A former contestant on the US version of Love Is Blind is suing Netflix and production company Delirium TV, claiming she was treated 'like a prisoner' during filming. Renee Poche, who appeared on the show's fifth season, described her experience as 'traumatic' in a lawsuit filed in California.
According to the suit, production staff confiscated Poche's phone, passport and driving licence at the start of filming. She also alleges that fellow contestant Carter Wall, to whom she became engaged in the pods before they split, was abusive towards her both on and off camera. The suit claims Wall was given a place on the series despite being allegedly broke, jobless and homeless, raising questions about the show's vetting process.
Poche told Variety: 'My experience on Love Is Blind was traumatic. I felt like a prisoner and had no support when I let Delirium know that I didn't feel safe.' She added that she believes Delirium is trying to 'silence the abuse that occurs behind the cameras' after the company initiated private arbitration against her for allegedly breaching a non-disclosure agreement, seeking $4 million in damages.
Poche's lawyer, Bryan Freedman, described the contracts as 'illegal' and designed to protect production companies from liability. 'For years, the studios, production companies, and networks have wielded these contracts as both a sword and a shield, in a conspiracy to ensure silence from those who know the truth,' he said. Poche is seeking to nullify her contract and claiming intentional infliction of emotional distress, among other violations.
Separately, fellow season five contestant Tran Dang is suing Delirium and Kinetic Content for alleged sexual assault, false imprisonment and negligence, though she is not seeking to break her contract.
