Love Is Blind Faces Yet Another Lawsuit

Share and Follow

Stephen Richardson made waves in his season of Love Is Blind. The former Netflix reality TV dating show contestant is probably best remembered for being unfaithful to the woman who became his fiancée on the show, Monica Davis. The two matched in the pods but then later had a falling out when it came out that Stephen may have been sending flirty texts to other women while they were already living together.

Since then, it would seem that Stephen hasn’t left his Love Is Blind experience behind him. Instead, it appears that he has taken his involvement to the next level, doing so by filing a lawsuit against the producers behind the show. Apparently, Stephen has decided to go after the franchise not for defamation, but rather for what he describes as the “inhumane” working conditions in which the cast was placed during their season. What, exactly, is he citing as the issue?

Stephen was a Season 7 contestant who has filed a claim against those behind the show. He claims that the contestants were misled about the circumstances they were walking into and “controlled” in a way that made it impossible to remove themselves from the situation.

Love is Blind Season 7’s Stephen Richardson and Monica Davis

via Instagram/@monicajadedavis

As reported by E! News, the language in the suit further details the claim:

Defendants willfully misclassified and upon information and belief continue to misclassify Plaintiff, the Class Members, and Aggrieved Employees, including those holding positions as ‘Contestant,’ ‘Participant,’ ‘Cast Member,’ and similar job titles (herein referred to as the ‘Cast’), as independent contractors.

The lawsuit additionally notes that there was “a substantial exercise of control over the manner, means, and timing of their work performed for Defendants’ non-scripted content productions, including but not limited to the Netflix reality TV show, Love Is Blind.” It details how the producers had a “complete domination over their time, schedule, and their ability to eat, drink, and sleep, and communicate with the outside world during the period of employment.”

This Is The Latest Is A String Of Suits

Fans of the show will know that this is hardly the first time legal action has been brought against the show’s producers. Stephen’s case not only applies to contestants from Seasons 6 through 9, but also comes as the latest in a series of lawsuits from former contestants. Other cases also focused on similar matters of cast mistreatment and placing them in unsafe conditions.

Love Is Blind's Renee Poche promotional photo — Love Is Blind’s Renee Poche wearing pink in front of a purple background during a photoshoot

**Previous Lawsuits Filed Against Love Is Blind And Kinetic Content:**

Jeremy Hartwell (Season 2) sued Netflix, Kinetic Content, and Delirium TV for alleged inhumane working conditions. His claims included low pay, lack of rest or meal breaks, limited access to food, water, and sleep, and restricted communication with the outside world.
Renee Poche (Season 5) filed a lawsuit against Netflix and Delirium TV, alleging emotional distress and being forced to continue an engagement with someone she felt unsafe around. She also claimed unlawful employment practices and challenged the show’s nondisclosure agreement.
Tran Dang (Season 5) sued Kinetic Content and Delirium TV, alleging sexual assault by her former fiancé during filming. Her lawsuit also included claims of false imprisonment and negligence by the production team.
Stephen Richardson (Season 7) filed a proposed class-action lawsuit against Netflix, Kinetic Content, Delirium TV, and other unnamed parties. He alleged contestants were misclassified as independent contractors and subjected to unsafe, inhumane conditions, including restrictions on food, water, communication, and sleep.

Love Is Blind continues to turn out new seasons on Netflix. The latest series is the first set in France, which is currently releasing new episodes on the streaming platform.