Love Is Blind season 1 introduced the mind-boggling concept of “pod dating,” where two couples took the plunge and got married without ever catching a glimpse of each other. The show took us on a wild ride, following six couples as they embarked on their journey towards wedded bliss: Lauren Speed and Cameron Hamilton, Amber Pike and Matthew Barnett, Giannina Gibelli and Damian Powers, Jessica Batten and Mark Cuevas, Kelly Chase and Kenny Barnes, and Diamond Jack and Carlton Morton.
Lauren and Cameron’s love story was nothing short of enchanting, and their chemistry was off the charts. Their connection was so strong that they even joined forces to write a captivating book together. They quickly became the talk of the town, with Lauren going on to host her very own dating show alongside MTV and Pepsi. However, not every couple had the same fairy tale ending.
Now, let’s delve into the juicy details and find out what unfolded between each pair of star-crossed lovers on the show. Are these lovebirds still soaring high or have they taken separate paths?
1. Lauren Speed & Cameron Hamilton
Status at the end of season 1: Married
In Love Is Blind season one, Lauren Speed and Cameron Hamilton became husband and wife on November 15, 2018. Their beautiful wedding ceremony was aired on Netflix in February. During their vows, Cameron expressed his gratitude, saying, “Every day we’ve spent together has been a blessing to me. You made me want to be a better man, and you have everything I need in a partner.”
Lauren, overwhelmed with love, gushed about Cameron, “I love that you make me feel comfortable being fully myself. No matter how flawed, goofy, or broken I may have been. I’m thankful for our time together. I’ve never had a man love me as purely and as selflessly as you have… I’m grateful for you.”
Current status: Still married!
This fan-favorite couple from season one, Lauren and Cameron, continue to thrive in their relationship. They even co-authored a book called Leap of Faith. To celebrate their anniversary in November 2022, they shared a heartwarming post on Instagram. The caption read, “Four years into forever with you Mr. Hamilton. I’m so much better because of it! I love you to the moon and back! Forever my Clyde #MinusThePowPow Happy Anniversary Baby.”
As of May 8, 2023, Lauren and Cameron are still going strong. They made a glamorous appearance on the red carpet for the world premiere of The Little Mermaid in Los Angeles.
2. Amber Pike & Matthew Barnett
Amber Pike and Matthew Barnett, who got married at the end of season 1, have had their fair share of ups and downs on the show. However, they decided to stick it out and make their relationship work. In a heartfelt moment, Amber expressed her love for Barnett, saying, “Never have I ever met a man in my life that irks my nerves like you do. I found my love of my lifetime.” They tied the knot on November 15, 2018, for the season finale of Love Is Blind.
Among all the couples on the show, Amber and Barnett, along with Lauren and Cameron, were the only ones who said “I do” in the season finale. Although Barnett took his time to respond at the altar, he eventually said, “I do,” expressing his inability to imagine a life without Amber.
Fast forward to the present, Amber and Barnett are still happily married. Their Instagram accounts reflect their joyous relationship, just like the beautiful video montage that was shown at the reunion party. In November 2022, Amber shared a video montage of their happy moments to celebrate their four-year anniversary. She expressed her trust in her instincts, even the crazy ones, stating that they have never steered her wrong. She also mentioned how well her and Barnett’s crazy instincts align. Barnett also shared an anniversary post, calling Amber the hottest wife ever and expressing his excitement for at least 80 more anniversaries together.
3. Kelly Chase & Kenny Barnes
Status at the end of season 1: Broken up
Kelly Chase and Kenny Barnes were viewed as the perfect couple on Love Is Blind, especially since their families had a great connection. Kenny was completely committed, but as the final episode approached, Kelly became more unsure. The fact that they hadn’t been intimate wasn’t necessarily a reflection of their relationship, but rather Kelly’s uncertainty about Kenny.
In the season one finale, Kenny spoke first, expressing his desire to be a part of Kelly’s life. However, Kelly shattered his heart when she responded with a “I don’t” when asked if she would marry him. Despite professing her love for him, Kelly explained, “I can’t marry you. I hope you can understand and respect my decision.”
