Netflix’s reality dating seriesLove Is Blindhas taken the world by storm. Hosted by very chill celeb coupleNickandVanessa Lachey, the series is based on the claim that people find stronger romantic connection through talking to one another rather than their looks. The series brought together singles from across the nation to participate in a social experiment to see if they could meet the love of their life without every meeting face-to-face, propose while still not knowing what the other person looks like, and make it through relationship milestones like moving in together and meeting the parents before getting married in just a few weeks.
Emerging from the thicket of singles were six couples who were, more or less, smitten with each other. Those couples were:Cameron HiltonandLauren Speed, an interracial couple who weathered tough conversations about race during their time on the show;Matt BarnettandAmber Pike, two lovable, confident oddballs who ran into tough spots around money late in Season 1;Damian PowersandGiannina Gibelli, a hot-headed couple who were on track one minute and wildly off-track the next;Kenny BarnesandKelly Chase, who were cute but played it pretty safe and chaste throughout Season 1;Mark CuevasandJessica Batten, a couple who felt sparks while dating blind but quickly fizzled out in the real world; andCarlton MortonandDiamond Jack, a saucy couple whose massive fight poolside while on vacation in Mexico is one of the best moments on Season 1.
Needless to say, the first season this Netflix reality series delivered deliciously messy results the likes of which I haven’t seen since the days ofFlavor of Loveand the earlyBachelorseasons. As a messy human who loves good reality TV drama, watching theLove Is Blindreunion specialwas, for me, a major highlight of 2020 so far. There were no less than six incredible moments from the special I just need to talk about with y’all below.
If you haven’t watched the fullLove Is Blindreunion special (what are you doing with your life?!), you can check it out below. Then, keep scrolling so you can check out the six major moments from the reunion we (and by “we”, I mean “me”) are still trying to process without our heads exploding.
Damian and Giannina Are Back Together
Damian and Giannina returned to theLove Is Blindreunion a year and a half after filming wrapped in 2018 and were able to finally confirm they had reunited as a couple. After a rollercoaster season marked by highs and lows including Giannina poignantly proposing to Damian, Damian’s family refusing to meet Giannina, and the couple constantly bickering over little things like how much they can use their cell phones in one another’s presence, it seems true love (plus the absence of huge cameras in their face 25/8) has prevailed. According to a recent interview withPeople, Damian and Giannina got back togetherthe same daythey broke up at their wedding and had a dramatic blow-out fight in an empty ballroom. Call this couple what you want, just don’t call them boring.
Kelly Dated a Friend Who Attended Her Wedding to Kenny
Kenny and Kelly were the stable, low-key, fairly vanillaLove Is Blindcouple. There were no major fights, cold shoulders, or awkward moments between these two wholesome adults. With big events like moving in together and meeting each other’s families going over equally well, it really felt like Kenny and Kelly would walk away from the altar as a married couple. Then, Kelly opted not to go through with the wedding after realizing her heart just wasn’t as in it as she thought and blindsided us all.
At the beginning of the reunion, Kelly and Kenny both shared big life updates. While Kenny has found love (no shocker there — he’s a catch!), Kelly revealed she briefly dated a friend of hers and that friend was actually in attendance at her TV wedding to Kenny. Sigh.
Amber and Barnett Moved Because Their House Was Haunted
Real talk: I loved Amber and Barnett’s journey onLove Is Blind. Seeing them still going strong after more than a year of marriage just warms my heart. This starry couple made the most of their time on theLove Is Blindreunion special. The obvious standout moment is Amber fully calling out Jessica for her shady behavior during Season 1, including repeatedly hitting on Barnett while out in the real world. But the moment I still cannot get over and have about 1,000 questions that still need answering relates to Amber and Barnett moving house. According to Amber, they moved because their old house was haunted. Barnett, bless his heart, casually writes off the haunting as “maybe it was dust.” What? How? Why? Guys, pleases explain yourselves!
Jessica Is Single and Working on Herself
Jessica is arguably the most polarizing of all theLove Is Blindcontestants. After making what seemed like a solid match with Mark, Jessica almost immediately began to self-sabotage out in the real world. She stayed emotionally distant from Mark, began to question the feasibility of a relationship with a 10-year age gap, and made a few shady passes at the already-claimed Barnett.
Now, a year and a half later, Jessica revealed on the reunion special she is still fully single and focusing on herself after moving from her hometown of Chicago to Los Angeles. Maybe it’s for the best.
Cameron and Lauren Have a (Fur) Baby
In addition to Amber and Barnett, Cameron and Lauren are the other super-smitten couple who have stayed married after filming onLove Is Blindwrapped. While chatting with the Lacheys, Lauren revealed Cameron got her a cute little fur baby. When asked if this was the first step towards starting a family, Lauren and Cameron coyly smiled before teasing they’ve discussed it.
Carlton Proposed to Diamond Again…as a Friend
Carlton and Diamond. Oh boy.
After that explosive fight poolside while on vacation in Mexico wherein Carlton revealed his bisexuality to then-fiancée Diamond, it was hard to tell if these two would ever willingly get in the same room again. Thankfully, theywereable to being in the same room and actually had a very touching conversation about where things went sideways on the show and why it was wrong to have escalated so quickly. After a veryheartwarming reunion moment, Carlton proceeded to make it slightly awkward once more when he got down on one knee in front of everyone, joked he wasn’t going to propose as Diamond looked on nervously, and then proceeded to propose the two be friends with the SAME RING HE PROPOSED TO DIAMOND WITH ON THE SHOW. All I can say is my face currently looks like Vanessa Lachey’s face in the above photo as I think about this moment.
