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Love Is Blind’s Blake Anderson Shares Why He Left the Show Early

News Moderator - Tomas KauerOctober 2, 202517 Mins read782 Views

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Love Is Blind’s Blake Shares Why He Left the Show Early (Exclusive)

Blake Anderson is opening fans’ eyes to the real reason for his early exit on Love Is Blind.

Despite forming connections with contestants Anna Yuan and Megan Walerius, the accountant abruptly walked off season nine of the Netflix show (out Oct. 1) without getting engaged—or even saying goodbye in the pods.

Now, Blake is sharing why he thought leaving was the “right thing” to do.

“Touching on that condensed timeline, you go into it and you’re skeptical,” he told E! News in an exclusive interview. “But you start going on these dates, and you’re having fun, you’re forming these connections, and you get optimistic. You start thinking, ‘OK, maybe, maybe this can work for me.'”

However, the 34-year-old soon realized he wasn’t going to be getting down on one knee for any of the women.

“Sometimes I am practical to a fault,” he explained, “and this case was no exception. You had that timeline in the back of your mind, and the days start ticking by, and I realized a proposal is probably not in the cards for me.”

Blake revealed that the Love Is Blind crew had encouraged participants to leave if they didn’t have strong connections.

“It was communicated, as I think it should be, throughout the experiment, if you’re not working towards an engagement, you probably shouldn’t be there,” he said. “So, I truly thought I was doing the right thing. I thought in the moment, ‘Hey, the best thing for you to do is to remove yourself from this experiment.'”

As he put it simply, “I didn’t feel like I was close to a proposal with any of my connections.”

Adam Rose / Netflix 2025

And although Blake stands by his choice to leave, he does have some regrets about how he departed so suddenly, with his castmates having unanswered questions.

“In hindsight, I didn’t play out the next steps, and when I learned the next day about how everything went down, [I] certainly felt like, yes, that was more clumsy than it could have been,” he admitted. “So, looking back, would I have changed that? Maybe. But I think ultimately I made the right decision for me.”

GREG GAYNE/NETFLIX

Find out what’s next for the other Denver singles when new episodes drop on Netflix Oct. 8.

In the meantime, read on for a status check on more couples from Love Is Blind:

Netflix

Lauren O’Brien and David Bettenburg: Not Together

Their romance failed to take off once the pair landed in Honduras, with Dave revealing he and his then-fiancée had mutual friends in common. But it wasn’t the similar inner circles that proved to be the problem, but rather, Dave’s hesitation in moving forward after they told him about Lauren hooking up with someone they knew before the show.

Not to mention, Dave also didn’t want to introduce Lauren to his friends and family, noting that his dad didn’t know of his engagement and that his sister—who became a big point of contention—disapproved of their relationship altogether.

Netflix

Monica Danús and Joey Leveille: Not Together

One of the most compatible couples of the season, most viewers assumed Monica and Joey would make it down the aisle and beyond. However, when it came to saying “I do,” Monica instead said, “I don’t right now.”

“In this moment, it’s 100 percent,” she said through tears, “and I just feel like we’re both, we’re not quite there.” As for Joey, he agreed with every word.

“That’s totally okay,” he explained after hugging her. “I think we both have a tremendous amount of love for each other, and that’s apparent. But I think there’s bigger things and bigger growth. And I agree, I don’t think I would be ready. And to be completely honest, I’m also not 100 percent at this time.”

Netflix

Ben Mezzenga and Sara Carton: Not Together

Though Ben and Sara seemed to disagree on major components of their life together—including religion and politics—by wedding day, the pair seemed to have gotten on the same page. But ultimately, they decided to end their shared story.

As Sara—who said I don’t to a future with Ben—explained, “Ben, I love you so much but I always wanted a partner to be on the same wavelength, and so today, I can’t. I’m sorry but I don’t want that to be misunderstood.”

She later added, “I know that the connection we have is so real and my heart is there, but when we talked about a lot of the values I hold so close to my heart, making this decision, my mind is telling me I can’t.”

Netflix

Devin Buckley and Virginia Miller: Not Together

Another couple who seemed to be focused on the road ahead post-pods, Devin and Virginia, got along perfectly fine—that is, until the topic of having a prenup came up.

But it was even bigger issues that proved to be enough for Virginia, leading her to ultimately saying no to spending the rest of her life with Devin.

