So messy! While the premise of Netflix’s Love Is Blind is to help singles find their perfect match, the experiment hasn’t come without drama.
During season 2 of the dating show, which premiered in February 2022, multiple love triangles blossomed. In one corner, Shayne Jansen connected with both Natalie Lee and Shaina Hurley, and in another, Jarrette Jones was smitten by Iyanna McNeely and Mallory Zapata. In both instances, the men were subsequently torn while trying to decide which woman to propose to.
“Earlier this week, I was going back and forth between Mallory and Iyanna, but over the past couple days, I’ve gained clarity,” the healthcare consultant said during a confessional interview in the third episode. “I can definitely see myself proposing and having a life with Iyanna, but I want to propose to Mallory and it’s gonna feel crazy, you know. I’m gonna feel a whirlwind of emotions.”
After Mallory turned Jarrette down, he eventually proposed to Iyanna while Mallory explored her connection with Salvador “Sal” Perez.
“I was a roller-coaster of emotions [at the wedding]. I was just feeling everything, and I really was trying to wrap my head around everything that we had been through together,” Sal exclusively told Us Weekly ahead of the season 2 finale, recalling his decision to call off his engagement to Mallory. “I was really just kind of summarizing it in my head and I knew that, at that moment of my wedding, I just wanted to make that choice with her. I wanted to see how I felt in that moment with her. It was a crazy day.”
Shaina, for her part, accepted a proposal from Kyle Abrams despite her strong feelings for Shayne. The hairstylist even informed Shayne — who was set to pop the question to Natalie — of her interest while Kyle’s mother’s ring sat on her finger.
“It took me a while to open up in the pods. It took me longer than I thought,” Shaina told Us of her Love Is Blind experience. “I think everything happens for a reason. It was organic [with Shayne], I guess, you could say. There’s some regrets. I just wish I was a little bit more forthright from the beginning [and] kind of prepared myself more, but can you prepare yourself? Besides that, no, it was an amazing experience.”
Shaina eventually broke up with Kyle during the group’s trip to Mexico, citing different religious beliefs as the major issue. However, she later admitted that she was still interested in Shayne, allegedly telling Natalie she had a “friend” to introduce her to in case she and Shayne split.
“I have nothing to lose here. I have nothing but — I care for you,” Shaina told Shayne in the sixth episode. “You were, like, my number one. … I feel like I’m being portrayed as a villain in your guys’ relationship, your guys’ f—king fake-ass relationship. It is such a joke.”
While season 2 of the reality show packed a dramatic punch, its precursor, which dropped on the streaming platform in February 2020, saw its fair share of love triangles and heated breakups.
“I do not,” Damian Powers explained to ex-fiancée Giannina Gibelli on their wedding day in the first season finale. “I stayed consistent all the way through this and you have not.”
The Atlanta-based business owner was shocked to hear Damian’s decision, and she ran out of the venue, notably falling in the mud and ripping her dress.
“There was so much that happened,” Giannina told Entertainment Weekly in March 2020. “At the end of the day, the relationship is between you and this person. Who better to understand that than you two? … I love Damian, I know his heart, I know everything about him. I really wanted us to heal together because we had gone through such a big, scary thing and it just didn’t feel right not being together in that moment whether we were going to end it together or not. It was something I wanted to go through with him and just see, ‘Are we OK? Are our hearts OK?’”
Scroll down to relive more of Love Is Blind’s most dramatic moments:
During season 1, Matt Barnett was caught between Jessica Batten and now-wife Amber Pike. While he eventually chose Amber, Jessica couldn’t ignore her own feelings despite getting engaged to now-ex Mark Cuevas. Amber later accused Jessica of flirting with her man during the reunion special. Netflix
Carlton Morton and Diamond Jack found love in the pods on season 1 before he got down on one knee sight-unseen. However, drama escalated during their Mexico vacation after he came out to her as bisexual. Hurt by the secrecy, Diamond called off their engagement and chucked her ring into the hotel pool. Netflix
After Damian said “no” on their wedding day, Giannina ran out of the chapel and subsequently fell into a giant puddle of mud. After going back inside to confront her ex, she ripped off a piece of her wedding gown to hand to him, which mirrored the bowtie he gave her during his proposal. Netflix
While Damian and Giannina eventually reconciled after the season 1 finale, their romance took a turn in August 2020 after Damian was spotted with Too Hot to Handle’s Francesca Farago. He even brought the Canadian model as his date to the Love Is Blind: After the Altar special, which aired in July 2021. As a result, Damian and Giannina got into a heated argument at the party before calling it quits for good. Netflix
Shaina accepted a proposal from Kyle despite her concerns over their contrasting religions. (Shaina is a devout Christian while Kyle is an atheist.) “We don’t really talk. We don’t communicate,” Kyle exclusively told Us in February 2022. “There’s nothing left. I mean, we’re not friends or anything. She doesn’t come out much. That ship has sailed. ... I thought I was giving in a lot. Those are things that [with] normal dating, I would’ve written her off right away. The first time I gave in. So I thought maybe she would — she should — too. I thought it was a mutual thing, but I guess not. I didn’t wanna quit. I wanted to give everything I had." Netflix
Jarrette was torn between Iyanna and Mallory during his time in the season 2 pods. After being turned down by Mallory, he later proposed to the program coordinator. Before tying the knot, Iyanna questioned whether she was Jarrette’s top pick throughout the experiment. Netflix
While Shaina continually let Shayne know how she felt about him before his engagement to Natalie, the real estate agent remained committed to his then-partner. “To put some other rumors to rest, Shaina and I are cordial and have hung out in group gatherings with the cast (with Natalie), but we have never had nor will ever have a romantic relationship,” Shayne opened up about where the pair stood via Instagram in February 2022 after fans watched his engagement end. “I wish her all the best.” Love Is Blind S2. Shaina Hurley in Love Is Blind S2. Cr. Ser Baffo/Netflix (3)
“Just me enjoying the train wreck😜,” Kyle shared a teaser from the season 2 reunion via Instagram in February 2022 alongside a still in which Abhishek “Shake” Chatterjee and Shayne appeared to get heated. Shake, who was briefly engaged to Deepti Vempati on the show, slammed his costar via an Instagram comment: “Translation: you’re a little bihh. … Imma warn you. I KEEPS IT REAL AT THIS REUNION.” The veterinarian also alleged that Kyle was a “serial cheater” via Instagram Story, writing, “Hope your 6 pack makes up for your lack of loyalty.” (Kyle did not respond when Us reached out for comment.) Love Is Blind S2. Shaina Hurley in Love Is Blind S2. Cr. Ser Baffo/Netflix (2)
The season 2 alum filed a lawsuit in July 2022, accusing Netflix and the producers of underpaying cast members and depriving them of “food, water and sleep.” Hartwell alleged in court docs obtained by Us at the time that the show’s conditions “contributed to inhumane working conditions and altered mental state for the cast” through a “combination of sleep deprivation, isolation, lack of food and an excess of alcohol all either required, enabled or encouraged” by production. Netflix did not immediately comment on the allegations. Netflix
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