One storyline many fans enjoy within the Love is Blind series is the messy love triangles (and sometimes quadruples). In a reality series where contestants essentially speed date one another, sight unseen, the chances of a cast member connecting with multiple people are extremely high. The Netflix series certainly didn't disappoint. As the Love Is Blind contestants rotated through the pods, several cast members formed unlikely bonds with strangers and found themselves torn between two or even three other co-stars on the series. This didn't occur just once in the franchise. In each season, at least one love triangle was formed, adding to the suspense and drama of the unique series.
Love triangles not only add a special element to the Love Is Blind social experiment, but also give viewers more insight into a contestant’s character and their values. Not all contestants enjoy fighting for their love interests’ attention. However, some love triangles worked out for the best, helping the contestant weed out the rotten apples and ultimately find "the one." Other Love Is Blind triangles were beyond messy, causing drama in both the men's and women's lounges, and accomplishing nothing other than highlighting the other contestants' red flags. This list will explore the messiest love triangles from each season, while also ranking them based on their overall intensity compared to the other listed couples.
6 Jarrette, Iyanna, Mallory
Season 2
Early in Season 2, Jarrette Jones formed a bond with both Iyanna McNeely and Mallory Zapata. Picking between the two women was no easy feat as he spent some time flipping back and forth. After a couple of days, though, he finally made his decision. Jarrette believed his chemistry with Mallory was all he needed. However, while both the beautiful women enjoyed Jarrette’s company, no one in this love triangle seemed to feel the same way about each other. Iyanna was more into Jarrette, but he was moments away from proposing to Mallory. Meanwhile, Mallory was more into fellow cast member Salvador ‘Sal’ Perez. What changed the trajectory of this love triangle was Mallory admitting that her feelings for Sal were stronger than her connection with Jarrette.
Once she accepted Sal's proposal, Jarrette's desperation to get married was showcased as he doubled back to Iyanna. To his credit, Jarrette was honest and Iyanna knew she was his backup, but she didn't care. At the cast gathering, a flirty conversation between Mallory and Jarrette would take place, but ultimately he would stay true to his relationship with Iyanna. Mallory and Sal, however, ended their engagement later in the series. Despite their rocky start, Iyanna and Jarrette were one of the two couples to get married that season. Unfortunately, they got divorced along with the other Season 2 couple, Nick Thompson and Danielle Ruhl.
5 Zanab, Cole, Colleen
Season 3
At first, Cole Barnett found himself equally drawn to Zanab Jaffery and Colleen Reed in the pods. While he enjoyed Colleen, he felt like their conversations were lacking as a whole. Colleen was slow to open up and struggled to express her emotions. In fact, she connected with Matt Bolton late in the game because it took her a little longer than others to feel comfortable being vulnerable. Meanwhile, Cole’s connection with Zanab continued to grow in the pods, so he proposed to her while Colleen got engaged to Matt. The problems came to a head at the cast gathering. Upon laying eyes on Colleen, the Love Is Blind contestant couldn't help but make some flirty jokes.
Then he admitted Colleen was a “10 out of 10,” while his fiancé was a “9 out of 10.” Unfortunately, Cole continued to dig himself in a hole as he also confirmed that Colleen was closer to his type and he would date her in the “real world.” While Cole didn't seem to have ill intentions, his lack of self-awareness was off-putting. He simply did not know how to keep his foot out of his mouth. Every attempt he made to smooth over their angst would lead to bickering and blowouts. Needless to say, Zanab's confidence was destroyed, which led to one of the most jaw-dropping “I don't” speeches of the series.
4 Jessica, Mark, Matthew
Season 1
Season 1 was particularly great because no one—the producers, viewers, or contestants—knew what to expect. It set a precedent that many fans held the show to. While the rest of the seasons didn't disappoint, some storylines and moments are timeless. Unlike the other two contestants already mentioned, Jessica Batten was the hinge in this love triangle, falling in love with Mark Cuevas and Matthew Barnett. Although she got along well with Mark, one major red flag for her was their 10-year age gap. While she was more interested in Matthew, her feelings were not entirely reciprocated. Matthew was a hot commodity, as he was involved in his own love quadruple with two other women vying for his attention.
