows in a Jewish wedding ceremony in front of their family and friends. While life outside of the Netflix bubble has been an adjustment, the couple revealed they are still very much in love. "Things are great. Things are wonderful. We've been able to finally get the families together for a bunch of different events," Lemieux told Us Weekly following their season airing.
Alfia told People in February 2023 that her only complaint is that fans ask her for photos at the Farmer's Market on the only time she's not wearing makeup. She still can't get over seeing her face on television screens across the country, however. "...It's kind of weird sometimes. Even if I'm scrolling and I see myself on something, I'm like, 'Well, that's me.' And we'll even turn on Netflix and it shows the previews for things and I'm like, 'Oh my God, that's our faces!'"
As for their new normal, the pair are enjoying life in Texas. The duo has been sharing how-to videos on the perfect cocktail to watch while streaming the show, hitting the town for fancy day nights, and taking trips to snowy ski slopes together. Alfia told Us Weekly that they may be adding another addition to their family to keep their fur baby company. When asked about having kids, she admitted, "[We're] working and twerking on it."
Cole Barnett and Zanab Jaffrey aren't on speaking terms
What started as a sweet love story between Cole Barnett and Zanab Jaffrey on Season 3 of "Love Is Blind" ended up in flames. The couple had a strong connection after falling in love on the unconventional dating show, but heated arguments and hurt feelings proved to be the demise of their relationship. After Jaffrey left Barnett at the altar, Jaffrey claimed that her ex-fiance body-shamed her and called her bipolar on multiple occasions during filming, as per the Daily Mail.
The incident Jaffrey was referring to involved Barnett advising his former partner not to eat a mandarin before their dinner date. Barnett responded to the accusations that he body-shamed his former partner, saying on the Lauren Interviews podcast (via People), "I was just asking and saying, 'Hey, we planned this big dinner.' I was just speaking to it and being myself." He went on to add, "I was walking on eggshells because I knew there's just trip wires everywhere. The moment I say one thing that hits her wrong, I'm now the worst."
Barnett has kept himself busy following his heartbreak, working in real estate and getting his new podcast up and running. As for Jaffrey, she did walk away with a special person from Season 3 to keep her company — her new roommate and former cast mate Ashley Randermann. "This one is long overdue. Just because I didn't come out of LIB with a husband, doesn't mean I didn't find forever love!" Jaffrey wrote in an Instagram post.
Colleen Reed leans on her husband Matt Bolton
Colleen Reed and Matt Bolton were the only other couple in Season 3 of the series to walk away as a married couple. The pair had a rocky relationship during their time filming that involved arguments over Reed's former connection in the pods with Cole Barnett. The couple ultimately decided to get past their differences, however, and have stuck it out since the show aired.
While they may still be married, the couple admitted in 2022 that due to difficulties with their respective leases, they lived separately post-wedding. "Leases [were] a big factor in why we decided to not move in together right away, but it was mainly due to the fact that we wanted to slow things down," Reed told Us Weekly at the time, revealing they planned to move in together the following Spring.
A life together outside of the show proved to be sweet for the pair, and Reed took to Instagram to brag about her life partner. "I met you in the most unexpected way and now I can't imagine a life without you. We have gone through many challenges and I'm proud of much we learned from each hurdle that we have come across," she wrote in a post. Bolton echoed those sentiments, writing in his own Instagram post, "Love is never easy and it takes work, but I wouldn't want it with anyone else. Through the ups and downs, the joy and the adversity, you taught me to be patient and never run from problems."
Raven Ross found love off the show
Raven Ross had a complicated relationship with her former fiancé Sikiru "SK" Alagbada after they got engaged on Season 3 of "Love Is Blind." The pair fell in love while filming, but ultimately a long-distance relationship due to Alagbada's plans to continue his education proved to be a barrier to tying the knot. Alagbada couldn't commit to Ross at the altar, but the two ended up giving it another try off-screen.
They put their differences aside briefly, getting engaged for a second time. Ultimately, cheating allegations swirled around Alagbada, and the two called it quits for good in 2022. "We are saddened to announce that we have decided to go our separate ways," the statement read. "Due to the on-going legal proceedings surrounding these allegations, we can not provide additional details and ask that you please respect our privacy during this hard time," their joint statement read on their Instagram Stories.
Ross has since moved on from the past and found love with someone new. She told People, "Actually, the guy that I'm dating now sent me a message on Instagram," she shared. "It's relatively new. But it's going well, so knock on wood." Though she's yet to reveal his identity as of the time of writing, Ross is enjoying time with her mystery boyfriend. In an episode of her Amazon Live! "Workout Essentials" stream (via Entertainment Tonight), she revealed, "We're figuring it out. He is such a great human, and I'm literally so obsessed. So I really want to share that with you guys, and I'm excited about it."
SK dodges infidelity rumors
Sikiru "SK" Alagbada has received quite a bit of online hate following his breakup with his former fiancé Raven Ross. The drama began when a TikTok user alleged that the television personality sent her messages. Alagbada has denied physically cheating on Ross, revealing that he and his ex spent time apart before getting back together. "All the previous women that came out ... those happened earlier in 2022, when, again, I was still a single guy. Raven and I were still talking, but we were not in a completely committed relationship, including the Cabo trip," the Berkeley student revealed to People, alluding to a vacation he took with a separate woman.
Fans still questioned his intentions, given his Cabo get-away happened just one week after he met Ross's mother. Alagbada did admit that he did reach out to women while he was dating Ross, however. "...There was an incident of me having an inappropriate conversation with this woman sometime in the fall. I believe it was around September of [2022], which is completely inappropriate. Didn't end up happening, but ... I feel like I shouldn't even have had that kind of conversation with someone," he contnued.
Alagbada went on to issue a public apology to his former fiancé, owning up to his mistakes and admitting he has grown a lot from the past. He also revealed that Ross was still involved with her ex while filming, a claim that she denied. As for life post-filming, Alagbada is set to get his MBA from Harvard Business School at Berkeley in the Spring of 2023.
Deepti Vempati dated another contestant from her season
Deepti Vempati had her fair share of up-and-downs during her time on "Love Is Blind" Season 2. The Indian beauty got engaged to Abhishek "Shake" Chatterjee while filming the series, but she decided not to say yes to him during their wedding ceremony.
Despite the he-said-she-said, Vempati has gone on to form new connections — even dating her former cast mate Kyle Abrams. It was revealed during special episodes of "After the Altar" that the two bonded post-filming, and began dating exclusively in 2022. "I think it's important that I let people know that Kyle and I had a special bond in the pods. He was my number two person [after Abhishek "Shake" Chatterjee]," she told People.
The pair began dating in April, but their romance turned out to be short-lived, and they preferred to maintain their close friendship. "Toward early summer, we just saw that the energy was shifting," Vempati admitted. "There was so much pressure on us, we weren't talking about our wants and needs." Vempati revealed that the public spotlight put a strain on furthering their connection, and she was insecure about Abrams flirting with other women. "We were on completely different pages. It was easier to end things and remain, friends, than try to mend this mess," she admitted.