-[all cheering] -[indistinct chatter]
Hey, everyone, I'm your host, Vanessa Lachey.
-And obviously I'm Nick Lachey. -[chuckles]
-Welcome to the Love Is Blind reunion. -Yeah!
[all cheering]
[Vanessa] I love it. I wish you could feel the energy in this room.
We have seen all of our contestants fall blindly in love for each other.
They've connected emotionally and physically.
They have made up, they've broken up, they've made up
and some of 'em even made it down the aisle.
[Nick] We're here to catch up with the participants
and talk about the results of this blind love experiment.
And their reactions to seeing it all play out on screen.
It's just crazy to think that a couple months ago I was single,
I was livin' the life.
And the journey has just brought me here.
-Will you marry me? -Will you marry me?
Will you marry me?
-[woman] Yes. -Yes.
I will marry you.
[Cameron] I've spent every second focusing on finding my wife.
Oh, my God. [chuckles]
My favorite was Barnett. He made me laugh so much.
-Hi. -[Barnett] Oh, God.
[Jessica] I know we're gonna have a lot of challenges in the real world
but I wouldn't change anything about him.
You guys, it's so good to see you all again.
-Yes. -Yeah.
It feels like a family reunion. It's nice to see each other.
Like a true family reunion that you kinda don't wanna go to.
I think the first thing we should do
is kick this whole thing off with some quick updates from you guys.
Raise your hand if you are currently single.
[Vanessa] Okay.
Raise your hand if you are married to your fiancée from the experiment.
-Wow. -[Vanessa] All right.
-All right. -[Nick] All right, guys,
raise your hand if you are currently in a relationship.
-Okay, Kenny. -Yeah, I guess that would...
[indistinct]
Raise your hand if you are currently in a relationship
with your fiancée from the experiment.
-Yes! Okay! -[all cheer]
[Vanessa] What goes around, comes around. I can't wait.
I can't wait to get into this.
This is good already. We're barely started here.
Nick, I don't know about you, I'm gonna need some details.
-A lot more details. Yup. -A lot of details.
[Vanessa] We had Kenny and Kelly.
-Hey, guys. -Hi.
-[Nick] How's it goin'? -What's goin' on--
Yeah, so, I am still single.
Um, but I did a few career transitions since the show.
I also dated one of my best friends since the show. And...
-he was actually at our wedding. -[Vanessa] Oh, my God!
[Kelly] At our wedding.
[Vanessa] Wow.
I think since the show, it's been a lot of, um, self-growth.
From what I learned from this show, taking that into that relationship.
-How about you, Kenny? -I, honestly,
and not to sugarcoat it, but could not be doing better.
This experiment, whether I understood it or not,
allowed me to find the person I'm with today.
'Cause it allowed me to open myself up to truly be vulnerable.
And I have the best girlfriend, uh, for me.
And I'm sure you guys are documenting everything on camera.
I've learned that is not a good thing.
Amber and Barnett, you guys, you got married in our experiment
and you are still together. Fill us in. What's going on?
-Well, I haven't killed him yet. [laughs] -[Vanessa laughs]
Uh, we've been doing great.
Learning about ourselves while we've been traveling and doing fun stuff.
-It's been awesome. -[Amber] Learning about ourselves.
We did move closer to the city now.
Our house was haunted, y'all. Not a fan. [laughs]
She thinks it was haunted, I think it was dust, whatever.
[all laughing and exclaiming]
Ever since this show, we've been followed by bad spirits.
-Oh, my God. -[Nick] On that note...
What about you, Jessica, what have you been up to?
Honestly, you know, we've all just seen this all play out.
There were some really cringeworthy moments for me,
watching it back, that I've been able to reflect on.
It was kind of rough for me, when I realized that things weren't really
going the way that I hoped that they would.
So I took this past year, um, went back home to Chicago for six months
just be closer to my family and kinda heal up a little bit.
And kinda reflect and figure out how to change course.
And then, now I'm out in LA.
And, um, I've just recently started dating again.
-So, I'm doing great. -[Vanessa] I love that.
Carlton, what's been goin' on since the experiment?
I've really just been working on Carlton.
Um, I'm single still. I've taken some self-reflection.
Obviously, what happened on the show was major in my life.
It was very important to me to preserve my personal space and my mental space.
Because subject matters like that could take you down a dark road.
In the back of your mind, you're thinking,
"Oh, my God, did I really just share my entire life?"
Like there's no other secret.
-You get what I'm saying? -Yeah.
On one end, I feel very free since doing the show,
but on another end, I'm just very disappointed
that love didn't work out the way that I wanted for it to.
-What you did in confronting that... -[Carlton] Mmm-hmm.
...and doing that on a television show like this
takes an incredible amount of bravery.
-Thank you. -I know we were all
-very proud of you for doing that. -Thank you so much.
-Still processing it. -[Nick and Vanessa] Yeah.
It's kinda weird sometimes, but I'm proud, at the end of the day.
Damian and Gi, so y'all are together? Please dish.
We are so together. Every single day, waking up next to each other
and going to the gym together.
I don't wanna lose this. I just don't.
-[Nick] That's awesome. -And I didn't.
Okay. So, Diamond, how've you been since the show?
I've been great. I've been waitin' on Beyoncé to call me.
No, I'm just kidding.
'Cause everybody's been lovin' that for some reason,
that I quoted her. But anyways, back to me. [laughs]
Everything's been great. I'm workin' on my PhD.
-I'm going back to school. -[Nick] Congratulations.
