'Love Is Blind' Season 2: Which Couples Are Still Together?
Love Is Blind season 2 didn’t have quite the same success rate as the first one, though the finale did see two couples tying the knot. The second season seemed to have a lot of mismatched pairs, like Kyle Abrams and Shaina Hurley, who disagreed fundamentally on the important topic of religion, or party boy Jarrette Jones and homebody Iyanna McNeely.
The season finale was still just as explosive as the first one, leaving some rejected potential spouses shell-shocked. Breakups often go viral on social media, but Deepti Vempati's did for a good reason. She chose herself, and decided not to marry the man - Abhishek “Shake” Chatterjee - who had been talking about her behind her back for the entire season. Though it wasn’t a love match, it was still a happy ending, as Deepti looked stunning, and left feeling empowered and proud of herself.
They can’t all be happy endings though. Looking at you, Shake. Read on below to learn more about the couples from Love Is Blind’s second season, and whether or not they are still together.
Iyanna McNeely & Jarrette Jones
Status at the end of season 2: Married
Iyanna McNeely and Jarrette Jones were one of the shakier couples this season, for a number of reasons. First was the lingering connection between Jarrette and Mallory Zapata. The main issue seemed to be Jarrette's bachelor lifestyle, because he likes to go out and party, but Iyanna does not.
Before the altar, Iyanna was clearly unsure, saying, "He says he's going to make adjustments, but I haven't seen those adjustments yet. I wouldn't be able to see that in action until after we say I do. That's a huge risk. That's a huge risk to take. I just need more time, and I don't have that."
However, when the time came, Jarrette said "I do," before telling the cameras, "I just married the woman of my dreams. I'm on top of the world right now — cloud nine. I met my damn wife through a wall. Not too many people can say that, not too many understand that, but it happened." Meanwhile, Iyanna said, "We have so much more to do, but, oh, my God, this is a great start."
Current status: Divorced
Iyanna's worries turned out to be true, as during After the Altar fans found out that Jarrette still goes out drinking all night, coming home around 7 in the morning. Jarrette said it was more like 4 in the morning. After the Altar also revealed that Iyanna moved out after a particularly bad night, and seemingly only moved back in for the show. They were not able to reconcile, and Iyanna said, "I was just like, ‘I gotta go. I can’t do this. I’m not doing this.'"
Iyanna later revealed that just before After the Altar she received an email from someone who said Jarrette had been cheating on her. Iyanna said that she received enough evidence - like a picture of the unidentified woman in she and Jarrette's apartment - that made her "immediately" want a divorce. However, part of her felt like she "had to see [the marriage] through."
She filed for divorce in August 2022. Jarrette didn't seem to comment specifically on the allegations, simply sharing an Instagram story that said, “Been taking the high road for quite some time... story time soon.”
Danielle Ruhl & Nick Thompson
Status at the end of season 2: Married
Danielle Ruhl and Nick Thompson had their fair share of ups and downs. Nick looked uncertain ahead of meeting at the altar, though he later said he was just nervous as to what Danielle would do. The couple, who were the first to get engaged this season, said “I do” in the season finale, tying the knot on June 8, 2021.
Current status: Divorced, but maybe reconciling
Danielle and Nick both shared sweet photos of each other on social media, especially for their first wedding anniversary. However, in August 2022, they filed for divorce, and they told fans the following month.
Danielle wrote, “It has taken some time to publicly speak about my marriage ending, as emotions are still raw. I'll always care about Nick and appreciate our time together. As a wise woman said — choose yourself.” Nick shared, “I am heartbroken my marriage ended. I know in my heart that I did the best I could and gave it everything I had.”
There was a bit of social media feuding, and it definitely looked like that was the end. However, it seems that an exposé, for which Danielle and Nick were both interviewed -about alleged abuse from Netflix while filming the series - has brought them closer together.
On May 7, 2023, they first sparked reconciliation rumors when Danielle shared a picture to her story of them looking pretty cozy. On May 30, Danielle appeared on Nick's podcast, and they talked about reuniting at his apartment, and talking for eight hours.
