Renee Poche Earned Only $8,000 From Love is Blind Season 6 But May Have to Pay $4 Million For Continuously Breaching the NDA Agreement

Netflix holds a substantial place in our daily lifestyle as far as entertainment is concerned. The 27-year-old company has witnessed a sine wave of evolution and exponential growth since its embryonic years. Among them, launching Love is Blind has got to be on the platform’s top 5 “made-it” list, besides poaching Blockbuster’s market and elevating Marvel to a whole new level.

The modern audience’s growing demand for reality TV has turned the world on its head. As of 2024, the ratio of fiction versus scripted drama has turned wildly disproportionate compared to the decade before. The interest in the genre practically symbolizes the need to find attachment in an era of digitally enhanced lifestyle. But one simply cannot help it if the scripted drama slash reality television delivers entertainment like none other.

Love is Blind Takes the Drama to the Court

Netflix made history when it mailed a Beetlejuice DVD to its first customer after being founded in 1997. Fans marked a day in the calendar again when Love is Blind launched in 2020. Created by Chris Coelen, the reality series attempted to try something never explored on television before – prioritize emotional connection over physical attraction. The phrase “love is blind” gained a new standing on the social strata of singles trying to find a partner.

But the series took a turn in between Seasons 5 and 6 when contestant Renee Poche began brewing discontent behind the scenes for the suits. Her numerous public and vocal interviews led to the production company issuing a warning regarding breach of contract, claiming that a refusal to stop would result in the producers filing arbitration.

That warning ultimately turned real in January 2024 when Renee Poche was hit with a $4 million lawsuit, despite having earned a mere $8,000 from her time as a participant in Netflix’s Love is Blind. The attorneys on behalf of the production company claimed [via The Wrap]:

Rather than abide by her contract, heed these warnings or participate in mediation, Ms. Poche continued to breach. Delirium will now proceed as it originally intended and address its claims against Ms. Poche in arbitration.

In turn, Renee Poche sought an injunction motion against Delirium TV and Netflix immediately, and argued for a public trial that would allow the hearings, proceedings, and ruling to be aired on television and social media.

Poche later opined that her unauthorized interviews threatened to cause severe damage to the production company’s reputation.

Renee Poche’s Lawsuit Against Netflix Gets Messy

In January 2024, Renee Poche made troubling allegations against Netflix and Love is Blind‘s production company Delirium TV after they filed a lawsuit against her for violating her NDA agreement with the latter – a document that she believes is “illegal and unenforceable.”

In a counter-lawsuit, Poche (who debuted in Love is Blind Season 5) claimed that Netflix intentionally put her in harm’s way by pairing her with a “violent” contestant – an alcoholic and drug addict – and that the experience left her feeling downright unsafe during her time on the show.

My experience on Love is Blind was traumatic. I felt like a prisoner and had no support when I let Delirium know that I didn’t feel safe. I tried to deal with these emotions over time and eventually felt like I needed to share what had happened. I felt it was only right to let others know the truth of what all of the castmates had to endure.

Claims of “unlawful employment practices,” “unfair competition,” and “intentional infliction of emotional distress” were cited in the lawsuit. Moreover, Poche claimed that her ex-fiancé, Carter Wall, who was described as a “walking red flag” in the lawsuit, was “forced” on her as a viable partner wherein Netflix and Delirium TV encouraged them to move forward with their engagement despite Poche voicing her concerns about Wall’s alleged “erratic and alarming behavior and emotional instability.”

This isn’t a first-of-its-kind lawsuit to hit Netflix. Two former contestants of Squid Game: The Challenge, inspired by the highly popular South Korean drama Squid Game, threatened to sue Netflix over creating a toxic and unsafe environment for the participants. Both claimed to have suffered hypothermia and nerve damage while playing the Red Light, Green Light challenge.

Deadline later reported that no lawsuits were filed against the platform after Squid Game: The Challenge passed an independent safety inspection check and the series was renewed for a Season 2.

Love is Blind is available to stream on Netflix.