-Thanks, guys. -[all cheering]
And I know each and every one of us can say
that this was a very hard thing to open up to the world
and allow people to come in and being judged.
And we have to really take that all in and also try to be able to cope with it.
Yes. Especially in this day and age when you've got those keyboard warriors.
-But we'll get to those. -Exactly.
Lauren and Cameron, you guys, just like Amber and Barnett,
found love in this experiment, got married and are still together.
-Still together. -What's happening? What's goin' on?
Life for us has been really, really good.
Each and every day is like our own little experiment.
Because we're still learning each other,
even though we've been married for over a year now.
Trust me, that never stops.
I've seriously never been as happy as I am with Cameron.
He makes me so happy.
Can't wait to dive into that love story. I'll come up here to Mark.
-How are you? -[Mark] I'm good.
As a man, I think I learned more about vulnerability, communication
and just, I don't know, just more about myself.
I think I can speak for everybody,
it was totally worth the price of admission.
-Mmm-hmm. -And, yeah, life's been good.
-And you're single now. -Yes, I am single.
Guys, it's probably one of the most asked questions,
but how was it dating in the pods?
I know I said myself a lot that it was, uh...
possible that this could work for me,
but I honest to God didn't think it was probable.
I went on this show thinking, "It's a chance to find love. Why not?
-Let's see what happens." But-- -[Cameron] Yeah.
Hey, I was as skeptical as anyone was probably watching coming into this.
Is there anything that in a pod, you were like, "This is not the one"?
-It was an instant-- -Mmm.
-Me and Barnett. -No.
He was like, "Oh, Diamond, you're a stripper." She was like--
Nope.
If you'd have given me a second chance, I...
He's still tryin' to be smooth.
Barnett, you had enough going on as it was.
And I'm so sorry that I fell asleep on Amber. I'm so sorry.
Okay, in all fairness, in this process, it was exhausting.
And the second date--
-She was all over me on the second date. -Get outta here.
-[all laughing] -Nobody got to see Carlton say,
"My God, you're so interesting. I wish I'd known this on the first date."
Okay? So, no, I am not boring.
Barnett and Diamond, you guys didn't connect,
-but as I mentioned... -I love you, Barnett.
...you had a pretty active thing going on in terms of dating in the pods.
-There was a lot goin' on there. -I dated, like, 15 women.
-Yeah. -Should we watch a clip?
I think we should watch a clip.
Me and LC were very freakin' similar and it's like,
what's goin' on here? [chuckles] Why are we so alike?
With Amber, she excites me but she also scares the livin' hell out of me.
-[Jessica] Hey, B. -Hey, girl.
Yeah, I think Jessica is my number one.
Because every time I talk to her, there's like mad goosebumps.
I love everything about these girls but all in different ways.
And I'm like, "What the hell? What am I supposed to do?"
Let's talk about this.
Now, we just watched that clip and seein' how secure
Amber and Jessica and LC all felt about their relationship with you in the pods,
watching that and looking back, would you have done anything differently?
Actually, no. The last couple years before I went on the show,
I was kinda emotionally empty.
I had no connections. I couldn't figure myself out.
-Excuse my spit. But, um-- -[Nick] Can we get a napkin, please?
So smooth.
-[Nick] Or a bib. -Or a bib?
[all laughing]
Anyhoo, um...
It's really crazy to go to a place where you actually start opening up
and you feel people accepting your emotions
that you've never really shown to anybody.
-It's just... It was kinda crazy. -[Nick] Yeah.
I think most people could attest to that.
Um, that I'm not super good with girls, actually.
So it's kinda funny to see it, but, I don't know. I guess it's just like...
When you think back to it and... and... you're sittin' there trying to figure out,
like, who, you know, would be the best wife,
you kinda wanna see what they think about even getting married.
I may not have used the best words.
Like saying that I would propose to you tomorrow or somethin' like that.
But I feel like it gives you a good idea of how someone's gonna react
to the thought of even marrying you. So...
Do you have any regrets with how things went down?
I always regret everything I say.
-[Nick] Ha! -[Amber chuckles]
I mean, no, I don't regret anything, really.
I think that maybe there are better words to use to fill those feelings out.
But, I mean, really, I don't regret it. 'Cause it got me to where I am today.
Everyone has a different path that they take on something like this.
And that was your... That was your journey.
And I see him cracking his knuckles, and I feel you.
I'm a little uncomfortable.
You guys are actually seeing this process. And for Amber, you knew.
You knew, 'cause on the women's side... You knew this.
There was a very strong sense of girl power over there
and we were all leaning on each other a lot.
And we were very supportive and open about who we were all interested in.
And when it got to the point that LC and I realized
we both really cared about Barnett, we came to a mutual decision.
Like... can we just not talk about our dates with him?
And she was really respectful about that.
So, Jessica coming out of left field tryin' to tell me
that he proposed to her that night...
Maybe he's having issues.
But he told me that he doesn't know what he wants.
That he's fucked up in his head. That's what he told me.
After last night, he told me that he was gonna marry me.
I was not happy. I confronted Matt about Jessica.
And I said, "What the hell? What's going on here?
What are you thinking? What are you doing? What do you do want?"
He told me he was trying to figure things out and feel it out,
and that he shouldn't have said that.
That wasn't how he meant it. I'm like, "Okay, that's not how you meant it."
I believe you. That was all... I trusted him.
As far as I was concerned, that was nothing after the fact.
So to see her throwing herself at him in Mexico...
Bitch, you're shiesty. You're so fake.
Comin' to my face like we were cool. You were so fake.
I think you're a very disingenuine person.
