Season 5 Love is Blind contestant Renee Poche is suing Netflix after she was hit with a $4 million breach of contract penalty.
According to court documents obtained by USA TODAY, Poche alleges that Netflix and Delirium TV, the show’s production company, violated California labor, government, and civil codes by forcing her to sign an “overreaching and unlawful talent agreement.” She also claims that the companies breached the state’s Unfair Competition Law, and intentionally caused her emotional distress.
Renee Poche is asking a judge to release her from her NDA. She is also seeking monetary damages.
“My experience on Love is Blind was traumatic,” Poche said in a statement to the publication. “I felt like a prisoner and had no support when I let Delirium know that I didn’t feel safe. I tried to deal with these emotions over time and eventually felt like I needed to share what had happened.
She continued, “I felt it was only right to let others know the truth of what all of the cast mates had to endure.
Renee Poche Told Production She Felt ‘Unsafe’ While Filming ‘Love is Blind’
The Jan. 2 filing details that Delirium went after the $4 million on Nov 1, 2023, because she had violated portions of her NDA agreement by making “limited public remarks about her horrifying experience.” The documents also claim that the company is trying to “drive” Poche “into bankruptcy.”
The 32-year-old veterinarian alleges that she was “forced to spend long stretches of time alone” with her onscreen partner, Carter Wall, despite telling production that she was “utterly terrified to be around him.”
The reality star alleges that Wall “regularly berated” her and showed “erratic and alarming behavior and emotional instability” that “became glaringly obvious to Poche and the production staff.”
Poche wrote that Wall would steal from the set and abuse painkillers and amphetamines. She also claimed that Wall once physically threatened a member of the camera crew.
Along with her complaints about Wall, Porche said she “felt like a prisoner” while filming Love is Blind. Production kept her phone and passport locked away. She also could not leave her hotel room unless she was accompanied by a wrangler.
The complainant said she spoke to production about her misgivings. She claims that the producers threatened “legal action” if she left the show or spoke out about her conditions.