1 00:00:10,720 --> 00:00:12,597 -[all cheering] -[indistinct chatter] 2 00:00:13,765 --> 00:00:16,184 Hey, everyone, I'm your host, Vanessa Lachey. 3 00:00:16,267 --> 00:00:18,394 -And obviously I'm Nick Lachey. -[chuckles] 4 00:00:18,478 --> 00:00:22,106 -Welcome to the Love Is Blind reunion. -Yeah! 5 00:00:22,190 --> 00:00:23,691 [all cheering] 6 00:00:23,775 --> 00:00:26,611 [Vanessa] I love it. I wish you could feel the energy in this room. 7 00:00:26,694 --> 00:00:29,906 We have seen all of our contestants fall blindly in love for each other. 8 00:00:29,989 --> 00:00:32,158 They've connected emotionally and physically. 9 00:00:32,241 --> 00:00:34,368 They have made up, they've broken up, they've made up 10 00:00:34,452 --> 00:00:36,204 and some of 'em even made it down the aisle. 11 00:00:36,287 --> 00:00:38,456 [Nick] We're here to catch up with the participants 12 00:00:38,539 --> 00:00:41,334 and talk about the results of this blind love experiment. 13 00:00:41,417 --> 00:00:44,962 And their reactions to seeing it all play out on screen. 14 00:00:48,508 --> 00:00:52,929 It's just crazy to think that a couple months ago I was single, 15 00:00:53,012 --> 00:00:54,680 I was livin' the life. 16 00:00:54,764 --> 00:00:56,516 And the journey has just brought me here. 17 00:00:58,476 --> 00:01:00,311 -Will you marry me? -Will you marry me? 18 00:01:00,394 --> 00:01:01,854 Will you marry me? 19 00:01:01,938 --> 00:01:03,314 -[woman] Yes. -Yes. 20 00:01:03,397 --> 00:01:04,565 I will marry you. 21 00:01:05,566 --> 00:01:09,445 [Cameron] I've spent every second focusing on finding my wife. 22 00:01:09,529 --> 00:01:11,030 Oh, my God. [chuckles] 23 00:01:11,114 --> 00:01:15,284 My favorite was Barnett. He made me laugh so much. 24 00:01:15,368 --> 00:01:16,869 -Hi. -[Barnett] Oh, God. 25 00:01:16,953 --> 00:01:19,789 [Jessica] I know we're gonna have a lot of challenges in the real world 26 00:01:19,872 --> 00:01:22,416 but I wouldn't change anything about him. 27 00:01:22,500 --> 00:01:24,502 You guys, it's so good to see you all again. 28 00:01:24,585 --> 00:01:25,670 -Yes. -Yeah. 29 00:01:25,753 --> 00:01:28,965 It feels like a family reunion. It's nice to see each other. 30 00:01:29,048 --> 00:01:31,843 Like a true family reunion that you kinda don't wanna go to. 31 00:01:32,385 --> 00:01:33,886 I think the first thing we should do 32 00:01:33,970 --> 00:01:36,889 is kick this whole thing off with some quick updates from you guys. 33 00:01:36,973 --> 00:01:40,560 Raise your hand if you are currently single. 34 00:01:41,602 --> 00:01:42,603 [Vanessa] Okay. 35 00:01:43,396 --> 00:01:48,943 Raise your hand if you are married to your fiancée from the experiment. 36 00:01:50,236 --> 00:01:52,155 -Wow. -[Vanessa] All right. 37 00:01:52,780 --> 00:01:54,407 -All right. -[Nick] All right, guys, 38 00:01:54,490 --> 00:01:57,952 raise your hand if you are currently in a relationship. 39 00:01:58,661 --> 00:02:00,288 -Okay, Kenny. -Yeah, I guess that would... 40 00:02:00,371 --> 00:02:01,539 [indistinct] 41 00:02:01,622 --> 00:02:04,250 Raise your hand if you are currently in a relationship 42 00:02:04,333 --> 00:02:07,253 with your fiancée from the experiment. 43 00:02:08,504 --> 00:02:11,299 -Yes! Okay! -[all cheer] 44 00:02:12,216 --> 00:02:15,219 [Vanessa] What goes around, comes around. I can't wait. 45 00:02:15,303 --> 00:02:16,721 I can't wait to get into this. 46 00:02:16,804 --> 00:02:18,931 This is good already. We're barely started here. 47 00:02:19,015 --> 00:02:22,059 Nick, I don't know about you, I'm gonna need some details. 48 00:02:22,143 --> 00:02:24,145 -A lot more details. Yup. -A lot of details. 49 00:02:24,228 --> 00:02:25,521 [Vanessa] We had Kenny and Kelly. 50 00:02:25,605 --> 00:02:26,606 -Hey, guys. -Hi. 51 00:02:26,689 --> 00:02:28,733 -[Nick] How's it goin'? -What's goin' on-- 52 00:02:28,816 --> 00:02:31,319 Yeah, so, I am still single. 