Hot Topic
🔥 Full coverage and conversation on Love Is Blind
The hit Netflix reality show Love Is Blind is facing legal trouble, as a former contestant is filing suit against the show's producers over an alleged sexual assault.
People and Variety report that Tran Dang, a contestant who participated in the currently airing season — Season 5 — of the show, has filed a sexual assault, false imprisonment, and negligence lawsuit against Love Is Blind production companies Kinetic Content and Delirium TV, alleging that her then-fiancé Thomas Smith assaulted her while the show was filming in Mexico.
For those who are unfamiliar with how the show works, contestants are first housed in a facility for a number of weeks, where they go on dates with potential matches in "pods" that prevent them from seeing their matches. The idea is for contestants to develop an emotional connection with another contestant without any face-to-face interaction, ultimately leading to a sight-unseen proposal that launches the couples into a honeymoon and eventual wedding, where they decide at the altar whether to get married or break up.
Hot Topic
Obsessed with “Love Is Blind?” Us too. Let’s talk tea!
See our Love is Blind Discussions
As a result of this format, the "honeymoon" section of the show — which is when the alleged assault took place, according to the lawsuit — can put contestants in uncomfortable positions as it's the first time they've been in physical, face-to-face contact with their "fiancé," whom they have previously only spoken to, and only for a few weeks at most.
The suit alleges that the production performs "24-hour surveillance" of the contestants (previous seasons have included footage from mounted cameras in contestants' living quarters). Thus, the suit claims that "most if not all of these traumatic acts were filmed by the production crew and within their knowledge."
The complaint also accuses the production of "attempts to mask Plaintiff’s sexual assault by characterizing it as a lack of attraction on part of the Plaintiff." Dang allegedly approached a crew member about the incident but was left feeling as though she was "at fault" for "not communicating effectively," according to the lawsuit filing.
"We support and stand with victims of sexual assault, but Ms. Dang’s claims against the producers are meritless," said Kinetic Content and Delirium TV in a joint statement. "We document the independent choices of adults who volunteer to participate in a social experiment."
The statement also refuted the claim that the alleged assault would have been caught on camera: "Their journey is not scripted, nor is it filmed around the clock. We have no knowledge or control over what occurs in private living spaces when not filming, and participants may choose to end their journey at any time."
"We take any and all concerns of our participants seriously and prioritize their wellbeing," the statement continued. "Obviously, we cannot address undisclosed concerns, and throughout the time that Ms. Dang was involved in the production of Love Is Blind, she never informed the producers of any alleged wrongdoing of any kind. Nor did she choose to end her participation in the experiment. Instead, Ms. Dang continued in the experiment for weeks after the time her lawyers now claim an incident occurred. We deny and will vigorously defend the allegations against us."
Dang — as well as Thomas, who is listed as a defendant in the lawsuit — have not appeared in Love Is Blind Season 5, which premiered back on Sept. 22, and is still airing new episodes in the upcoming week.
For more about the lawsuit, the reports from People and Variety have additional information. Deadline also has a copy of the full filing.
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault, you can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 (HOPE), which routes the caller to their nearest sexual assault service provider. You can also search for your local center here.
Hot Topic
🔥 Full coverage and conversation on Love Is Blind