“I think that in a lot of our relationship, I wanted to protect Devin,” she said, through tears, after the leaving the altar. “And I don’t know if that’s a cultural thing, but it’s always been important for me to protect him. So, there were even topics that he didn’t want to talk about, like politics, there were just certain things he just didn’t want me to push on. So there was just depths of our relationship that we didn’t get to. We just didn’t get there.”

Netflix

Taylor Haag and Daniel Hastings: Married

After all was said and done, there was at least one couple who did say yes to forever and a season of love past Christmas: Daniel and Taylor.

Though the pair seemed to face quite the hurdle (Taylor was convinced Daniel followed, then unfollowed her on Instagram before the show and therefore, knew what she looked like), they managed to clear that particular obstacle.

In fact, after exchanging emotional vows, the two enjoyed a beautiful wedding and celebratory reception.

“We did it,” Daniel said while sitting alongisde Taylor after their nuptials, with Taylor adding, “We’re so excited to start the next chapter.”

Netflix

Brittany Wisniewski and Leo Braudy: Not Together

Though the now-famed art dealer decided to pop the question to the Keeping Well author following his love triangle with Hannah Jiles, the pair ultimately decided after their short engagement, they were better off as friends.

“The chemistry just wasn’t there,” Brittany previously told People in a joint interview with Leo. “We had a talk in the beginning about how this could work and then time went on during the trip and the chemistry just wasn’t there and we mutually felt that. We’re very good communicators, so it was not a big ordeal. It was a very clean, respectful realization.”

Shortly after her appearance on the Netflix dating show, Brittany debuted her romance with musician Mod Sun in November 2024, but she confirmed in July 2025 that the pair had called it quits a few months before in April.

Netflix

Monica Davis and Stephen Richardson: Not Together

Monica and Stephen’s relationship came to a screeching halt when she uncovered “really kinky” sext messages sent between her fiancé and another woman, causing the pair to break up shortly after they arrived home from Mexico. As for Stephen, he apologized in the moment during episode eight, but he also shared a message on social media once the episode aired.

“I hope I didn’t ruin anyone’s day by existing,” he wrote on Instagram Stories Oct. 8, “and if I did, I’m sorry you had to wake up this morning. I wish you didn’t have to either. But I’ll love you all the same.”

Netflix

Hannah Jiles and Nick Dorka: Not Together

Once Hannah and Nick embarked on life outside the pods, the two had their fair share of ups and downs—and disagreements—to say the least. (Let’s not forget: “I think you get treated as an equal when you star contributing like an equal.”)

And it all came to a head when Hannah decided they wouldn’t make down the aisle. As for Nick, he called their breakup “one of the worst feelings of my life.”

Since then, Hannah has admitted the show forced her to do some self-introspection.

“I’ve learned a lot, I’ve learned there’s things I need to work on,” she said during an October episode of The Viall Files podcast. “For example, I am a very direct person. I know that but I think my delivery is rough. And I’ve learned that delivery is everything.”

Netflix

Taylor Krause and Garrett Josemans: Married

A match made in science-based heaven (i.e. those serendipitous tattoos), Taylor and Garrett clicked from the very beginning and just seemed destined to say, “I do.” Though they did hit a rough patch once Taylor found out he responded to an ex’s DM (according to Garrett, he confirmed he was engaged and shut it down), the rest is Love Is Blind history.

The pair were still married at the Love Is Blind reunion in October 20224.

Netflix

Marissa George and Ramses Prashad: Not Together

Yes, you read that right: Though Marissa and Ramses rose to become one of this season’s frontrunners of the couples who would make it, the latter ultimately called off their wedding after having second thoughts.

“We have a great future ahead of us, I want to marry you,” Marissa tells her fiancé after a sit-down to which he responds, “I understand falling love is a risk, I understand that.”

However, he noted their differences—which have included his stance on the military—may not be enough for them to work through. “After being married and seeing other marriages and hearing from other married people,” he added. “I just don’t think love alone is enough…I think there needs to be other things that are also working.”

As for Marissa, though she tried to navigate past their perspectives, once she confirmed it was over, she broke down into tears. “I don’t think you should’ve come to this experience,” she tells him. “How could I feel so sure? And you’re not? It sucks, I want you to choose me,” adding of their split, “This is the worst day of my life.”

Netflix

Tyler Francis and Ashley Adionser: Not Together

Tyler and Ashley quickly became a fan-favorite couple after viewers watched their relatively easy-going romance unfold. However, the couple hit a bump in the road once Tyler later shared that he had three children, which Ashley referred to as his “sperm donor babies.” (However, there’s online discourse over the extent of his involvement, which he has not addressed publicly).