It was nearly impossible to determine which Love Is Blind cast member was going to end up with who was in this love triangle. Mark was hopelessly head over heels in love with Jessica, to where the internet nicknamed the show “Mark is Blind.” At one point, Matthew was going to propose to Jessica, but almost immediately backtracked and proposed to Amber Pike instead. This caused Jessica to settle for her second choice, Mark, even though she wasn't as invested. 24-year-old Mark did everything he could to satisfy his 34-year-old fiancé, but she couldn't accept their age difference or his emotional availability.
3 Jackie, Josh, Marshall
Season 4
Love Is Blind Season 4 was a messy segment as a whole and this love triangle was the culprit of some major drama. Jackie Bonds was on the prowl for her new “daddy.” Although she was a little inexperienced in the love department, she knew exactly what she was looking for. She found those qualities in both Josh Demas and Marshall Glaze. Marshall was only interested in Jackie though, and made that clear from the beginning. From an outside perspective, Josh appeared shallow and overly confident, which turned off many viewers and made them question his connection with Jackie. Marshall's feelings were genuine, which was evident once he learned she was interested in another man and became very emotional in the pods. In the end, Jackie accepted Marshall's proposal, but they would butt heads in Mexico and the real world, resulting in some of the ugliest arguments within the series.
Jackie wasn't as physically attracted to Marshall. She preferred more “muscular men” and believed Marshall couldn't handle her attitude. To Marshall's credit, he certainly tried. He gave Jackie the space he thought she needed and waited patiently for her to realize she had an amazing man by her side already. However, this triangle was particularly messy with the editing tactics that implied Jackie cheated on Marshall. Later in the season, after a couple of huge fights, Jackie skipped her wedding dress fitting, which her fiancé was unaware of, to hang out with Josh. During this meeting, they would embrace, kiss, and agree to explore their relationship further. The contestants later confirmed at the reunion that Jackie didn't cheat on Marshall and that her meeting with Josh took place a day after they broke up. Nonetheless, between Jackie’s messy attitude and the way she treated Marshall, it looked like he dodged a bullet.
2 Clay, AD, Matthew
Season 6
Clay Gravesande's heavy load of generational trauma and baggage hindered him from being an amazing contestant on the show. At least, compared to previous contestants, Clay was upfront and honest about his baggage. But he also did have quite a few red flags. In his first appearances in the series, he came across as egotistical. He was also way too interested in Amber Desiree ‘AD’ Smith's physical appearance while still in the pods and flipped out when he found out she was interested in someone else in the pods. AD’s connection with Matthew Duliba was a little different, even though he was a little more on the quiet side.
The biggest problem for these two was that Matthew was also interested in Amber Grant, which would've been okay, except that AD found out he was telling both women the same thing in the pods. In a surprising and manipulative twist, the Love Is Blind star Matthew eliminated himself from the show after AD confronted him, leaving her with Clay. Clay proposed and had the chance to win over the love of his life, but he ruined it. Clay simply couldn't get past his childhood and believed he would follow in his cheating father's footsteps, leading to one of the most heartbreaking “I don't” speeches of the series. Clay later confirmed at the reunion that he regretted his decision and would love to have another opportunity with AD.
1 Uche, Lydia, Aaliyah
Season 5
Season 5 was probably the messiest and least successful season of them all. In this season, only three couples got engaged and one agreed to marry. This love triangle shocked the entire viewership’s core because this love story contained a unique aspect never seen in the show previously. Uche Okoroha and Lydia Velez Gonzalez dated in real life before appearing in Love Is Blind Season 5. The contestants’ knowledge of each other raised questions about the authenticity of their appearance. Some people, Uche included, thought Lydia intentionally applied to be on the show upon learning he would be there to reconnect. Uche made it clear he had no interest in exploring his relationship with Lydia again; he was interested in Aaliyah Cosby.
Meanwhile, Lydia formed an uncomfortable bond with Aaliyah in the women's lounge, which raised even more questions about her true intentions. Much to everyone's surprise though, Lydia didn't continue to pursue a relationship with Uche. After Lydia shared intimate details, like the last time they were physically affectionate, Aaliyahleft the series. Lydia continued her relationship with beau Milton Johnson, who was 7 years younger than her, while Uche was left to repair his broken heart on his own. In the most surprising twist ending, Lydia and Milton were the only couple to get married that season and still appear to be doing well.
