Where are the Love Is Blind couples now? And where will they be in 5 years? EW speculates
Reunions are often awkward events, but imagine going to a sit-down interview reunion with a group of people you've dated. Also the Lacheys are there too, asking hard-hitting Qs you truly don't want to answer. Now that you've taken a second to ponder that unique hell dimension, let's talk about the Love Is Blind reunion special.
During the cringe-inducing 52 minutes, we learned that yes, all the contestants do think that love can be blind, but what else? Have Kenny and Kelly patched things up? Has Amber killed Barnett yet? Has Jessica made Mark apology Italian beef? And honestly, what IS Italian beef? We watched the reunion special and recapped the highlights for you, so you don't have to! Also, we had some fun imagining where the cast might be by 2025. Sure, it's not as riveting as talking to a wall, but we can't all be part of the Pod Squad. Enjoy!
Netflix LOVE IS BLIND Season 1, Episode 11
Kenny and Kelly
Where they are now:
After telling Kenny "I don't" at the altar, Kelly is still single. She seems okay, though, having made some career transitions and also dated a best friend since the show — a guy who just so happened to be a guest at her and Kenny's wedding! If you, like us, thought maybe there was hope for K&K beyond the wedding, you weren't alone. Indeed, Kelly even seemed to think there was a way back for the couple of Ks. "I did love you; I wasn't in love with you," she told Kenny on the reunion special. "I wanted to continue our journey of dating and getting to know one another and that didn't happen. It's water under the bridge now." Hmm, yeah, maybe one tiny little month is not quite enough time to commit to someone for life. Poor Kelly didn't even have the chance to throw a bridal shower — something that was v important to her.
Netflix LOVE IS BLIND Season 1, Episode 8
Kenny, on the other hand, is THRIVING post pod-life. "Not to sugarcoat it, but I could not be doing better," he told his fellow cast-mates during the special (Way to stick it to your ex, Ken!). "This experiment, whether I understood it or not, allowed me to find the person I'm with today. I have the best girlfriend for me." Sorry, Kells, K-dawg has firmly moved on. The relationship can only — at the most — be a little over a year old, but knowing Kenny's haste to get to the altar, we'll expect to see the engagement pics on Instagram imminently.
Where we think they'll be in 5 years:
After Vanessa Lachey endorsed him for president during the reunion, Kenny considered a political path for a minute, but then realized he could make more of a difference in another arena. Putting his new-found enlightenment to good use, the former commercial and architectural lighting consultant launched a series of vulnerability workshops titled, The Light Bulb Moment. He now travels the country giving inspirational speeches that advise all the straight men out there who are struggling to open up and make a real emotional connection. He even used his comments from the reunion as his mission statement: At The Light Bulb Moment, we're here "to impact others, to make them feel supported in times of fear, in times of doubt, because there's nothing we can't overcome." You heard him, NOTHING!
Not to sugarcoat it, but Kelly also could not be doing better — thanks very much! Having bonded over their petite statures, she and Mark delved further into the ever-growing health and wellness sector. Mark opened his own gym The Short Stop where Kelly works as the resident health coach. Stay low, aim high, folks.
Amber and Barnett
Netflix LOVE IS BLIND Season 1, Episode 10
Where they are now:
Very much alive — "Well, I haven't killed him yet!" quipped Amber to kick things off — and having a "wild time" of it! Still married, Amber and Barnett have moved into the new home — one of them will tell you it's because their old place was haunted, the other will tell you it was because of dust. (Which is the truth? Who can say.) Potential ghosts haven't been the only thing haunting the relationship, though. Both participants took a minute to settle into a committed marriage. "Y'all saw how he liked to flirt with everyone so obviously he was totally used to his bachelor life and I was used to my bachelor life too," said Amber at the reunion. "I think it took us a while to figure out how to hang out and party together. At one time I called about potentially getting the divorce lawyer. I was like, 'This isn't working.'" Add to that some financial strains with Amber having to depend on Barnett for support and, yeah, we're as surprised as y'all that, as Barnett put it, "it's nothing but really good things since then." Anyhoo...
Where we think they'll be in 5 years:
The wild ride continued! After saving up enough money from his Cameo shout outs (a steal at just $40 a pop!), Barnett, the dog aficionado, opened his own mobile pet grooming business, In the Dog House. Meanwhile, Amber started a non profit, The Foundation Foundation that raises Sephora debt awareness. All was going well until one fateful night at the local Chili's. When B got a little too flirty with the server over his Triple Dipper order...Well, let's just say, Amber's now the one serving, while Barnett's in traction for the foreseeable future. Hey, she did warn us she hadn't "killed him yet!"
Jessica and Mark
Netflix LOVE IS BLIND Season 1, Episode 8
Where they are now:
After the show wrapped, Jessica moved back home to Chicago to be close to her family to "heal up a little bit" and to "reflect and figure out how to change course." She's still single, but has recently moved to L.A. and has started dating again. She says she's "doing great" and we really hope she is. Looking back at the show, Jessica added that she "didn't really like the person" she saw and that she was "really uncomfortable and drinking too much." Whether her dog is also still drinking (too much), is currently unknown.