By the October 2024 reunion episode, Ashley and Tyler were able to move past this fact and went on to not only reconnect—but in fact, become husband and wife.

“We started this journey two months ago and this changed our entire lives,” Tyler says while sitting alongside Ashley after their wedding. “Now, we get to spend the rest of our lives together.”

However, Ashley later shared that the pair had called it quits following over one year of marriage.

“After much reflection, I want to share that Tyler and I have been separated for several weeks and have now made the difficult decision to end our marriage,” she told People in a January 2025 statement. “While I had hoped for mutual understanding and transparency in our relationship, it has become clear that our paths are no longer aligned, making it impossible for me to continue in this marriage.”

Netflix

Alexandra Byrd and Tim Godbee: Not Together

Alex and Tim seemed to smooth over their major disagreement in Mexico over by the time they got back home to Washington, D.C. and seemed to be better than ever. In fact, Tim had an emotional meeting with Alex’s dad that seemed to cement their future.

However, after Alex met with Tim’s family, they got into yet another argument and Tim ended their engagement by telling Alex that he didn’t ever want to see her again. Since then, both have spoken out to defend themselves after the breakup, with Alex noting that their split was not “a mutual decision.”

Courtesy of Netflix

Chelsea Blackwell and Jimmy Presnell: Not Together

After one or two (or a few) fights throughout the season, Chelsea and Jimmy appeared to finally put their disagreements behind them during an amusement park date set right before their wedding.

However, Jimmy made it clear that he was ready for their rollercoaster ride to end, breaking off his engagement to a teary-eyed Chelsea—who was stunned at his decision.

“I love you to death and I want a relationship with you,” Jimmy told Chelsea on their date, “and it want it work so bad—but I don’t want to go to the altar. I can’t.”

As he explained, “We’re condensing it down to one argument, but it’s been like five or six really big issues that really hit home and hurt my feelings.” (One being that Chelsea revealed Jimmy’s secret about his past relationship with his female friend.)

And after yet another back-and-forth between the two over their respective ties with exes, Chelsea left for good in tears: “I was so hopeful for us.”

The pair were both single during the March 2024 reunion.

Courtesy of Netflix

Clay Gravesande and AD Smith: Not Together

While Clay expressed his hesitation to getting married due to his own outlook on his father’s infidelity, AD reassured him that they would prevail as a couple and all seemed to be well between the two.

But once faced with the task of saying I do to forever at the altar, Clay said I don’t instead, telling AD that it wouldn’t be “responsible” of him to get married knowing he wasn’t ready.

Cue the shock.

“I’m going to put the work in for you,” he told AD, “and we’ll go through this together. I don’t care what nobody says; I know fully I’m not ready for marriage and you deserve the best. And if I’m not ready to give you 100 percent, I won’t go there with you when I’m not ready…I can’t say yes right now.”

It was a revelation that made AD declare through tears that the relationship was a waste of her “f–king time.”

As for Clay, he also revealed that financial—and emotional—ties played a big part in him walking away. “I looked at myself in the mirror and said, ‘Am I a husband?’” he admitted, “and the answer was no. Am I deeply in love? The answer was no.’”

During the reunion, Clay expressed that he made a mistake and wanted to date AD, but she played coy on if she’d ever consider getting back together.

AD confessed that she did go on a couple dates with costar Matthew Duliba after filming wrapped, but they are not together.

Courtesy of Netflix

Amy Cortés and Johnny McIntyre: Still Married

The only season six couple who did say yes to forever? Amy and Johnny, who not only celebrated their new beginning with a gorgeous ceremony, but also seamlessly merged their families into one, with Amy’s dad sweetly telling Johnny’s sister that he feels like he has “multiple daughters” now.

As for Johnny, he too declared at his reception that his father-in-law was his “new dad.”

They were still married during the reunion episode.

Courtesy of Netflix

Brittany Mills and Kenneth Gorham: Not Together

Though their romance started off strong, Brittany and Kenneth’s relationship fizzled out once they returned to the real world.

As Brittany told Life & Style, “I think that it really took a different turn when we got back to Charlotte and got back home. And I think that our in the pods we were very, very passionate and very intense. And then coming back home, that intensity kind of died down a bit.”

The former fiancés remain friends, with Brittany saying at the reunion, “Although we are no longer in a relationship together, the bond that we have is going to last for an eternity.”

