Renee Poche, a contestant on “Love is Blind” has filed a lawsuit against producers of the Netflix reality show for pairing her with a walking red flag and allegedly trying to bankrupt her for speaking out.
On the show, contestants go to separate pods to meet their dates, flirting and conversing through speakers while unable to see the other person. In order to meet in person, two contestants have to first get engaged and then are swept off to a Mexican resort for a vacation before being sent to their hometowns to plan the wedding.
Renee who appeared in season five of the popular reality dating show, filed a lawsuit against Netflix and the production company Delirium TV for matching her with a “lying, violent, emotionally unstable drug addict” and forcing her to spend long stretches alone with him despite her concerns.
Renee claimed her pre-determined match, Carter Wall, was unemployed, addicted to drugs and alcohol, estranged from his family, homeless, violent and dead broke when producers matched them up for the cameras.
She said she initially hit it off with Carter, but later found out he was lying through his teeth and was far from marriage material.
In her suit, Renee claimed the production put her through a rigorous background check and Delirium must have known about Carter’s “troubling issues” and “mental instability.” She said she became terrified to spend time with him but claims producers forced them to film together for long periods.
Renee claims Carter was emotionally abusive on and off camera, heavily abused drugs and alcohol and physically threatened a camera operator in Mexico.
She said producers threatened her with legal action if she did not move forward with the engagement, and when they got to his Texas hometown, producers warned her to ensure Carter had no access to firearms or weapons because they were concerned he would hurt Renee, himself or others.
Renee also claimed producers admonished her for not giving Carter a chance and encouraged her to keep filming with him.
Once the show wrapped, Renee said she was informed her relationship with Carter would be axed from the program and she claims it’s because Carter threatened to commit suicide if the footage aired.
Renee has since called off the engagement and spoken out about her experience in various podcasts, and she claims Netflix and Delirium are trying to ruin her for going public.
According to her, Delirium claims she’s violating her NDA and is seeking $4 million from her as a result, despite her earning only $8,000 to be on the show.
Renee said the NDA is actually unlawful and she wants a declaration from the court that the NDA is illegal, invalid and unenforceable. She’s going after Netflix and Delirium for damages.
