'Love Is Blind' 's Production Company Addresses Alleged 'Emotional Warfare' and Neglected Mental Health on Set
After claims of ignored suicidal ideation, panic attacks and scant food during 20-hour days, Kinetic Content issued a statement to PEOPLE: "The wellbeing of our participants is of paramount importance"
Love Is Blind's production company is addressing accusations that former contestants' mental health was disregarded during production.
Kinetic Content, which produces the Netflix dating show, has responded to a recent Insider article detailing the mental health struggles alleged by Danielle Ruhl, Nick Thompson and more Love Is Blind alum.
The Insider article alleged a lack of sleep, 20-hour filming days and general isolation — even off set — that participants claim was enough to send multiple former cast members into panic attacks while filming. Ruhl, who married Thompson in the show's second season (then later divorced him), also recounted a lack of food on set.
"The wellbeing of our participants is of paramount importance to Kinetic," the company said in a statement issued to PEOPLE. "We have rigorous protocols in place to care for each person before, during, and after filming."
PEOPLE also reached out to Netflix for comment.
In the Inside article, Ruhl claimed she fainted on one occasion while filming the pod portion of the show. After testing negative for COVID, she was allegedly expected to resume filming immediately.
Larger mental health concerns also fell on deaf ears, according to Ruhl.
"I kept telling them, 'I don't trust myself,'" Ruhl said. "'I've tried committing suicide before. I'm having suicidal thoughts. I don't think I can continue in this.'"
Thompson said he had a similar experience after filming: "I literally begged for help, and I didn't get it. Like, 'I want to fix my marriage that you've thrust us into for profit.' And it was nothing."
Another contestant, Jeremy Hartwell (who sued Netflix and Kinetic for labor law violations), said producers leveraged their knowledge of a former painful relationship for emotional moments on camera.
"I was bawling my eyes out. It was really embarrassing and distressing," claimed Hartwell. "They would elicit whatever emotional response they wanted, and they were very, very good at it."
Another former contestant also described the experience in stark terms. Briana Holmes told the outlet: "I thought I might find my husband. I had no idea it was going to be a lot of emotional warfare."
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Love Is Blind seasons 1–4 are currently streaming on Netflix. The show has been renewed through season 5.
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