“It felt like no time had passed, but a lot of time had passed. It was a weird feeling… No one else can relate to this but you and I,” Danielle said. Nick added, “I've been feeling so stuck because there’s so much unfinished business with us.”
Natalie Lee & Shayne Jansen
Status at the end of season 2: Engaged, but not married
Natalie Lee and Shayne Jansen were a fun couple that quickly became a fan-favorite, despite Shaina Hurley's interest in Shayne causing a bit of drama. They had their ups and downs, but still seemed headed to the altar. The day before the wedding, Shayne told Natalie she was "the worst" thing that had ever happened to him, and that he "hated" her, which is an interesting thing to say to someone before expecting them to say "I do."
When they made it to the altar, Shayne went first, and said "there's no one else" he would want to be with. However, Natalie just couldn't do it. "I'm so glad that we shared this journey together. I think we've grown a lot, as two people who have fallen in love. I know I've grown a lot because of you, but I don't. I'm so sorry. I'm really sorry, Shayne. I still love you, and you're still my best friend, but like, we have really big issues to sort through," she said. She wasn't "closing the door," but couldn't just get married. Shayne needed time to think about things.
Natalie later elaborated, "Before our fight, I was 100 percent sure I was going to marry him today. Like, today would have looked so different, but saying that you hate someone, telling someone you're the worst thing that's ever happened to them, those [words] cannot be unintentionally said. I thought today, truly, was going to be the happiest day of my life." Shayne seemed sure things were over for good, saying, "Still love her. Still think she's a good person. But you think I'm actually going to f***ing come back to you after that kind of stuff again?
Current status: Gave it another try, but now just friends
On the reunion show, Natalie apologized for making Shayne feel like he wasn't good enough, and he later issued a heartfelt apology on Instagram as well. "Natalie Mina Lee. Where do I start? This journey with you will be something I'll never forget. It was easily the best time of my life and I would do it all over again knowing I get to spend more time with you... As a man watching our story over again, I'm remorseful for my actions and all I can do is learn from them to be a better man... I'm proud of being vulnerable and being as genuine as possible. I don't know what's next for us, but I do know that I will never stop loving you."
Despite splitting at the altar, Natalie said she and Shayne continued their engagement for "several months," but it just wasn't meant to be. "I think at the end of it, we realized that we're very different people with different needs and wants that we can't fulfill for one another. We did take a break in communication after that, just to get into a better place." However, the pair clearly had a good connection, and when the show came out, and they were reliving all the good memories, they began talking again.
According to Natalie, the two remain friends. "I will always be bonded to him through this experience and journey that we had. I wish him all the best, I wish him a lot of happiness," she said.
Deepti Vempati & Abhishek Chatterjee
Status at the end of season 2: Broken up
Deepti Vempati and Abhishek "Shake" Chatterjee had issues throughout the series, with Shake telling just about everyone other than Deepti that he wasn't physically attracted to her. They both showed up to the altar, looking amazing in traditional garb, and Deepti was asked first. To the shock and delight of many, she turned Shake down, saying, "I hope you know how much you mean to me and the impact you've made on my life, but no, I cannot marry you. I deserve somebody who knows for sure. So I'm choosing myself and I'm going to say no."
She went on to say, "I don't think he realizes what he just lost. And a little time from now, he's going to look back and realize he lost the best thing of his life. And when that day comes, I'll be long gone. To me, that's heartbreaking, but I have to see my worth and move on. He doesn't deserve me."
Shake, who then acted like he would have said no, too, simply told everyone he had reservations at Nobu. He also believed they would remain friends.
Current status: Broken up, not friends.
Shake must have assumed that Deepti was never going to watch the season, because no one would want to be friends with someone who spoke about them the way Shake spoke about her behind her back. There isn't enough time in this piece to talk about all of the ways Shake offended not only Deepti, but the entire season 2 cast, and hosts Vanessa and Nick Lachey during the reunion episode by standing by all of his rude comments, and insisting he was not attracted to anyone on Love Is Blind, except for Vanessa.