53 00:02:31,402 --> 00:02:36,824 Um, but I did a few career transitions since the show. 54 00:02:36,908 --> 00:02:40,786 I also dated one of my best friends since the show. And... 55 00:02:41,579 --> 00:02:43,956 -he was actually at our wedding. -[Vanessa] Oh, my God! 56 00:02:44,040 --> 00:02:45,082 [Kelly] At our wedding. 57 00:02:45,166 --> 00:02:46,209 [Vanessa] Wow. 58 00:02:46,292 --> 00:02:51,047 I think since the show, it's been a lot of, um, self-growth. 59 00:02:51,130 --> 00:02:55,051 From what I learned from this show, taking that into that relationship. 60 00:02:55,134 --> 00:02:57,178 -How about you, Kenny? -I, honestly, 61 00:02:57,261 --> 00:02:59,889 and not to sugarcoat it, but could not be doing better. 62 00:02:59,972 --> 00:03:02,600 This experiment, whether I understood it or not, 63 00:03:02,683 --> 00:03:05,269 allowed me to find the person I'm with today. 64 00:03:05,353 --> 00:03:08,105 'Cause it allowed me to open myself up to truly be vulnerable. 65 00:03:08,189 --> 00:03:12,610 And I have the best girlfriend, uh, for me. 66 00:03:12,693 --> 00:03:15,029 And I'm sure you guys are documenting everything on camera. 67 00:03:15,112 --> 00:03:16,739 I've learned that is not a good thing. 68 00:03:16,822 --> 00:03:21,160 Amber and Barnett, you guys, you got married in our experiment 69 00:03:21,244 --> 00:03:24,747 and you are still together. Fill us in. What's going on? 70 00:03:24,830 --> 00:03:27,625 -Well, I haven't killed him yet. [laughs] -[Vanessa laughs] 71 00:03:27,708 --> 00:03:29,335 Uh, we've been doing great. 72 00:03:29,418 --> 00:03:32,630 Learning about ourselves while we've been traveling and doing fun stuff. 73 00:03:32,713 --> 00:03:34,799 -It's been awesome. -[Amber] Learning about ourselves. 74 00:03:34,882 --> 00:03:36,759 We did move closer to the city now. 75 00:03:36,842 --> 00:03:40,221 Our house was haunted, y'all. Not a fan. [laughs] 76 00:03:40,304 --> 00:03:42,974 She thinks it was haunted, I think it was dust, whatever. 77 00:03:43,057 --> 00:03:44,809 [all laughing and exclaiming] 78 00:03:44,892 --> 00:03:47,353 Ever since this show, we've been followed by bad spirits. 79 00:03:47,436 --> 00:03:48,980 -Oh, my God. -[Nick] On that note... 80 00:03:49,063 --> 00:03:51,232 What about you, Jessica, what have you been up to? 81 00:03:51,315 --> 00:03:54,735 Honestly, you know, we've all just seen this all play out. 82 00:03:54,819 --> 00:03:57,655 There were some really cringeworthy moments for me, 83 00:03:57,738 --> 00:03:59,865 watching it back, that I've been able to reflect on. 84 00:03:59,949 --> 00:04:04,161 It was kind of rough for me, when I realized that things weren't really 85 00:04:04,245 --> 00:04:06,664 going the way that I hoped that they would. 86 00:04:06,747 --> 00:04:12,128 So I took this past year, um, went back home to Chicago for six months 87 00:04:12,211 --> 00:04:15,506 just be closer to my family and kinda heal up a little bit. 88 00:04:15,589 --> 00:04:19,635 And kinda reflect and figure out how to change course. 89 00:04:19,719 --> 00:04:21,512 And then, now I'm out in LA. 90 00:04:21,595 --> 00:04:24,140 And, um, I've just recently started dating again. 91 00:04:24,223 --> 00:04:26,017 -So, I'm doing great. -[Vanessa] I love that. 92 00:04:26,100 --> 00:04:29,854 Carlton, what's been goin' on since the experiment? 93 00:04:29,937 --> 00:04:32,398 I've really just been working on Carlton. 94 00:04:32,481 --> 00:04:37,278 Um, I'm single still. I've taken some self-reflection. 95 00:04:37,361 --> 00:04:41,073 Obviously, what happened on the show was major in my life. 96 00:04:41,157 --> 00:04:46,412 It was very important to me to preserve my personal space and my mental space. 