CELEBRITY
Woman Sues ‘Love Is Blind’ Producers Over Alleged Sexual Assault, False Imprisonment
Monty Brinton / Netflix
A contestant on the Netflix reality dating show Love Is Blind is suing the production companies behind the series, alleging sexual assault, false imprisonment and negligence, per reports.
Tran Dang, who participated in filming for the show’s currently airing fifth season but has not yet appeared in any episodes, filed a lawsuit against Kinetic Content and Delirium TV, according to People.
Dang alleges she was sexually assaulted on the show’s set by fellow participant Thomas Smith, to whom she got engaged during filming.
In the series, couples exist within pods and date each other, with some getting engaged, all without seeing each other. Dang claims that after she and Smith got engaged, they flew to Mexico for a vacation with the show’s other engaged couples. It was there that Smith allegedly sexually assaulted her in May 2022.
“Smith, and without Ms. Dangs consent, forcefully groped her, exposed himself in the nude and repeatedly made sexual contact over her express objections,” the lawsuit suit states, going on to say that “because of [Kinetic Content and Delirium TVs] 24-hour surveillance of cast members, most, if not all, of these traumatic acts were likely captured on film.”
When Dang reported Smith’s alleged actions to an assistant producer, she was gaslighted, with the producer “implying that she was at fault for what had happened with Thomas Smith by not communicating effectively or somehow not taking the relationship seriously.”
Dang also alleged she was falsely imprisoned during filming, and that producers acted with negligence.
According to the lawsuit, producers provided plenty of alcohol but limited food, in order to encourage striking conversations and actions that would increase viewer ratings.
While on set, for up to 18 hours per day, [Kinetic Content and Delirium TV] required Ms. Dang to request permission to do virtually anything, including use the restroom. She was prohibited from leaving her hotel room without express permission and kept under 24-hour surveillance, the lawsuit claims.
The show’s creator, Kinetic CEO Chris Coelen, told People the production was never told that she felt unsafe or experienced any of the allegations detailed in the lawsuit. He also called Dang’s claim of false imprisonment preposterous, pointing out cast members who have freely left the show in the past, including Aaliyah Cosby and Taylor Rue.
If anybody ever came to us and said they felt unsafe in any way, we would immediately remove them from the experiment and talk to them, and try to get to the bottom of it, Coelen said. Unfortunately, in this case, that kind of sentiment was never addressed to us in any way, nor was any alleged wrongdoing brought to our attention ever.
In a joint statement, Kinetic and Delirium TV said they support and stand with victims of sexual assault, but called Dang’s claims meritless.
We document the independent choices of adults who volunteer to participate in a social experiment. Their journey is not scripted, nor is it filmed around the clock. We have no knowledge or control over what occurs in private living spaces when not filming, and participants may choose to end their journey at any time, the statement read.
The companies said Dang continued in the experiment for weeks after the time her lawyers now claim an incident occurred.
TMX contributed to this article.
