Season 5 contestant Renee Poche blasts Netflix and production company Delirium TV for matching her with Carter Wall, who is 'actively addicted to drugs and alcohol.'
- Jan 4, 2024
AceShowbiz - "Love Is Blind" contestant Renee Poche is suing Netflix and production company Delirium TV over alleged "traumatic" experience while filming season 5 of the show. Filed on Tuesday, January 2 in Los Angeles Superior Court, the complaint blasted the companies for matching her with a dangerous partner, Carter Wall.
Last November, Delirium initiated private arbitration against Poche for allegedly violating her nondisclosure agreement. The company is seeking $4 million from her while Poche was only paid $8,000 for her appearance on the show. In response to that, Poche's lawyers Bryan Freedman and Mark Geragos are attempting to nullify her contract in her lawsuit.
In the lawsuit, Wall is described as a "walking red flag" who was allegedly "unemployed with a negative balance in his bank account, homeless, violent, estranged from his family, and actively addicted to drugs and alcohol." It also claims that Wall was violent throughout production, "regularly berated Poche," and "was emotionally abusive on and off camera" among other things.
Despite that, producers allegedly threatened legal action if Poche refused to move forward with her engagement. They also warned Poche about letting Wall be anywhere around firearms. Eventually, Netflix and Delirium decided not to air her relationship with Wall because the latter threatened to take his life if the footage aired.
Poche additionally alleges in the suit that filming the show made her feel "like a prisoner." She claims that production staff took her phone, passport and driver's license on the first night and kept her locked in her hotel room.
After the filming was over, Poche called it quits with Wall and started talking publicly about her bad experiences on the show. "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," Poche told Variety.
She continued, "I tried to deal with these emotions over time and eventually felt like I needed to share what had happened. I felt it was only right to let others know the truth of what all of the cast mates had to endure. I believe Delirium is trying to silence the abuse that occurs behind the cameras and ruin me for telling the truth."
