After seven seasons and numerous international adaptations, the question of whether “Love is Blind” truly is remains unanswered—but it may soon be on the path to unionization.

This week, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued a complaint against the popular Netflix dating series, asserting that its cast members should be classified as employees, not just participants. The complaint is just the beginning of a legal process involving these allegations.

If the stars are recognized as employees, it opens the door for them to form a union, particularly as the cast changes with each new season’s filming in different cities.

The NLRB’s complaint accuses the production companies, Delirium TV and Kinetic Content, of “intentionally” misclassifying cast members as “participants,” thereby preventing them from engaging in collective bargaining.

Additionally, it alleges that the production companies had cast members sign contracts containing “illegal” non-compete, confidentiality, and stay-or-pay clauses.

Netflix chose not to provide a comment regarding the situation.

Kinetic and Delirium have been contacted by YSL News, but they have not yet responded.

‘Love is Blind’ has faced multiple legal challenges

This recent complaint follows numerous complaints from former cast members who have criticized the show’s contracts and reported mistreatment on the set.

Renee Poche, a cast member from Season 5 whose journey wasn’t featured, accused the production team of facilitating her engagement to someone financially unstable and making her feel unsafe. In January, she filed a lawsuit against Netflix and Delirium TV.

Poche described her experience on “Love is Blind” as traumatic and stated she felt imprisoned without any support after expressing her concerns to Delirium about her unsafe environment. Her lawsuit was in response to an arbitration process initiated by Delirium after she reportedly breached a non-disclosure agreement. Poche’s legal action claimed Delirium sought $4 million from her for contractual violations.

The NLRB’s complaint seems to directly reference Poche’s situation, as it accuses the production companies of leveraging arbitration to enforce “illegal” contractual clauses and demands $4 million in damages, covering costs including attorney fees, as well as temporary and permanent injunctions.

Poche, who works as a veterinarian in Texas, claimed that Netflix and Delirium were attempting “to ruin her for speaking out against unsafe working conditions.”

Both Poche and Nick Thompson, who got married but later divorced Danielle Ruhl after their engagement in Season 2, have lodged complaints with the NLRB.

Thompson publicly criticized the employment policies of the show, noting, “You’re literally held captive like a prisoner. There’s no reason you shouldn’t be considered an employee when your employer controls your life 24/7,” as he stated in a 2023 interview with the Daily Mail.

In 2022, another former cast member named Tran Dang, whose storyline did not air, sued Delirium TV, Kinetic Content, and her partner on the show, citing false imprisonment and neglect of safety.

Dang alleged that she was sexually assaulted by a fellow cast member during filming, and that Kinetic failed to intervene.

Similarly, Jeremy Hartwell, a participant from Season 2, filed a lawsuit against Netflix, Kinetic Content, and Delirium TV, repeating Poche and Dang’s claims regarding a hazardous environment and asserting that cast members were essentially “not allowed to move.”

The lawsuit also claimed that the companies imposed a $50,000 fine for violating the contract, which included penalties for individuals who left before the filming concluded.

This fine aligns with the “stay-or-pay” clause highlighted in the complaint by the NLRB.

A Reality Check

For many, the complaint filed on Wednesday feels like a spark ready to ignite the extensive issues surrounding employment in reality television.

Reality shows exist in a complicated space regarding labor laws since the participants aren’t acting out roles; instead, they welcome cameras into their personal lives to portray their authentic selves.

In 2023, Bethenny Frankel, known for her role on “The Real Housewives of New York City,” advocated for the unionization of reality stars. She suggested creating an organization along the lines of SAG-AFTRA, which represents many performers in film and television, enabling them to negotiate for improved compensation and protections.

The numerous legal challenges facing “Love is Blind,” along with the NLRB’s complaint, have rekindled a crucial conversation about the potential exploitation in this industry.

“We have been overwhelmed with clients sharing similar experiences of emotional, physical, and sexual abuse. They live in constant fear of facing legal action worth millions if they report any wrongdoing in the workplace, and many believe they must endure in silence or, like Renee, be intimidated by lawsuits aimed at financially devastating them,” said Mark Geragos, an attorney who has represented both Poche and Frankel, as he previously stated to YSL News.