Mark is also doing great! He may still be single but the experience helped him grow. "As a man I learned more about vulnerability, communication and just more about myself," he said. "I think I can speak for everyone here that it was totally worth the price of admission." Jess one hundred precent does not agree with this statement, but okay. There's no beef (Italian or otherwise) between the former fiancés and they respect each other's decisions. (He's also unwittingly become the subject of two EW staff members' office prank, but that's a whole other story...)
Where we think they'll be in 5 years:
EW was delighted to debut Jessica's self-help book Love ISN'T Blind: How to Use ALL of Your Five Senses to Find a Mate back in fall 2023. While she's dominating the New York Times bestseller's list, Mark's having a blast watching his gym, The Short Stop, um, grow.
There's still no Italian beef to be seen — and no, that's not an innuendo...or is it?
Giannina and Damian
Netflix LOVE IS BLIND Season 1, Episode 9
Where they are now: "We're so together," said Giannina during the reunion. "Since the show, it's been such an amazing journey...to see how we integrate with each other's lives." Turns out, G and Damian kinda gamed the system. Damian believed Giannina was going to say no at the altar and so he would too, thereby freeing them up to walk away together and continue to date. That didn't quite go to plan when G said yes. It took a minute for her to forgive D for that slippery slop of a wedding day, but "looking back now, I respect his decision," she said. "Where we are now is so right for us. We can just date and he has his own place and I have my own place. We're getting to know each other at our own pace and it's just so refreshing."
Where we think they'll be in 5 years:
Gigi put her flare for the dramatic to use, by moving to L.A. and trying (and failing) to break into acting. Now, she's an adjunct professor of Social Media Influencing at USC. In her spare time, she maintains a Tumblr blog where she teaches men how to communicate with their girlfriends re: female pleasure in the bedroom. Step one: enunciate.
General Manager Damian is managing, generally. They are no longer a couple.
Diamond and Carlton
Netflix LOVE IS BLIND Season 1, Episode 2
Where they are now:
While she waits for Beyoncé to call her, Diamond is now working on her PHD. Yes, she's the most impressive of all these unseeing lovers. Meanwhile, Carlton is "working on Carlton." They're both single and Carl seemed to be holding out hope that maybe he and Diamond could patch things up. "On one end I feel very free, but on the other end, I'm very disappointed that it didn't end the way I wanted it to," he said. He's also been swimming since the series shot, diving to the depths of the swimming pool he threw D's ring into to retrieve it. We know this because he whips it out mid-reunion to use it to propose friendship to Diamond. "My sole purpose in coming here today... I wanted to make it clear that I am here for you no matter what was said and what we've been through," he told her before getting down on one knee. "Forgiveness let's us create something beautiful through the darkness and today I'd like it to be the start of creating something really beautiful." Cue Diamond sprinting from the room. We jest: She shed a tear but we're pretty sure a reconciliation is not in the cards.
Where we think they'll be in 5 years:
A regular on the reality TV show circuit, Carlton tried dating show after dating show for years, before realizing his real purpose is to help others find love. He soon became a casting agent for Love Is Blind and for Everyone, the Netflix show's LGBTQ edition.
Diamond is still waiting for Beyoncé to call her. In the mean time, she's landed her own reality show, Life After Love Is Blind: Diamond in the Rough. The series follows her journey as she opens a vegan restaurant, looks for love, and coaches other women through tough relationship altercations.
Lauren and Cameron
Netflix LOVE IS BLIND Season 1, Episode 10
Where they are now:
Still together! "Life for us has been really, really good," said Lauren at the reunion. "Each and every day is like our own little experiment because we're still learning things about each other. I've seriously never been as happy as I am with Cameron." They also got a "fur baby." It was the moment that dog-hating Cameron told his mother he planned to get one with Lauren, that his mom knew they were serious. The couple is considering parenthood and even Papa Speed is on board. He and Cameron have forged a strong relationship, you see. What else? They've been to Maine to see his family and, more importantly, "the deers," and all had Thanksgiving together last year where their dads bonded over whiskey and Cameron gave thanks to the wall that brought them all together. That last part may or may not be true.
Where we think they'll be in 5 years:
The biggest shock of Love Is Blind is that it did (in this one instance) work! Lauren and Cameron are still happily married and now have 25 dogs and three kids. Lauren continues to create content. After insisting that all his experiments must take place in pods (that's the only way to guarantee success!), Cameron was asked to leave the company where he worked as a “scientist” and decided to revisit his rapping career. Doing God's work, Papa Speed swiftly and firmly put a stop to that nonsense.
Nick Lachey
Where we think he'll be in 5 years: Nick is, obviously, still Nick Lachey.
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