And I hope seeing this, you do grow from it.
Because the world does not need women going behind people's backs like that.
You were engaged to another man that you were leading on.
He was engaged. He made his choice.
Anyhoo, so no, I'm not super happy seeing that.
But I would have been a lot more comfortable
had somebody else said, "Hey, I'm still having feelings for him."
Do you think you should have come forward sooner?
Do you think, "I still respect the way that I kept it to myself"?
Yeah, I mean, [clears throat] for me, um,
obviously there's... To go back to kinda Barnett's point,
that I really wanted to see how my relationship was with everyone.
Everyone needs to realize that this was days, not weeks,
to find a connection to spend forever with someone.
So I really wanted to vet everything out.
Obviously, I was rejected by Barnett. I didn't take that very well.
Seeing that play out is brutal, you know?
So I was really trying to keep myself open
and work that all out. I don't think that necessarily played out.
But I do definitely owe a major apology to you, Amber, and to Barnett.
Who... I super respect them both. I respect their relationship.
Um, and, you know, definitely was not good of me to even ever question that,
so I apologize. And I have nothing but the most respect for you both.
I wish you nothing but the best.
I'm just happy that I was able to participate
in an experiment where this does work out.
And there are happy married couples. It's...
I have no hard feelings towards you whatsoever. At all.
I have a whole lot of respect for you for coming here and being a part of this.
-Thanks. -[Nick] And being big enough to to say,
"I messed up and I apologize."
I wanna clear this air. If she is apologizing,
do you accept that apology
or is there something that you're like, "I wish that this would've happened
-so that we can all move on"? -[Amber] My...
I had a full understanding of what this experiment was.
And I knew that she may have had a crush on him still.
And the fact that she was going to him behind my back with me in the same room,
saying things like, "Are you sure this is what you want?"
Yeah, that bothered me. Because if you still have feelings for my husband
and you're engaged to my friend,
the least you can do is be honest about where you are at.
I fully believe in being up-front. I have no filter,
as you guys have seen. I have no filter. So, what I needed
to be okay with this was for her to say,
"Look, I'm still feeling him. I'm still confused."
So that I'm not sitting there looking like a fool,
thinking we're cool, we're friends.
[Vanessa] I don't know that you looked like a fool,
'cause you got the guy, but she had her process.
Do you accept an apology or are you like, "I still need a minute to process"?
I accept the intent behind the apology.
-I can't be fully there yet. -[Vanessa] Yeah.
-That's okay. -[Nick] Well, the process continues.
All right, every one of you sitting here today
decided to choose to spend the rest of your life with someone sight unseen.
Let's hear more about what was going through your minds
when you saw each other for the very first time.
-[exclaims] -Yeah.
[chuckles]
[all exclaiming]
-[Vanessa] Yeah, D-money! -[Nick] Smooth. Smooth.
Who surprised you the most when you guys saw them in person?
Because you obviously talked to everybody. Everybody dated.
Even for that speed date round, everybody dated.
So who did you see that you were like, "Wow!"
I'd say Lauren. Honestly. 'Cause you and I talked, I think, twice. We dated twice.
Um, no, I mean, you're captivating, you're stunning. It shines through.
I can agree to that. It is funny. I love you, Cam, but--
[all laugh]
It is, because me and Lauren, I think we dated every day
up till the point of engagement.
-We dated every single day. -We did.
We had the best conversations.
We would laugh all the time.
-We started to talk in a Star Wars voice. -[all laughing]
We really did.
Wait a minute. We gotta see a Star Wars date right now. What's your voice?
It's like, [in squeaky voice] "Hey, Damian."
And I was like, [in throaty voice] "Hi, Lauren. Hi, Lauren."
I was trying to do Yoda, but I'm not getting casted for Star Wars.
I was really surprised to see Mark.
I really was. He actually is really attractive.
-Like, he's a good-looking guy. -[Damian] Rico Suave.
[all laugh]
He wears his heart on his sleeve.
I really thought he was a beautiful person.
You know, y'all are both single, right?
We have a pod in our garage. You guys wanna come over?
But we've already seen each other, so...
We've talked lot about the emotional connection
that all of you, I think, found on this show.
But you guys took that emotional connection
and you developed a physical connection
and obviously with that, face time, you know, brings new challenges,
brings new obstacles to light,
and reality really started to sink in.
Let's see right here.
-[Carlton] Diamond... -[chuckles] Yes.
Will you be my wife?
[Diamond chuckles] Oh, my God.
Will you marry me?
[Diamond inhales deeply]
[chuckles] Oh, my God.
-Yes. -[Carlton] You will?
[Diamond] Yes.
Baby!
[Diamond crying]
-All the way... I saw suspense. -I know, right?
What is it like, Carlton, Diamond, to see that?
I get emotional. I really do.
Because to actually hear someone actually say, like...
"Do you want to be my queen? Do you want to be my wife?"
I've never heard that before.
And to hear those words, you know...
A lot of us have been wanting that for a long time.
You could see I was crying like a baby
because I've never heard those words. I didn't even know how to respond to it,
other than that I knew I wanted to do this.
-And Carlton, you said it's a lot-- -Yeah, it's a lot. It's a...
I think it just goes back to, like,
no one will fully ever understand
what was going through my head in that moment.
That day, still to this day by far,
is the happiest day of my life.
Like to the point where I'm actively trying to, like, top it,
so that we can just move to the next chapter of my life.
Well, as we all know,
once Carlton and Diamond got to Mexico,
the relationship shifted almost immediately
and it came to a head
the morning after you, Carlton, opened up to Diamond
about your past relationships.
