Photo: Courtesy of Netflix
Two Love Is Blind production companies have been hit with a new lawsuit. Per People, Kinetic Content and Delirium TV are being sued over allegations of sexual assault, false imprisonment and negligence. Plaintiff Tran Dang, who participated as a contestant but did not appear in the final version of the show, has alleged that she was sexually assaulted during filming of the reality show’s fifth season in May 2022. According to the full lawsuit, obtained by Deadline, Dang’s then-on-screen fiancé, Thomas Smith, allegedly groped her, appeared naked without consent and “forcibly and repeatedly initiated sexual contact” despite her “explicit objections.” The complaint alleges that due to 24-hour surveillance, “most, if not all, of these traumatic acts were filmed by and with the knowledge of the production team.” But Dang claims that producers “attempted to obscure the plaintiff’s sexual assault by characterizing it as a lack of attraction” and “brushed aside her concerns.”
Kinetic Content and Delirium TV denied the allegations in a joint statement to People. “We support and support victims of sexual assault, but Ms. Dang’s claims against the producers are without merit,” the statement said. “We document the independent decisions of adults who voluntarily participate in a social experiment. There is neither a script for her journey nor is it filmed around the clock. We have no knowledge or control over what occurs in private residences when not filming, and participants may end their trip at any time.” The companies added that they “cannot address undisclosed concerns,” claiming that Dang ” “never informed the producers of any alleged misconduct of any kind.” They also alleged that Dang continued filming for weeks after her lawyers claimed the alleged incident took place.
Love Is Blind creator Chris Coelen also issued a statement claiming he supports those who report sexual assault. “If anyone ever came to us and said they felt unsafe in any way, we would immediately remove them from the experiment, talk to them and try to get to the bottom of it,” he said. “Unfortunately, in this case, this type of sentiment was in no way directed at us, nor were we ever made aware of any alleged wrongdoing.” He also dismissed Dang’s false claims of incarceration, noting that participants were allowed to to leave prison. This isn’t the first time Coelen has had to defend his show. Last month, in response to a separate lawsuit over Love Is Blind’s alleged “inhumane working conditions,” he denied that cast members were suffering mistreatment.