‘Love Is Blind’ Creator Slams ‘Meritless’ Sexual Assault Lawsuit

“Love Is Blind” creator Chris Coelen is again speaking out against a new lawsuit filed against the Netflix dating show.

Season 2 contestant Jeremy Hartwell had previously filed a lawsuit against the production company, Kinetic Content, alleging that he was deprived of food, water, and sleep while filming, amid other allegations. Coelen recently denied those allegations.

Season 5 contestant Tran Dang, who was not featured in any of the episodes of the latest season, has also filed a lawsuit against Kinetic Content alleging that she was sexually assaulted on set by her former fiancé and producers did nothing to stop it.

According to court documents obtained by People magazine, Tran Dang claims that she was “aggressively recruited” for the show and “did not seek involvement” in the Netflix reality show. During filming, she said that the cast was “intentionally sequestered for two weeks” without cell phones or wallets.

During that time, Dang said that she was supplied with alcohol and “limited food” while filming. The lawsuit states that the “combination was designed to encourage them to engage in striking conversations and actions that would increase viewer ratings.” It goes on to allege that Dang had to “request permission” to use the restroom and “was prohibited from leaving her hotel room without express permission and kept under 24-hour surveillance."

According to the lawsuit, Dang claims that she was engaged to fellow contestant Thomas Smith. Neither Dang nor Smith were used in promotional materials for season 5 or listed as contestants when the cast list was announced in September 2023.

Dang claims that she was sexually assaulted by Smith on May 3, 2022, while the two were on a honeymoon in Mexico that was paid for by the show. The complaint alleges that Smith “forcefully groped her” and “exposed himself.” The complaint also claims that he “repeatedly made sexual contact over her express objections.”

Since they were filmed around the clock, Dang insists that “these traumatic acts were likely captured on film.” Dang says that she was left “baffled” when producers did not intervene to “stop the harassment.” Although she said she reported the incident, the court filing states that an assistant producer "gaslighted her, implying that she was at fault for what had happened with Thomas Smith by not communicating effectively or somehow not taking the 'relationship' seriously.”

She claims that she also reported his behavior during a May 14 phone call that occurred after the pair had returned to Houston, Texas. She claims that although she tried to quit the show, she was told that she had to film a “final scene” in which producers told her what to say.

As reported by the publication, Chris Coelen has denied that she was imprisoned against her will. He also denies any claims that she informed producers that she had been sexually assaulted on set.

"She did not make any kind of claim of assault of any kind," Coelen said. "We would not continue filming with someone who was expressing that an incident of that sort had happened. We have round-the-clock psychologists, a highly trained production team, we have a whole battalion of people whose job it is to make sure that we prioritize our participants' well-being. But the participant has to be actively involved in that process."

"Claiming that you are falsely imprisoned on Love Is Blind is preposterous and ridiculous. You come and go as you choose. You are not required to stay. If you stay, that is your decision," he continued. "The participants are not under our control. They are living their lives. We come in, we film them for a period of time, we leave. They can leave — as many, many, many people have before — anytime they want."

"And we are not filming around the clock. We are not mounting cameras in their personal living spaces. We don't do that,” he added. “We're like a documentary. They are alone during periods of time, they are not under surveillance. We do not tell people what to say, or what to do, we consistently tell people that this is their journey, this is their life to lead as they choose. We're there to follow it."

Coelen went on to say, “I'm not in a position to speculate about what happens with adults on their own time behind closed doors. I want to be really, really clear about that. I'm not saying her allegations of sexual assault are or are not true. I'm not in a position to say that. I'm truly supportive and empathetic of people who make these claims,” adding, “But what I will say is her allegations against us are completely meritless.”

The first few episodes of season 5 are currently available to stream on Netflix. The season finale is scheduled to premiere on October 13.