I'm okay with or without this situation. I am okay.
What? I ain't got time for this
-because you have a bad attitude. -Go ahead, throw it.
-This is not for you. -Go ahead. Have your moment.
You have your moment.
I don't care if you're not fucking with me.
I gave you your ring back.
I don't give a fuck about a ring!
-Fuck a ring! Fuck a ring! -I didn't do that.
This is why I don't deal with bitches like you.
Oh, I'm a bitch now.
You gon' call me a bitch in my face?
-I don't deal with women like you. -Fuck you! Fuck you. Fucker!
-[Carlton] Nah, fuck like me. -[Diamond] Fuck you!
-[Carlton] Bye. -Good luck.
Watch my ass to the next dick, boy.
Nah, watch your wig, 'cause it keep sliding.
[Diamond] Who the fuck do you think I am?
[Carlton] Your wig been sliding...
You ain't married to no average bitch!
[Carlton] Peace out!
-[Nick] Hmm. -Okay.
First of all, I want to thank both Carlton and Diamond
-for coming here for the reunion. -[Nick] Mmm-hmm.
I know that this has been hard.
Kind of what I was talking about earlier, we have a lot of keyboard warriors
and a lot of the fans have voiced their opinions.
I'll start with you, Carlton. How are you feeling being here?
Um, so, it's very awkward.
It's obviously something new for me.
Um, like, I've gotten death threats.
It brings you to a very dark space.
Um, the biggest misconception is that fluid people are just like rabbits.
Just hopping around, sleeping with everyone,
talking to both parties at the same time
and that we have no self-control sexually
and I think it's very unfair.
And it's a very ignorant assumption for anyone to make.
Out of everything, I think, I've been more concerned with Diamond.
And like, her backlash and I just want to make it clear that
the woman that I fell in love with, I don't...
I've never felt that she was biphobic, homophobic.
Um, or that she wouldn't love me.
I just was afraid that we would have some issues
that we would have to work through.
The types of feedback that I've been getting online,
it's no reflection of who I am.
Now, do I deserve some of the feedback?
Yes, I do. Because I made a horrible mistake
and indirectly called her out of her name.
That is something that should've never happened.
There's no excuse.
Um, and I told myself, you know, before the show start,
I want to at least be comfortable with him in the same room.
And I didn't want any animosity or any tension towards us.
I felt like I could at least do that. At least hear what he has to say,
and then he did apologize.
Who initiated that contact?
I think it was, like, "Happy holidays" or your birthday?
That's how we were able to move forward and even be here.
Because like he said, he was getting remarks
and people attacking him.
I'm getting the same thing. I've gotten death threats as well.
I've gotten a lot of-- Been called those names.
I was really hurt by that.
And I'm like, "Why would they... People are seeing it
in a totally different perspective."
My goal right there in that scene
was to talk to him and understand 'cause I didn't know about it.
You know, I didn't want it to get crazy and out of control
and me going off and coming out of my character.
'Cause that's not who I am.
Um, although, if you mess with me,
I do have a tendency to, like, put my foot down.
[Vanessa] You were just spewing words and I know,
sitting here, watching you watch that, you're mortified.
-You're like, "This is not me." -Mmm-hmm.
So, if you had an opportunity now to write that scene,
and I'll start with you, Diamond, what would you want to say?
So, I guess, in my way,
I should've approached it differently
and been more comforting.
And maybe approached it in a way of saying that, you know,
"I respect you as a person."
-[Vanessa] You all right? -Yeah, I'm good.
[Vanessa] Would you have told her sooner?
Do you think that would have made a difference?
I would have done, you know, whatever it takes
to be sitting on the couch as happy as these people,
even these people. [voice breaks]
I would've done whatever it took
had I known then that that's what it took to sit here happily married.
You know?
-To her? -Yeah.
I think that, um, in that moment, I felt I went back into my shell.
It was a shell that was difficult breaking out of,
not to mention in front of the world. Um...
And once something just felt like it wasn't right,
I immediately let fear sink in and like,
"Oh, I have to go back into...
'Carlton's the only person who will defend Carlton
and understand Carlton' mode."
And that has translated into my everyday life.
Sometimes, people may say, "Oh, he's so to himself.
He's so standoffish." It's not that I want to be,
it's just like that whole fear of rejection
and being judged for something that's...
Why do we have to be judged for who we love?
Like, that's so lame to me.
Even now, I could see people going,
"Well, now you've cleared the air, so you're good, right?"
What is like that now for you to sit here across from him?
I mean, no woman...
I know you wouldn't allow him to disrespect you like that.
I see your love. I see you guys are really passionate about each other.
And, um, I always felt like a man should always have his woman's back.
We couldn't even just have an open communication.
Just to be able to say,
"Hey, this is me. Let's move forward. Let's move past this."
And just that disrespect as to myself, I could never probably let that go
and move past that.
And I think that it's fair now to say that you probably won't get back together
because you feel you're that hurt and you're that disrespected
-and that was a red flag for you. -Yes.
I think what I'm hearing from both of you is
regret that that scene ever played itself out.
It's disappointing that, like, you know, there is a line drawn, um...
because my sole purpose of coming here today,
as much as I didn't want to,
I wanted to make it clear that I am here for you.
No matter what was said or what we've been through,
at the end of the day, you're like my ex-fiancée in real life.
Forgiveness sometimes means,
let's create something beautiful through all the darkness.
And today I would like for it to be the start of, um, creating something...
really beautiful.