Courtesy of Netflix

Laura Dadisman and Jeramey Lutinski: Not Together

Laura and Jeramey’s engagement came to a fiery end once Laura learned her fiancé had reconnected with another pod mate, Sarah Ann Bick, during a night out. After their tense confrontation, Laura told Jeramey to kick rocks.

But instead of that, he went off to ride jet skis with Sarah Ann.

During the reunion in March 2024, Jeramey revealed he has been dating Sarah Ann off-and-on for a year—ever since filming the show—but they’ve since broken up.

Laura is dating someone else, who she did not identify at the reunion.

Izzy Zapata Jr. and Stacy Snyder: Not Together

While the season five couple seemed to have worked their way through various issues—including Izzy’s early connection with Johnie Maraist and Stacy’s high expectations about her lifestyle and plateware (no paper plates, please!)—Stacy cited Izzy’s dishonesty about his credit history as a major reason she chose not to get married.

Despite not saying “I do” at the altar, however, Stacy still wanted to remain in a relationship with the devastated Izzy.

“We’re at different spots,” he told her. “It really breaks my heart.”

As for Stacy, she was thankful to Izzy for opening her up “emotionally,” but she didn’t feel 100 percent about their future. “Fairly certain isn’t good enough for me to say yes for the rest of my life,” she explained.

Izzy is now dating surgical assistant Shelby Webb.

Milton Johnson and Lydia Gonzalez: Not together

Season five’s sole success story turned out less than ideal when Lydia announced on fellow alum AD Smith‘s podcast What’s the Reality in June 2025 that she had filed for divorce from Milton after less than three years of marriage.

“It wasn’t one thing,” she said. “It was a layer of situations and things that kept piling up. When I told him, ‘Hey, I’ll let you know when the divorce papers are ready,’ his response was, ‘I’m not going to sign the papers unless there’s an NDA.’”

“I’ve been quiet for too long,” she said of her decision to share the news publicly. “I needed to share my thoughts and my experience because what I’ve been suffering in silence has been too much for me to be quiet and keep quiet.”

Lydia said that during their marriage, women also accused Milton, 26, of “heavily flirting” and “buying drinks” for them at bars. Lydia shared that he denied the allegations but ““flipped it” on her, asking why she would “even entertain” the rumors.

Netflix

Paul Peden and Micah Lussier: Not Together

Opposites seemed to attract all season for this pair…until they got to the altar. Sensing Paul’s hesitation, Micah asked him to give his answer first and it was a pass on marriage for Paul.

“I literally feel like a disaster,” Micah said. “If Paul would have wanted to marry me, I 100 percent would have said ‘I do.'”

At the reunion, Paul apologized for his comment in a confessional about not being able to see Micah as a mother.

“I think I phrased that really unfairly toward her,” Paul explained. “I think the better way to phrase that would be that I can’t see us as parents.”

While the duo briefly reconciled after filming, they ultimately weren’t able to make their relationship work, with Paul explaining they broke up for good when he visited Micah in Arizona.

In After the Altar, Paul revealed he was dating a new woman who enjoyed traveling and his cooking skills. He eventually went Instagram official with eyelash beautician Geneva Dunham.

Netflix

Kwame Appiah and Chelsea Griffin: Still Married

Despite Kwame’s mother refusing to attend the wedding and his arguably inappropriate conversations with Micah, whom he also connected with in the pods, Kwame and Chelsea were one of the three couples to exchange vows at the end of season four.

During the reunion, Chelsea revealed she has since met her husband’s mom and Kwame offered an apology to his wife and her family for his behavior, saying his talks with Micah were “not the best representation.”

The couple is living in Seattle with their beloved dog Rocky.

Netflix

Zack Goytowski and Bliss Poureetezadi: Still Married

Sure, they say love is blind, but occasionally it needs a little bit of time—or proposing to another woman—to realize you made the wrong choice. Which is what happened when Zack initially got engaged to Irina Solomonova, only for the couple to break up during their trip to Mexico.

After asking Bliss for a second chance, the pair defied the odds (and Bliss’ dad’s wishes) and both said “I do” at the altar. (And, no, they did not sit it out, enjoying that all important first turn around the dance floor to Lee Ann Womack‘s “I Hope You Dance,” the song that bonded them in the pods.)

After the finale aired, Zack shared a photo of the couple on Instagram with the caption “Eternal Bliss.”

The couple shared in November 2023 that they are expecting their first baby, before welcoming daughter Galileo Terri Rayne Goytowski in April 2024.

Netflix

Brett Brown and Tiffany Pennywell: Still Married

Come on, not since season one’s Cameron Hamilton and Lauren Speed has an LIB pairing seemed so meant to be!

