“Love Is Blind” series creator Chris Coelen vehemently denies allegations from former cast members who say they were isolated, had their mental health concerns ignored and were provided with excessive alcohol, calling the claims “insulting.”
Coelen responded to the slew of accusations against the Netflix reality dating series in an interview with Variety, in which he called claims against the “disrespectful to anyone who’s participated.”
One of the first former participants to level allegations was Season 2 contestant Danielle Ruhl, who claimed the series failed to provide adequate mental health support in an Insider report. Ruhl, who married Nick Thompson from the show, alleged that she was cast despite the production team being aware of past suicidal ideations — which Coelen denied, saying in the interview that “unfortunately she didn’t disclose this before filming.”
Coelen also refuted Ruhl’s claim that while she was in Mexico, she experienced a panic attack and subsequently told the production team that she was experiencing suicidal thoughts and wanted to exit “Love Is Blind.”
“She didn’t inform the production team that she was having any thoughts of self-harm,” he said. “If she had, we wouldn’t have continued to film with her. She never asked anyone in production ever to leave the show. She was free to leave the experiment at any time, as many participants have in the past.”
He continued by encouraging all “potential participants to always prioritize their own well-being, above being on TV, or participating in this experiment, no matter how great the upside might potentially be.”
Coelen also denied allegations in the Insider report that stated the series did not give participants access to therapists on set, instead noting that the Netflix show always has two psychologists in the control room. He said once the engaged couples transition to their trip, they have access a 24/7 access to a specialist hotline. Further, the creator told Variety that Kinetic, the production company behind “Love Is Blind,” covers the cost of therapy following participant’s time on the show, and mentioned that Ruhl had been offered this service and “hasn’t taken [the company] up on this yet.”
Elsewhere, Coelen also addressed claims brought forward by Season 2 participant Jeremy Hartwell, who sued Netflix on the basis of “inhumane working conditions,” and pointed to “an excess of alcohol” on set.
“Every season, I say, ‘Listen, we’re here to try to make you and this journey feel as comfortable as possible, so that you have the opportunity, for real, to fall in love with someone,” he said. “I personally recommend that you don’t drink to excess, because I personally don’t think that’s a good way to connect with your potential spouse — especially doing it through a wall. Whether you want to drink or don’t want to drink, it’s up to you.”