And I'm not proposing to you, before you, like, uh...
-[all laugh] -Oh, my God.
She's looking at me like, "Are you really going to do it?"
[all laughing]
I want to get down on one knee and just apologize again, um...
at eye-level.
And I hope that you take this ring again as
a significant piece of our friendship and the start of something beautiful...
um, without any type of, like, plan, or like, "This is our plan of action."
-Look familiar? -[Diamond chuckles]
-Did you go in the pool for that? -[Carlton] I sure did.
Sure did.
I do. I accept your apology. And I do forgive you.
All right. I'm supposed to put it on your finger first.
Oh, okay.
[all chuckle]
It don't fit anymore. There we go. Okay.
-Thank you. -Thank you.
[both chuckle]
-Here's the box. [chuckles] -[Diamond] Sure.
[Nick] Wow.
I'm never speechless.
Trust me, never happens.
-That was lovely. -I don't know what to say.
-Thank you. -[Nick] That's what today's all about.
Well, another relationship that had everyone talking
from the moment she proposed to the moment he said, "I don't."
Giannina and Damian.
[crying] I want to ask you, Damian Powers,
will you marry me?
[cries] I will marry you.
I'll marry you, too.
I needed someone strong
'cause I need to be able to really be me.
[Damian] I felt closer and a stronger connection with her
than I have anyone else before.
You guys were fiery from the get-go. There was a lot of passion.
Damian, had you ever dated someone like Gi before?
I could combine all of them together and it'd still be no.
[all laugh]
Well, so, Gi, you... The proposal heard around the world.
Did you know you were gonna get down on your knee and propose to Damian?
Or did that just happen in the moment? In the pod, like, "I'm doing this."
I had no idea I was going to do that.
-Really? -I didn't.
-What I... -[Vanessa laughs]
I mean, I wish I could say, like,
"Yeah, I was going to propose to him and..."
But I...
Everything that Damian was saying to me while we were in the pods,
he always spoke about wanting to find his equal
and that's always what I wanted too,
and that's what made me say we're soul mates.
It was the first time where I felt like,
"If he says yes, then okay." Like, we're so in this
and it's not even funny how we're going to be in it.
'Cause it was just... He sees me and he gets me.
Yeah. But then you go all the way to the wedding day.
Do you think you and Damian weren't ready?
I mean, yeah, I...
Looking back, I respect his decision. Um...
I feel like where we are now is just... It's so right for us.
Where we can just date
and he has his own place, I have my own place.
And we're getting to know each other at our own pace
and it's just so refreshing.
And it hurt so much,
but it's all about, you know,
"What can I do with that?" And "What did I learn from that?"
Yeah.
Well, you mentioned that. It was hard, I think,
for all of us to watch both of your emotional reactions to that day.
You blamed everything on me, and all I did was tell you how I felt,
and I wanted to work everything out with you.
-Gi. -I wanted to work it out so bad.
This is you running--
-So bad! -I'm trying to talk to you right now.
I know what happened was embarrassing and you'll never forgive me for it.
And I'm sorry.
You messed up.
Honestly... [sniffles]
That was such bullshit.
[sniffles]
You can take your bow back.
I mean, looking back on that,
would you have done anything different on that wedding day?
No.
Why not?
It was definitely a strong love from the beginning.
We pushed through a lot of challenges, as did everyone here,
but I wanted it every day since the day I told her I loved her in the pod.
And it turned into our love story, but...
she was in and out of it so much.
You know, the butterflies aren't there, the stuff, even like the sex conversation.
But getting to the day of the wedding, me and her had talked,
and I said, "Look, no matter what happens, we leave this together."
And she's like, "Yeah, we do."
When she said "I do," I didn't...
I didn't expect that. Um...
I thought she was going to be the one to say, "I don't"
and I was going to say, "Okay. I don't either. I'll walk away with you."
I wish I could take the pain away from her that day, and the hurt,
um, and the embarrassment, you know,
to her family and friends, I'm sorry
that I ever put her through that. [voice breaks]
I am. And to you, I'm sorry.
Um...
But that was the hardest decision I've probably made in my life, honestly.
And I would stick by it again because of where we are now.
So, okay. I love, love that you are proving that love is blind.
This is beyond the show.
And how has your relationship evolved since we stopped filming?
So, I mean, right after...
There was a lot of things that we both needed to come to terms with.
You know, I was so afraid of driving this person away
that I was just instinctively doing it anyway.
I guess, like, the whole thing of me is that
I self-sabotage and I'm aware of that.
And, um, I felt because we were in the pods
and we would communicate so well that he could instinctively tell.
But he couldn't read my mind, or know these things.
So when I felt frustrated, I just let it out
in very, you know, non-constructive, insensitive ways.
And especially looking back at it now,
it's just like, how did you ever, you know,
come about and be so calm and patient with me?
And I really just want to take that time to apologize to you and...
[voice breaks] I never wanted to hurt you, either.
[sniffles] You know, we both have expressed ourselves in really hard ways.
Um, but since the show, it's just...
It's... it's been such an amazing journey with you.
To get to know you
and to see how we integrate with each other's lives
and my friends and family love you. [chuckles]
And so it was just all these fears that
were never there in the first place. So...
So, I'm so happy. [sniffles and chuckles]
I love that you guys have the wherewithal to be able to see your faults.
And I don't mean that in a negative way. But to see what it is you have to work on.
I'm so proud of you guys. And I love your love.
Well, Kelly and Kenny
were a couple that seemed solid from the beginning.
But as the experiment went on, fans were surprised to see
that maybe things weren't as perfect as they initially seemed.