Deepti and Shake did not remain friends, and the former went on to date co-star Kyle Abrams for a bit after the show.
Mallory Zapata & Salvador Perez
Status at the end of season 2: Not married, but open to dating
Things were not immediately easy for Mallory Zapata and Salvador Perez, as the former seemed stuck on Jarrette Jones from their time in the pods, and they didn't have the full support of both families. There was also a bit of drama with an ex of Sal's - Dahli - showing up to his sister's house in episode eight of Love Is Blind.
He said they had only gone on one date when he made the final casting for the show. However, Sal's sister ended up getting close to Dahli, and then the two dated casually in 2020. Sal said he didn't realize she was hurt when he joined the show in March 2021, because he thought they had established boundaries.
Mallory seemed like she would say yes to Salvador, but he was undecided, saying, "I feel like I need to see her. I need to see her in her dress, and I know it's going to be when she's coming down the aisle, but I know that when I'm there and I get to hold Mallory's hands, and just voice how I feel, it'll all be okay."
Surprising everyone, Sal was the one who said no to Mallory. "I feel like I just need more time," he told Mallory, who said, "It's okay." She admitted she was hoping he would say yes, despite her not knowing what she would have responded. Sal did suggest they go on a date to see if they should try getting back together.
Current status: Broken up
The connection between Jarrette and Mallory was clearly an issue, and it was brought up at the reunion. Sal felt disrespected by the conversation Jarrette had on the beach in Mexico, in which they mocked his engagement ring choice. Jarette did apologize, and said they shouldn't have had the conversation they way they did.
As Sal suggested in the season finale, he and Mallory went on a date to see if there were any more feelings there to explore. Mallory said in the reunion that they went to coffee, but they didn't click enough for them to want to continue pursuing a relationship. Sal also admitted that he felt unheard in their relationship.
Shaina Hurley & Kyle Abrams
Status at the end of season 2: Broken up
Shaina Hurley and Kyle Abrams were the match that made the least sense, seeing as Shaina is a devout Christian, and Kyle is an atheist. They were both hesitant at first, with Kyle saying, "Shaina has extreme views on religion, and I have extreme views on religion. I could definitely fall in love with Shaina, but we’re such polar opposites, and I don’t think either of us is going to change each other. And it scares me."
Shaina seemed to agree, saying, "Do I want to have the conversation with Kyle about our differences? Yes. No. It’s one of those things where it’s like, you’re preparing for the worst, hoping for the best, but you don’t want to know the answer, but you know the answer."
Despite not wanting to talk about it, the issue came up immediately, when Shaina did not want to share a room with Kyle on their "honeymoon" retreat after their engagement. She left without him, and Kyle complained she was a "horrible communicator."
Kyle was still confident they would end up together, and even gushed, "I'll grow on her a little. Shaina is going to be madly in love with me at the end of it. Ready to get married." That is not what happened, however, and they ended the engagement - and relationship - in episode six, before they made it to the altar.
While Shaina did briefly return to the show, it was not to patch things up with Kyle. She actually ended up stirring up drama between Shayne Jansen and Natalie Lee.
Kyle still praised his ex on social media. "Regardless of the outcome, this was one of the most exciting days of my life. Imagine connecting with someone for countless hours over the course of 10 days, through a wall, and then finally seeing them for the first time. The massive wave of emotion washed away what seemed like all consciousness, and left us both in a euphoric state. No matter the outcome, this special bond I share with Shaina will be forever kept in mind, until the end of time," he wrote.
Current status: Still broken up
It doesn't seem like the two have really spoken since breaking up, and in July 2022, Shaina married Christos Lardakis in a Chicago courthouse. Kyle went on to briefly date fellow Love Is Blind single, Deepti Vempati. Kyle got engaged to girlfriend Tania Leanos on April 11, 2023.
This article was originally published on Ranker.com.
