By Daniel Wiessner
The producers of Netflix’s hit reality dating show “Love is Blind” have been accused by a US labor board of attempting to strip cast members of their rights to discuss working conditions and speak publicly about their experiences.
The National Labor Relations Board in a complaint issued on Wednesday said Delirium TV and Kinetic Content intentionally misclassified cast members as “participants” rather than employees so they would not be covered by federal labor law, an NLRB spokeswoman said on Thursday.
The companies also allegedly forced “Love is Blind” contestants to sign agreements containing illegal noncompete and confidentiality provisions and barred them from discussing the terms of their participation, the spokeswoman said.
“Love is Blind,” which recently concluded its seventh season, features contestants who go on “dates” in small rooms separated by a barrier so they cannot see each other. Couples meet face-to-face only if they become engaged.
When Renee Poche, a contestant from the show’s fifth season whose storyline never aired, spoke about her experiences on a podcast, Delirium filed a $4 million complaint against her in arbitration, the NLRB said.
Netflix, which is not named in the complaint, declined to comment. A lawyer for the production companies did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Mark Geragos, a lawyer who represents Poche, said the case “promises to change the reality TV industry forever.”
“The practices identified by the NLRB in its complaint against Delirium are ubiquitous in this space,” Geragos said in an email. “This is not the last shoe to drop.” – Reuters