We were able to make this commitment to each other
and then we haven't, you know, had sex yet.
I know how I feel about it. Like, how do you feel about it?
We are just so perfect on every level.
-Right. -And I just
don't want to throw that in the mix just yet.
That's why I say I'm not in love with him,
because if I was in love, I would have that infatuation,
like... nothing else matters.
The emotion was there because there were senses of guilt,
senses of embarrassment,
you know, getting my friends and family involved with it. Uh...
Didn't even know how this would ever come to fruition
and be portrayed to the masses.
And honestly, it doesn't matter.
So, I love the fact that I was able in that moment to share that.
I think about all the takeaways I went through on the show,
I've applied to my current relationship,
and I've been able to be vulnerable and I've received it.
My takeaway at this point is that I am not embarrassed by anything,
uh, and that is why I'm supposed to be here.
To hopefully impact others
to make them feel supported in times of fear, in times of doubt.
'Cause there's nothing you can't overcome.
I say Kenny for president.
[woman] Right?
[Vanessa] So, um, Kelly, it was hard.
At what point did you know you were gonna say, "I don't."
-Right, um... -I can see now how emotional you are.
[voice breaks] Yeah. Um...
[Kelly crying]
I mean, from day one
of watching the show back,
it's definitely brought up every emotion.
I cry not just from my journey but Carlton's.
Everybody made me cry. [laughs]
I think with Kenny and my relationship, I think we both agreed to an "I don't"
way before the wedding.
And for me, it's like, although, yes,
I was not that girl that planned everything of her wedding to a T
as, like, a dream. "This is how my wedding's gonna be."
But, like, I imagined how my wedding would be.
I wanted a bridal shower. I wanted those things.
I wanted the conventional. And, you know, I'm, like...
You guys, like, I just... I don't know how you did it.
I kept saying, "My head and my heart are not connecting.
My head and my heart are not connecting. They're not in the right place." And...
I think something for me is that, what I have learned,
what I have reflected on, is the fact that...
[voice breaking] Kenny, you were amazing.
You're a great guy.
And I did love you. I did love you.
I was not in love with you, as we mentioned, but...
I did love you, and I wanted to continue our journey of dating
and getting to know one another, you know?
That didn't happen, and it's water under the bridge now,
and I'm so happy for you and your relationship,
but, um, I think I just needed time.
For me, it's like, again, Kenny being such a great guy,
I have friend-zoned a lot of those great guys in my life,
and those are probably all the guys I should be marrying. [laughs]
Now, it's like, "Kelly, stop thinking, 'Well, we attract who we are.'
Put it out there into the universe, like,
what are you gonna accept now into your life?"
Yeah. A love story that ended in two "I dos"
-is Amber and Barnett. -What, what?
[Vanessa laughs]
Yes, you said, "I do," and she said, "I do." That's two "I dos."
-Okay. -You guys pulled the trigger,
you both said I do, you got married
and it's been, what, over a year now? So how's it been?
-It's been a wild ride, I'd say. -[laughs]
-[Barnett] It's, uh... -Lots of laughs.
-[Barnett] Yeah. -Lot of fun.
-All we do is have fun. I mean... -That's...
Not all we do. We've had the normal, like,
arguments and stuff that everybody probably has. But...
shoot, I'm really excited that we found each other
and have gotten to grow together over the last year.
I mean, really, it's been crazy.
It's been a great adventure.
I'm really proud of how far we've come
from where we were in the pods
and how fast the process was.
I know there is one point where we almost broke
because we had such expectations
out of what we wanted out of a husband and wife,
and we knew we were married and we knew we were in love, but also...
we were still learning each other.
I was working as a cocktail waitress
and there was a while I was making Matt so uncomfortable, like,
I wasn't working.
So, that was putting strain because I was so financially dependent on him,
which... was new to me.
I've never been financially dependent on somebody before.
I've always had to figure that out for myself
and had friends that helped me along the way,
but being financially dependent on him was something that was totally new,
and then I think him...
Y'all saw how he liked to flirt with people,
so, obviously, he was totally used to his bachelor life,
and I was used to my bachelor life, too,
but I think it took us a while to figure out how to
hang out and party together, so...
-And be respectful. -[Amber] Yeah.
Normally, in a relationship, as you're dating,
you take time and you adjust to that, but we were married.
So, immediately, we expected it to be different, to be changed.
And we weren't giving it the time that it needed to adjust,
-to get used to it. -Interesting.
I, at one point, had actually called about potentially getting the divorce lawyer.
I was like, "This isn't working."
-[Vanessa] You threw the "D" word out? -Something's not... Yeah.
-Different. -Sorry, Mama Barnett,
I love you. Just kidding. Um...
-I'm a stubborn asshole, so... -I'm stubborn, too.
So we butted heads a lot, and it took time to figure it out
because when we were still in the bubble on the show,
we hadn't really butted heads at that point
'cause everything was just so perfect.
-It was easy. -But seeing how
we both are so stubborn and strong-minded and bull-headed,
when we butt heads, it could be bad, it could be intense.
So, figuring out how to handle that, it made a huge difference for us.
Yeah.
We stopped trying to force what we expected on each other.
And once that happened, you know,
I don't know, it's just nothing but really good things since then.
I love that you guys have found what you need
to have a lasting relationship,
-and that is working on these challenges. -You guys are happy, clearly.
And that's a beautiful thing. It's great to see.
So, for Mark and Jessica, their relationship kept us on the edge
through the entire experiment.