The oldest couple in the experiment—Tiffany was 36 and Brett was 37—exchanged vows, even though Brett had a sartorial emergency when his pants did not fit properly on their wedding day. (Shout out to seamstress Lucia, you’re a real one!)

Since filming wrapped, Tiffany and Brett moved to Portland and are still perfect! Phew!

Netflix

Raven Ross and Sikiru “SK” Alagbada: Not Together

After SK said “I don’t” at their wedding, he and Raven seemingly parted ways.

However, when the cameras stopped rolling, the former flames reunited, revealing they were dating again during the season three reunion special.

But a month later, the couple announced that “we have decided to go our separate ways” amid allegations that SK had been unfaithful. In a joint statement shared on social media in November, SK and Raven said, “Due to on-going legal proceedings surrounding these allegations, we cannot provide additional details and ask that you please respect our privacy during this hard time. Thank you for following our love story and believing in us.”

Netflix

Jackie Bonds and Marshall Glaze: Not Together

Fans watched with dismay as Jackie chose to give Josh Demas, the other man she connected with in the pods, a second chance, meeting up with him before ending her engagement to Marshall.

However, during the reunion, Jackie set the record straight on the timeline of events. “I broke up with Marshall before I met Josh at the coffee shop,” she said. “It looks like I’m a cheater. I am not a cheater.”

Jackie then addressed the end of her relationship with Marshall, saying she “can take accountability” for her words and actions. “We just weren’t meant to be.”

As for her romance with Josh? They were still dating and living together in After the Altar, but Jackie announced during a September 2023 Instagram Live that they had broken up.

As for Marshall, he told E! that he briefly connected with fellow contestant Kacia Clark after the show. “We tried,” Marshall explained, “But I wanted to just distance myself from all of that from that experience.”

In After the Altar, Marshall revealed he’s been dating girlfriend Dr. Chay Barnes for one year and wants to spend forever with her. They got engaged in December 2023.

Netflix

Nancy Rodriguez and Bartise Bowden: Not Together

Nancy and Bartise had one of Love Is Blind‘s more explosive weddings, but not because of the bride or groom.

While Nancy was ready to get married in the season three finale episode, Bartise revealed he was not so confident in their relationship. The update did not sit well with Nancy’s family, who unapologetically sounded off on Bartise.

Despite the drama, Bartise and Nancy have maintained an on-again, off-again friendship. “We’ve gone from being friends to being acquaintances,” he told E!, “to being completely no communication back to friends.”

And in April 2023, Bartisse, who appeared on Perfect Match, announced the arrival of his son, Hayden, though he hasn’t publicly shared the identity of the little one’s mom.

Several months later, he debuted his new romance with Cait Vanderberry on Instagram.

Nancy has also entered a new relationship, but has yet to publicly reveal her boyfriend’s identity.

Netflix

Alexa Alfia and Brennon Lemieux: Still Married

During the season finale, viewers watched as Alexa and Brennon got married in front of their loved ones.

In heartwarming vows, Alexa gushed, “You make me laugh, you make me think and, more than anything else, you make me happy.”

The lovers announced in January 2024 that they are expecting their first baby and welcomed daughter Vienna Ziva Lemieux in July 2024.

Netflix

Zanab Jaffrey and Cole Barnett: Not Together

Well, we can’t say we’re surprised by this breakup.

The two never seemed to be on the same page during their courtship, resulting in several skirmishes. Though Zanab and Cole made it to the wedding altar, Zanab declared, “You have disrespected me. You have insulted me. You have critiqued me. And for what it is worth, you have single-handedly shattered my self-confidence.”

Cole later reflected on their tumultuous relationship.

“We were going through all these bumps, but we were working through things and finding smoother waters,” he told E! News. “And so I was hoping that we would at least be able to continue after the wedding if we didn’t get married on that day.”

Netflix

Colleen Reed and Matt Bolton: Not Together

Colleen and Matt successfully exchanged vows in the season three finale.

Despite the highs and lows they faced during their courtship, the pair felt confident in their relationship and happily said “I do.”

On why she ultimately chose to go through with the wedding, Colleen told E! News in 2022, “As soon as I saw him cry and snort, I was like, ‘That’s my man.’ So I knew that I was going to say yes as soon as I saw him.”

However, the pair called it quits almost four years after their wedding. “This was an incredibly difficult decision, not one we made lightly,” they wrote on Instagram in May 2025. “It came with a lot of thought and it’s been an emotional process for both of us.”