'Reality show participant from "Love Is Blind" files lawsuit against producers, claiming extensive control and domination over cast members'
In a recent development, Stephen Richardson, a contestant on Netflix's popular reality show "Love Is Blind," has filed a class-action lawsuit against the production companies behind the series. The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Monday, alleges labor violations and an unsafe work environment.
"Love Is Blind," which has been a hit for Netflix since its debut, is a reality show where single men and women search for love by communicating blindly through a wall, with couples kept apart until they establish an engagement. The show mixes up the matchmaking format with pods and unique hosts, as explained by creator Chris Coelen.
However, the lawsuit has Richardson as the named defendant along with "all others similarly situated." Richardson alleges that producers wrongly classified him and the rest of the cast, who he says regularly worked 20-hour shifts, to pay them less.
This is not the first time that the show has been hit with similar lawsuits. Renee Poche from Season 5 and Nick Thompson from Season 2 have filed lawsuits in recent years, with Poche seeking $4 million, claiming retaliation for speaking about working conditions. Last year, Jeremy Hartwell, a Season 2 cast member, sued Kinetic Content and Netflix for labor law violations and an unsafe work environment.
Anthony Solorzano, a contestant on Season 7 of the show, has also filed a lawsuit, alleging failure to pay overtime, minimum wages, and providing inadequate meal periods. A number of unnamed former cast members spoke to Insider in April 2023, alleging long production days, lack of outdoor time, inadequate food, mental-health services, and ignored pleas for help.
The lawsuit claims that producers exerted complete control over participants' time, schedule, and actions during and after the show, creating conditions that were "unsafe and inhumane." The accusers have alleged that they were subjected to long production days and inadequate conditions.
The production companies did not immediately respond to The Times' request for comment on the latest lawsuit. It remains to be seen how this development will impact the future of "Love Is Blind" and the reality TV industry as a whole.