We wanted to see how this would unfold. So check out this clip.
[Jessica] In the outside world, I would never have looked twice at Mark.
I would've figured out his age, or maybe that he was a fitness instructor,
and that would be something, maybe, I wouldn't have been into.
Usually, I'm someone who runs before commitment.
But Mark has exceeded every expectation.
Taking those vows, it's a huge commitment.
And it's something I take very seriously.
Jessica, what's it like for you to watch that over
and watch your relationship with Mark on the show?
[Jessica] Yeah, um...
Actually, I looked down, 'cause I've seen it all.
I don't need to see it again. Um...
Yeah, it's tough, you know, because watching it back,
it was obvious that I was working through some things.
I just didn't really like the person that I saw.
And the things that played out, obviously, I was really uncomfortable,
and I was drinking too much,
and that was really disturbing to see play out.
And some of the comments I made, um, that were derogatory...
And that certainly wasn't fair to Mark, who's a fantastic person.
And, obviously, very, very attractive.
I've gotten a lot of messages about that [chuckles]
and that was never a concern whatsoever, and you knew that.
I need to start with a friendship which, ultimately,
that's not a good situation to sign yourself up for
when you need something that's gonna maybe progress a little bit slower.
Mark, I wanna ask you what, in your opinion,
was the reason or maybe reasons that it didn't work out with Jessica?
Um... Wow.
Um, I think we were just two people trying to figure it out.
We got engaged in ten days, you know?
And I think that you get into this situation
and maybe we just...
Even myself, I didn't realize how much all of it was, how intense it was.
And I think we were just both trying to figure it out.
And she is a phenomenal woman.
I still, to this day, a year and a half has gone by,
and I learned so many values. And so, I still have so much respect for you,
no matter what happened and what went down.
Um, I've become a better man.
I know you are introspective. And I know you've done the same thing.
I couldn't be more thankful to go through it with someone like you.
And I think that's why, if anybody asks us why, like,
"Oh, Mark kinda, like, feels strung along."
No, we did have really powerful, strong moments
even when we were in person.
It's almost like I blinded myself,
no pun intended, because I had these, kind of, thoughts about the age difference
and I annoyed the living hell out of myself.
It's tough watching it back. Um...
But seeing the connection that we had,
obviously, that surpassed any differences that we had,
which we found out were many.
-I think we just needed more time. -Yeah. I agree.
And to commit to him that that was going to be forever,
he didn't deserve that, 'cause I wasn't there.
I will say and, like, I know that we're all here
to clear the air and everything.
I wish you would've told me the Barnett...
I thought we cleared the air about that.
Like, if you were still having recurring feelings
for Barnett or anybody else that was in the experience,
I felt like that was an obstacle we could've tackled together.
Yeah, so I just saw the behaviors that I have in the real world,
where I normally go after something that's unavailable.
And I think you see that I kinda struggle with just accepting
and understanding that people can love you and accept you for who you are.
And also, I was served whiskey, [chuckles] you know?
Like I said, the comment was not something that I ever should've said
and that's truthfully not how I felt in the moment,
so I don't know how to answer it.
I really didn't have those feelings for him at that time. Um...
But the pressure and what you were feeling that day, like, I still remember it.
And I am sorry that we got sucked into this vacuum
and I'm sorry that we didn't get that chance and opportunity
to really get to know each other
and get to know each other's friends, family, and what we stand for,
but in the end, I still respect you, and I'm still thankful for all of this,
and I know that no matter what you decide to do moving forward,
you're gonna be even better off, and, like, kicking ass, so...
I was always honest, and I get a lot of hate for that, you know?
-You told me how you felt. -I was always honest from day one.
It wasn't fair, for sure. So, I'm sorry.
You never made me Italian beef, by the way.
[all chuckle]
[Mark] You said that the first day,
-and you still haven't. -I forgot about that.
-I'm just kidding. -[Vanessa] We could make it happen.
It's not too late for that. Well, obviously,
while not every relationship has a fairy-tale ending,
Lauren and Cameron's relationship
had the happy ending everybody was rooting for.
[Cameron] Before, I wasn't really that happy, to be honest.
[Lauren] Mmm-hmm.
I think it was because I felt like I was missing you.
I've never had a man so, just, willing
to show me how much he loves me.
So you gotta catch us up. How is married life? How's it been?
We really started to get to know each other more.
And do things together that we've never done. I mean...
And coming from different backgrounds, as they said so much on the show!
[all laugh]
But we're able to teach each other things
that the other may not have experienced or enjoyed.
I feel like Cameron has opened my eyes to so many things.
Like, he teaches me stuff every day.
He's so loving, he's so genuine.
He got me a puppy. We have a fur baby. Life is good.
I think people often think that changing who you are is a negative thing.
Lauren's an amazing woman, obviously. We all know that.
Just being with her, I feel, like, changed me in many ways.
Watching the show back, I mean, it was still me,
-but I feel like I've evolved over time... -Me too.
...because I've become more like her in a lot of ways.
I don't think that changes either, after you get married.
It's just like you kinda continue to evolve into each other.
I actually wanted to know whose idea was the fur baby.
Oh, me. That was a part of, like... I was like, "If we get married,
-I have to get a puppy." -That was in our marriage agreement.
The thing for my mom was she had known that I had always said
I would never date a woman who wanted to have a dog,
which sounds crazy, in retrospect.
She knew it was true love because I told her,
"Yeah, we're gonna get a dog and that was something we agreed on."
She was sold. She knew it was true love.
-His name's Sparks. -Sparks!