Current status: Still broken up
During the reunion episode, Kelly revealed that she declined Kenny’s proposal because she wanted to continue dating him. However, Kenny later shared with ET that they had actually agreed not to get married, as he needed some time apart due to emotional unavailability. This revelation surprised Kelly, as she believed they had communicated their intention to continue dating after the show.
Kelly attempted to reach out to Kenny numerous times after season one, but he never responded. She eventually started dating someone who had been invited to their wedding, but that relationship has since ended. Meanwhile, Kenny went on to marry his girlfriend Alexandra Garrison on April 30, 2022.
4. Giannina Gibelli & Damian Powers
At the end of season one, Giannina “Gigi” Gibelli and Damian Powers had broken up. Their relationship had its ups and downs throughout the season, and they were constantly shown fighting. However, when it was time to meet at the altar, Giannina said “Of course I do,” while Damian responded with “I do not.”
Damian explained his decision by saying, “I do love you. Since day one, I have wanted to marry you. I’ve stayed consistent through this. You have not. I can’t handle the ups and downs of you loving me one day, and saying you want to be friends the next.” This caused Giannina to run out of the church.
Currently, they are broken up for good.
In October 2020, Damian showed his appreciation for Gigi in a post, saying, “Love Is Blind! So incredibly lucky and blessed to have grown with you over these past two years! Thank you for doing life with me.”
During the reunion episodes, Gigi and Damian got back together, but they were not engaged and did not live together. However, things took a turn for the worse when Damian decided to bring Francesca Farago from “Too Hot to Handle” to the reunion instead of just going with his current girlfriend. Francesca, whom Damian insisted was just a friend, called him out for not being honest about his relationship with Gigi. This led to Gigi expressing her lack of trust in Damian, which ultimately caused him to storm out of the party. Later on, Damian appeared on Netflix’s “Perfect Match” with Francesca.
Since then, Gigi has started dating Blake Horstmann from “Bachelor Nation” fame. They connected on yet another reality show called “All Star Shore.”
5. Jessica Batten & Mark Cuevas
At the end of Season 1, Jessica Batten and Mark Cuevas had broken up. Their relationship faced challenges due to the age difference and Jessica’s lingering feelings for Matt Barnett from their time in the pods. Despite this, Jessica constantly expressed her love for Mark leading up to their wedding. She said, “It’s my wedding day and I couldn’t be happier. I found full-blown love like I never experienced before,” and added, “Mark is everything I ever wanted.”
However, during the ceremony, when Mark said “I do,” Jessica responded with, “I cannot. I do want you to know that I do love you so very much. I respect you so much as a man.”
Currently, Mark and Jessica are still broken up. Mark did not attend the reunion show, but in the first episode, viewers discovered that he had a new girlfriend named Aubrey Rainey. They were also expecting a baby. Later, Mark and Aubrey got married and became parents to two sons, Ace and Axton.
On the other hand, Jessica attended the reunion show alone but revealed that she had a new boyfriend. During a brunch conversation with Lauren “LC” Chamblin, they discussed how Mark had cheated on both of them. Since then, Jessica has married her boyfriend, Benjamin McGrath, who is known as Doctor Ben on social media.
6. Diamond Jack & Carlton Morton
At the end of season 1, the Love Is Blind couples were no longer together. They all went on a honeymoon to Mexico after getting engaged. However, trouble arose between Diamond Jack and Carlton Morton when Carlton revealed that he is bisexual, catching Diamond off guard. This led to a series of insults from Carlton towards Diamond, including calling her “crazy” and saying she’s only lucky because of her looks. Things escalated further during a heated argument where more hurtful comments were exchanged, and Diamond even threw her engagement ring into the pool.
As of now, Diamond and Carlton are still not together. In the reunion episode, Carlton apologized to Diamond and returned the engagement ring as a “symbol of friendship.” However, Diamond later revealed that she had to block him on social media because he was using foul language against her. On the After the Altar special, instead of reuniting with Carlton, Diamond was seen going on a date with a new man.
During a conversation with Lauren Speed-Hamilton on After the Altar, Carlton discussed the fallout between him and Diamond. Unfortunately, the conversation did not go well, and he ended up getting angry at Lauren, blaming his negative press and strained relationship with the rest of the cast on Diamond.