Not all contestants on Love Is Blind proved that they could find The One without seeing their future partner, but they certainly brought the drama while trying.
After the success of season 1, the Netflix series returned in February 2022 and created six new couples: Abhishek “Shake” Chatterjee and Deepti Vempati, Kyle Abrams and Shaina Hurley, Iyanna McNeely and Jarrette Jones, Danielle Ruhl and Nick Thompson, Natalie Lee and Shayne Jansen and Mallory Zapata and Salvador Perez.
By the finale, however, only two duos said “I do” — Iyanna and Jarrette and Danielle and Nick.
“I think the biggest challenge for us was losing the structure of the show,” Nick told Us Weekly in March 2022. “We quickly realized like, ‘Hey, two months ago, we weren’t married, we were single. Since then, we’ve met and married, we have friends, we have family, everybody — some people know, some people don’t.’ And so, it’s like, ‘How do you navigate these waters and how do you go from doing whatever you want two months ago to, like, being part of a family?’”
Despite the ups and downs of life post-show, Danielle and Nick celebrated their first year of marriage in June 2022. Iyanna and Jarrette marked the same milestone.
“She’s a better fit for me because she’s everything that I needed,” Jarrette told Us in March 2022. “I think with Iyanna — she was vastly different and I think those differences are things that I needed in my life to help me grow and be a better person and be a better husband.”
It’s expected fans will see the cast again when season 2 of After the Altar, which was announced in March 2022, returns. Season 1 of the spinoff show followed the majority of the season 1 cast navigating post-show life and preparing for a reunion party.
In the meantime, scroll through for a breakdown of what the season 2 cast is up to:
Shake exclusively told Us in March 2022 that he has a girlfriend named Emily Wilson, who lives in Florida. "We're having a lot of fun together and we're very in sync. If it wasn't for her, I'd still be thinking about Miami, but it just kind of seals the deal, you know what I mean? It's a sign from above ... that this is the right decision,” the “Love Is Blurry” podcast host told Us of his plans to leave Chicago. Shake also made a post-show career change. “I’m taking a break from being a vet. The vet field is amazing in so many ways, but it’s also incredibly draining, both physically and emotionally,” he said, noting his plans to "pivot into this new, exciting world" of crypto. Adam Rose/Netflix
While she is “indifferent” to her ex Shake, there has been speculation about Deepti and Kyle since the reunion show. “All I can say is, you know, we're going through it. We're just figuring it out,” she exclusively told Us in June 2022. “I think you guys will see more of our story later. [Kyle is] one of my best friends, so that's all I can say.” Ser Baffo/Netflix
Kyle has continued to play into the speculation about his status with Deepti, admitting in March 2022 that he regrets not pursuing her further. “I should have tried harder for [Deepti],” he said. “I love her so much, she’s the best. And I wish I saw what was right in front of me and that’s my biggest regret. I’m sorry.” Netflix
Shaina went public with new man Christos Lardakis in March 2022 and announced their engagement that same month. The twosome exchanged vows on July 2, 2022, at a Chicago courthouse with his daughter as one of the witnesses. The duo, who live in Illinois, plan to wed in Greece at a later date. Netflix
While Sal told Bustle in March 2022 that he “met someone completely random, and it’s been great,” he hasn’t gone public with a new relationship. Ser Baffo/Netflix
While Sal and Mal went out after the show, their connection didn’t last. “It was really nice to just talk to her We decided at the end of it all, we had been through everything, we had discussed everything, and I didn’t have it in me to continue romantically, to be completely honest,” Sal told Bustle in March 2022. “And we left it at that. We parted ways. We checked in with each other a couple of times before seeing each other again in the reunion. But, you know, it was just not there.” Netflix
He still works in Chicago real estate and made headlines in March 2022 when he showed off his body transformation via Instagram. Shayne, who appears to be single, claimed that he and Natalie tried to date several times post-show, but she shared a different recollection. Ser Baffo/Netflix
The influencer claimed she and Shayne only dated “twice” after their wedding and “not four times,” explaining in March 2022: “We rekindled the weekend we filmed the reunion episode but decided to keep the door closed. Recently we met up to discuss the possibility of reconciliation but ultimately agreed not to date until he changed some of his behaviors. A few days later, I fully closed the door for any type of reconciliation after discovering some lies he told me.” Netflix
The couple still live in Chicago and are happier than ever, celebrating one year of marriage in June 2022. “It’s crazy how much things have changed, how well we’ve gotten to know each other, and how much we’ve grown together and separately. Thank you for being my mirror,” Iyanna wrote via Instagram. “Thank you for being patient. Thank you for putting in the effort to make this machine work. You are my husband and I am your wife. Now I can honestly say, I choose you wholeheartedly." Adam Rose/Netflix
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