-Because the sparks flew. -Oh, that's so cute!
[all exclaiming]
-That thing that you do. -It's cheesy, but it's cute.
[Diamond] It's so cute.
Like, we got a fur baby, and that was like,
we're then committing to see what we would be like as parents.
-Oh, yeah. -Are y'all excited about that opportunity?
Is that, like, actively happening?
We're definitely excited. We've talked about,
"Our kids could look like anything. From this to this,
it could be Drake, it could be Barack Obama."
Who knows, you know? So we are just... One day.
-[Damian] They'll be gorgeous. -Hopefully, soon.
Oh, thank you.
We gotta talk about Dad for a bit.
-Oh, yeah. Papa Speed. -[Vanessa] Papa Speed.
-[Nick] He kept it real. -Mr. Big.
If I think about how it would be if my daughter came to me and said,
"I'm marrying someone you don't know and have never met,"
-I can only imagine. -And I met through a wall.
You're a white guy, she's a black woman. Let's talk about that.
I had a serious relationship prior to meeting Lauren.
-We dated for five years. -Okay.
She was a black woman.
I've experienced being in an interracial relationship where,
-you know, people have issues. -Well, that's not everything,
but it's going to play a factor to how you live in the world.
Your daughter is the most amazing woman I've ever met.
I fell in love with her without ever having seen her.
I don't judge you by anything other than how you treat her.
-I appreciate that. -Okay, let's see how this goes.
Lauren's dad, I mean, I love him, you know.
And we're family. I mean, he loves Lauren so much.
-And, um... [voice breaks] -Here we go, crying again.
He's gonna cry!
I mean, we have that in common.
And also, too, I mean...
Lauren has a strong connection with her father.
So...
I mean, it makes sense that I would love him too,
-because, you know... -Mmm.
She's emulated him in a lot of ways.
She's her own person, but they have a lot in common.
At first, I was kinda nervous, because me and my dad are so close. Sorry.
And I've never really introduced him to a boyfriend.
So for me to introduce Cameron as my fiancé
for the first time, like, him ever meeting anybody,
that was a lot on its own.
But, for me, it was kinda scary.
But Cameron was cool as a fan the whole time.
He's like, "I'll win him over. It's all good. I'll just be me."
Um, so, of course, I was nervous,
but, you know, I'm happy that things turned out great.
Both of our families are so important to us.
I love Cameron's family. His mom, his dad, his sister.
I visited Maine a couple of times.
They showed me the deers.
Honey, I was out there in the apple orchard. It was great! So...
I mean, me coming from Detroit, the city,
that's like a whole new world to me.
I felt like Jasmine in Aladdin, on the carpet...
It was... Yeah, but, I mean,
it's beautiful just how our families have blended and merged.
Like, we just had... I feel like I'm snotty...
No, we got a tissue right here, girl. He has a hankie! Stop it!
We just had Thanksgiving together for the first time
with both of our families recently,
and that was, like, so beautiful to see.
Like, our dads getting together, bonding, drinking bourbon,
like, our moms baking in the kitchen, the dog running crazy.
It was like, "Wow!" It was such a beautiful moment.
I'm... I'm... [talks gibberish]
I'm getting emotional, too, because it's... [voice breaks] Sorry!
And I just commend your families
and all of your families who are coming together
to accept you for who you are
and to trust your judgment and opinion.
This is true, real, and who you are.
This is the man you love and your dad accepted that.
So you can honestly, truly say love is blind.
I truly believe that you guys are finding yourself,
if not have found yourselves, through this process.
And sometimes, it took a route of finding a guy
-and going to Mexico with him. -Right.
Sometimes, it took a route of saying some stuff on TV
that is cringeworthy.
And sometimes it took a route
of running down the streets of Atlanta, Georgia in a wedding dress.
-Fastest I've ever ran in my life. -[women chuckle]
And I am just... I'm so amazed,
and honestly... I believe that Nick and I have said this,
that this was called a social experiment. A love experiment, if you will.
But, ultimately, these are your real emotions.
-This is your heart. -[Nick] Absolutely.
Even if the end result wasn't marriage for all in this love experiment,
it clearly affected how each of you looks at love and relationships today.
We've all learned a lot from this.
Mark, what have you learned walking away from this experience?
I think that all of the things that we went through
prepared me for who I'm supposed to be.
And that's why I'm forever thankful for this experience.
Yeah, and I think, now, I'm standing much stronger,
much more, kind of, independent, knowing who I am.
And I'm going to be much...
I'm gonna be ready. Once I find the right person.
I've definitely learned that at the moment that you feel like you love someone
and they love you, there's no fear involved in love.
Um, you should be able to let go and just completely be yourself.
Yeah, like, everything at the core of it is love.
Self-love, in particular.
If you can't accept yourself, your flaws, your great moments,
the things that you think are so cringeworthy
that you're afraid to show that other person,
if you can't accept those,
then you're not gonna be able to allow someone in.
All right, you guys, one last round of "Raise your hands if."
Should we do it? [chuckles]
[Vanessa] Even if marriage wasn't in it for you guys,
raise your hands if you think love really can be blind.
[laughter]
-[Nick] Wow. Wow. -[Vanessa] Yeah?
-I think we leave it there. -That says it all.
That says it all. Thank you again to these wonderful humans,
these incredible individuals who have opened up their hearts.
[Nick] And then opened themselves up again to share how they're doing now,
so, again, thank you for your honesty.
Thank you for giving all of yourselves to this experiment.
And thank you for loving each other.
Love is Blind, season one, down in the books.
[all cheering]