Netflix's groundbreaking reality franchise, Love is Blind, has been a controversial but inevitable part of pop culture since it first premiered in 2020 on May 1. After 4 years, the original US-based series has developed an increased list of misconduct accusations and lawsuits from former contestants. Numerous complaints, mostly from cast members in Season 2 and Season 5, have raised concerns about the alleged exploitation of cast members, whether the series is a concept or through production practices to place participants in places of potential harm. Below we summarize the history of the claims filed against the series in various lawsuits and reports in chronological order when the event became public knowledge.

In 2022/7, Variety and CNN reported that Season 2 participant Jeremy Hartwell filed a lawsuit against Netflix, production company Kinetic Content and casting company Delirium TV, accusing 3 companies of promoting "inhumane working conditions" and violating various labor laws, including paying cast members less than the minimum wage. Hartwell claimed it while filming the pod part of the series in Santa Clarita, California.The producer poured alcohol into the cast "and was deprived of food and water—while paying rates that were below the Los Angeles County minimum wage.Hartwell's attorney at the time, Chantal Payton of Peyton Employment Law, said in a statement to Variety that the conditions had left cast members "starved of social connections and changed their feelings and decisions.""

In an insider report for 2023-4, allegations of abuse revealed by multiple cast members were further brought to light, including Season 2 stars Daniel Ruhr and Nick Thompson as well as Hartwell, who spoke about their experiences on the show . Participants claimed they were physically and emotionally exhausted after the shooting date, with one participant describing the shooting as an "emotional war."The cast members also claimed they were not provided with adequate mental health support during or after filming, including one incident where the rules said she told producers she had "suicidal thoughts" during filming in Mexico and wanted to leave the show. The insider also confirmed that in an early LIB seasons deal, cast members "faced 550,000 penalties for leaving the show without the producer's approval.""The contract reportedly included a clause requiring the engaged couple to attend the wedding even if they did not want to get married, as well as prohibiting the couple from divorcing before the final episode aired," he said.

Kinetic Connect has denied allegations from both the 2022 lawsuit and the Insider report, and CEO Chris Coelen has responded to many of Ruhl's claims in an interview with Variety in 2023-9. As for the whole show, the CEO said Kinetic provided access to psychological care during filming, explaining that 2 psychologists were present in the control room during filming in the pod, and that the post-pod, a hotline for professionals available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, was given to cast members. Coren also responded to the report's claim of a report50,000 penalty, saying that production never enforced the clause and that the penalty was removed from the contract in recent seasons.

In 2023/10, People reported that Season 5 cast member Tran Dang (who was filmed for the season but was not included in the final episode) sued Kinetic Connect and Delirium TV for sexual assault, false imprisonment and negligence claims. According to the full lawsuit obtained by Deadline, Dang, who was engaged to Thomas Smith on camera, is alleged that Smith assaulted her while filming in Mexico in 2022 on May 5, according to the complaint, Smith, who is also described as the defendant, "forcibly groped [Dan], exposed himself in the nude and repeatedly made sexual contact with her overt objections." "Due to [kinetic content and delirium TV's] 24-hour surveillance of the cast members, most, if not all, of these traumatic acts were probably captured on film," it claims.Dan also claims that the producer tried to mask [The] sexual assault by characterizing it as a lack of attraction on the part of [Dan]."every suit, Dan decided to quit the show after multiple alleged attempts to inform the producer about the repeatedly alleged assault, but she claims he was told he had to shoot "The last scene" with Smith, and she was "fed the line by the producers."

Kinetic and Delirium issued a joint statement to the people, stating that the companies "cannot address undisclosed concerns," and Dang claimed that they "have never informed producers of any kind of suspected misconduct."Coren also spoke to the outlet, claiming that Dang "never said [the producer] that she felt unsafe or experienced any of the claims she made" in the lawsuit. He also called Dan's false imprisonment claims "insane" and claimed that participants were always free to walk away from the show. "We don't tell people what to say or do, we consistently tell people that this is their journey, this is their choice and we are there to follow it," he said.

In a statement to people, Smith's attorney Kip Patterson tells Exit that they have not commented on the ongoing lawsuit.

In 2024/1, Variety and USA Today reported that Season 5 cast member Renee Poche filed a lawsuit against Netflix and production company Delirium TV, alleging that he tried to void the contract and "intentionally inflict emotional distress along with violations of various labor and civil laws in California."During her season, Posh was engaged to Carter Wall, who, per breed, landed a spot in the series despite being "broken, unemployed, and in need of help.",, Violent and addicted to amphetamines and alcohol.Poshet claims that he was put in a "dangerous situation" by being "forced to spend a long time alone" with the wall because his "erratic and alarming behavior and emotional instability became obvious to Poshet and the production staff.According to the lawsuit, some of the alleged erratic behavior included walls "regularly berating" her, soliciting painkillers and amphetamines and physically threatening a camera operator while filming at a Mexican resort.

She eventually ended the relationship, but her relationship with Wall was not included in the aired episode, even though in an interview in 2023/10 the pair claimed they had reached the altar. Poche also told Variety that Delirium "started a private arbitration against her for allegedly violating her confidentiality agreement" after she decided to publish her "traumatic" experience in the series.The production company is reportedly seeking88 million from a woman who earned a total of 4,000 from appearances in the reality series 8,000."

Netflix could not get comment on the above lawsuit, but Delirium TV did not respond to a request for comment. Wall, who is not listed as a defendant in Posh's lawsuit, does not speak publicly about his time that love at the time of publication is blind.

Per diversity, Poche is the first former cast member to challenge the legality of binding clauses ubiquitous in the real-world industry. Poshet, represented by power lawyers Brian Friedman and Mark Geragos, is fighting to protect the reality star from exploitation on behalf of the principal housewife Bethenny Frankel.