{"id":43981,"date":"2023-10-06T18:14:56","date_gmt":"2023-10-06T18:14:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2023\/10\/06\/love-is-blind-creator-addresses-contestants-false-imprisonment-lawsuit\/"},"modified":"2023-10-06T18:14:56","modified_gmt":"2023-10-06T18:14:56","slug":"love-is-blind-creator-addresses-contestants-false-imprisonment-lawsuit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2023\/10\/06\/love-is-blind-creator-addresses-contestants-false-imprisonment-lawsuit\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Love Is Blind’ Creator Addresses Contestant’s False Imprisonment Lawsuit"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Monty Brinton\/Netflix<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Love Is Blind<\/em><\/a> creator Chris Coelen<\/strong><\/a> is shutting down negligence, assault and false imprisonment claims made by former season 5 contestant Tran Dang<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf anybody ever came to us and said they felt unsafe in any way, we would immediately remove them from the experiment and talk to them, and try to get to the bottom of it,\u201d Coelen said in a statement to People<\/em><\/a> on Thursday, October 5. \u201cUnfortunately, in this case, that kind of sentiment was never addressed to us in any way, nor was any alleged wrongdoing brought to our attention ever.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dang was a cast member on season 5 of LIB<\/em><\/a> \u2014 which premiered on Netflix last month \u2014 though she was not featured in the show\u2019s latest episodes. Earlier this year, she filed a lawsuit against the series\u2019 production company, Kinetic Content, claiming she was falsely imprisoned on set and was not allowed to do much without permission from producers.<\/p>\n

During her time in the pods \u2014 in which she alleged she was not allowed to use her cell phone<\/a> or have her wallet or passport \u2014 Dang alleged that production provided contestants with little food and lots of alcohol to spark interesting conversations.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\tRelated: <\/span>Everything to Know So Far About ‘Love Is Blind’ Season 5<\/a>
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\n\t\t\tAfter a dramatic season 4, Love Is Blind fans won\u2019t have to wait long to watch more couples have a shot at love. In June 2023, two months after the season finale of season 4, Nick Lachey shared a teaser video with fans. \u201cWhat\u2019s incredible is that this love experiment has been working all around [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cWhile on set, for up to 18 hours per day, [Kinetic Content and Delirium TV] required Ms. Dang to request permission to do virtually anything<\/a>, including use the restroom,\u201d the lawsuit reads. \u201cShe was prohibited from leaving her hotel room without express permission and kept under 24-hour surveillance.\u201d<\/p>\n

Coelen, for his part, called the claims \u201cabsolutely false,\u201d adding, \u201cWe don\u2019t push alcohol. Everyone has consistent and regular access to food and water<\/a>.\u201d When it comes to why contestants must often ask producers for permission to do certain things, Coelen attributed it to the complicated layout of the show\u2019s set.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the pods, they\u2019re on a 68,000-square-foot sound stage<\/a>, where it\u2019s dark, there\u2019s a lot of people, there\u2019s a lot of equipment, and even for me, it\u2019s very confusing to get around from place to place,\u201d he said, adding the monitoring was done to protect \u201cthe integrity of the experiment.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\tRelated: <\/span>Love Is Blind’s Most Dramatic Moments Through the Years<\/a>
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\n\t\t\tWhile the premise of Netflix\u2019s Love Is Blind is to help singles find their perfect match, the experiment hasn\u2019t come without drama. During season 2 of the dating show, which premiered in February 2022, multiple love triangles blossomed. In one corner, Shayne Jansen connected with both Natalie Lee and Shaina Hurley, and in another, Jarrette [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

He continued: \u201cSo if they need to go to the bathroom, they tell us and we have someone escort them to the bathroom. That is how it works in the pods. When they are out of the pods, they can go to the bathroom whenever they want.\u201d<\/p>\n

In her lawsuit, Dang also claimed that Kinetic Content did nothing in response to her claim that she was sexually assaulted<\/a> by fellow contestant Thomas Smith<\/strong> \u2014 to whom she got engaged in the pods \u2014 while filming in Mexico. Smith\u2019s attorney, Kip Patterson<\/strong>, did not comment on the accusations.<\/p>\n

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\n Chris Coelen.<\/span> Charley Gallay\/Getty Images for Netflix<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cBecause of [Kinetic Content and Delirium TV\u2019s] 24-hour surveillance of cast members, most, if not all, of these traumatic acts were likely captured on film,\u201d Dang\u2019s complaint states. Upon reporting the incident to producers, she was allegedly gaslighted and told she \u201cwas at fault for what had happened with Thomas Smith by not communicating effectively or somehow not taking the \u2018relationship\u2019 seriously.\u201d<\/p>\n

Coelen, however, claimed Dang did not bring up any assault claims to producers, and that they would have removed her from the filming if she did. \u201cWe have round-the-clock psychologists, a highly trained production team, we have a whole battalion of people who\u2019s [sic] job it is to make sure that we prioritize our participant\u2019s well-being,\u201d he stated. \u201cBut the participant has to be actively involved in that process.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kinetic Content, LLC and Delirium TV, LLC also addressed the lawsuit in a joint statement to Us Weekly<\/em> on Friday, October 6. \u201cWe support and stand with victims of sexual assault, but Ms. Dang\u2019s claims against the producers are meritless. We document the independent choices of adults who volunteer to participate in a social experiment. Their journey is not scripted, nor is it filmed around the clock. We have no knowledge or control over what occurs in private living spaces when not filming, and participants may choose to end their journey at any time,\u201d their statement reads.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\tRelated: <\/span>Status Check! Which ‘Love Is Blind’ Couples Are Still Together?<\/a>
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\n\t\t\tSince the premiere of Love Is Blind in 2020, fans have wondered how effective the concept of speed-dating without seeing the other person actually is. Lauren Speed and Cameron Hamilton, who got married on day 40 of the dating experiment, found their happily ever on the show. However, Lauren later admitted that finding The One [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The statement continues: \u201cWe take any and all concerns of our participants seriously and prioritize their well-being. Obviously, we cannot address undisclosed concerns, and throughout the time that Ms. Dang was involved in the production of Love is Blind, she never informed the producers of any alleged wrongdoing of any kind. Nor did she choose to end her participation in the experiment. Instead, Ms. Dang continued in the experiment for weeks after the time her lawyers now claim an incident occurred. We deny and will vigorously defend the allegations against us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Us<\/em> has reached out to reps and lawyers for Coelen, Dang, and Smith for comment.<\/p>\n

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