Since he competed on Season 2 of the Netflix reality series Love Is Blind, Nick Thompson alleges he has struggled financially, having lost his job and been given little compensation for his presence on the series.
Thompson told The Daily Mail about his struggles since his time on the show in 2021, alleging he was only paid $10,000 over the course of 10 weeks of filming. This averaged to about $7.14 an hour, as he estimated that he and his fellow contestants were “filming 18 to 20 hours a day.”
“When you think about the amount of money that’s being made, and the way that it’s the path for future seasons, and the fact that anyone can go on and watch me… and I’m going to be homeless,” he shared, telling the outlet he “lost [his] job last November.”
Thompson said that he’s “having an incredibly hard time” finding a new job, and that since, he has “burned through [his] savings that cashed out [his] 401(k).” With only “two months left in the bank to pay [his] mortgage,” he said he doesn’t know what else to do.
“I can’t get a job because people don’t take me seriously,” he told the outlet. “I was a VP in software for five years, so it’s not like I don’t have [a] track record of experience or success.”
Thompson also elaborated on how he felt like a “prisoner” at the hands of the show’s crew, saying that “you’re miked up from the moment you get there in the morning, and you’re miked up all the way until you leave.”
“Then when you go home at the end of the day, you’re locked in your hotel room without a key, without your wallet, without money, without identification,” he added. “You literally are held captive like a prisoner and there is absolutely no reason that you shouldn’t be considered an employee when you’re technically under the control of your employer for 24 hours a day.”
In April, Thompson co-launched the not-for-profit Unscripted Cast Advocacy Network (UCAN) with fellow LIB Season 2 contestant Jeremy Hartwell and clinical psychologist Dr. Isabelle Morley. The initiative provides resources such as mental health support, contract review and legal support for reality TV stars.
He also expressed his support of The Real Housewives of New York City alum Bethenny Frankel‘s notion for reality TV stars to unionize.
Although Thompson claims LIB “ruined [his] life” and he “never thought [he would] be on a reality show,” he still can’t say that he wouldn’t do it all over again.
“When I think about everything that’s happened and I think about my relationship, it’s hard to say I wish I never did it,” he said. He made it to the altar with Danielle Ruhl, but they got divorced after a year of marriage.
He shared that Netflix “has a great opportunity to lead in the industry and get on the right side of the issue right now,” especially amid the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.
Thompson is hardly the first contestant to speak out after leaving LIB. Season 1 stars Amber Pike and Matt Barnett said they told Netflix to “stay away” from them after filming, while Season 2’s Colleen Reed criticized Netflix for how they handled her reunion special. In April, Business Insider published an expose alleging the reality series was like “hell on earth.”
Yet, LIB continues; the fifth season of Love is Blind, hosted by Nick and Vanessa Lachey, is set to be released in September. The previous four seasons are all available to stream on Netflix.
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