97 00:04:46,495 --> 00:04:50,374 Because subject matters like that could take you down a dark road. 98 00:04:50,458 --> 00:04:52,585 In the back of your mind, you're thinking, 99 00:04:52,668 --> 00:04:55,713 "Oh, my God, did I really just share my entire life?" 100 00:04:55,796 --> 00:04:57,381 Like there's no other secret. 101 00:04:57,465 --> 00:04:58,841 -You get what I'm saying? -Yeah. 102 00:04:58,924 --> 00:05:02,303 On one end, I feel very free since doing the show, 103 00:05:02,386 --> 00:05:04,597 but on another end, I'm just very disappointed 104 00:05:04,680 --> 00:05:08,267 that love didn't work out the way that I wanted for it to. 105 00:05:08,351 --> 00:05:10,519 -What you did in confronting that... -[Carlton] Mmm-hmm. 106 00:05:10,603 --> 00:05:13,189 ...and doing that on a television show like this 107 00:05:13,272 --> 00:05:14,815 takes an incredible amount of bravery. 108 00:05:14,899 --> 00:05:16,484 -Thank you. -I know we were all 109 00:05:16,567 --> 00:05:18,944 -very proud of you for doing that. -Thank you so much. 110 00:05:19,028 --> 00:05:20,946 -Still processing it. -[Nick and Vanessa] Yeah. 111 00:05:21,030 --> 00:05:25,451 It's kinda weird sometimes, but I'm proud, at the end of the day. 112 00:05:25,534 --> 00:05:30,414 Damian and Gi, so y'all are together? Please dish. 113 00:05:30,498 --> 00:05:34,627 We are so together. Every single day, waking up next to each other 114 00:05:34,710 --> 00:05:36,420 and going to the gym together. 115 00:05:36,504 --> 00:05:39,131 I don't wanna lose this. I just don't. 116 00:05:39,757 --> 00:05:41,509 -[Nick] That's awesome. -And I didn't. 117 00:05:41,592 --> 00:05:45,679 Okay. So, Diamond, how've you been since the show? 118 00:05:45,763 --> 00:05:48,641 I've been great. I've been waitin' on Beyoncé to call me. 119 00:05:48,724 --> 00:05:49,725 No, I'm just kidding. 120 00:05:49,809 --> 00:05:52,770 'Cause everybody's been lovin' that for some reason, 121 00:05:52,853 --> 00:05:57,358 that I quoted her. But anyways, back to me. [laughs] 122 00:05:57,441 --> 00:06:00,027 Everything's been great. I'm workin' on my PhD. 123 00:06:00,111 --> 00:06:02,113 -I'm going back to school. -[Nick] Congratulations. 124 00:06:02,196 --> 00:06:03,406 -Thanks, guys. -[all cheering] 125 00:06:03,489 --> 00:06:07,451 And I know each and every one of us can say 126 00:06:07,535 --> 00:06:11,122 that this was a very hard thing to open up to the world 127 00:06:11,205 --> 00:06:14,166 and allow people to come in and being judged. 128 00:06:14,250 --> 00:06:21,215 And we have to really take that all in and also try to be able to cope with it. 129 00:06:21,298 --> 00:06:24,218 Yes. Especially in this day and age when you've got those keyboard warriors. 130 00:06:24,301 --> 00:06:26,595 -But we'll get to those. -Exactly. 131 00:06:26,679 --> 00:06:30,433 Lauren and Cameron, you guys, just like Amber and Barnett, 132 00:06:30,516 --> 00:06:33,811 found love in this experiment, got married and are still together. 133 00:06:33,894 --> 00:06:36,689 -Still together. -What's happening? What's goin' on? 134 00:06:36,772 --> 00:06:39,275 Life for us has been really, really good. 135 00:06:39,358 --> 00:06:42,236 Each and every day is like our own little experiment. 136 00:06:42,319 --> 00:06:44,321 Because we're still learning each other, 137 00:06:44,405 --> 00:06:46,490 even though we've been married for over a year now. 138 00:06:46,574 --> 00:06:48,367 Trust me, that never stops. 139 00:06:48,451 --> 00:06:53,164 I've seriously never been as happy as I am with Cameron. 140 00:06:53,247 --> 00:06:54,248 He makes me so happy. 141 00:06:54,331 --> 00:06:57,168 Can't wait to dive into that love story. I'll come up here to Mark. 142 00:06:57,251 --> 00:06:58,586 -How are you? -[Mark] I'm good. 143 00:06:58,669 --> 00:07:02,214 As a man, I think I learned more about vulnerability, communication 144 00:07:02,298 --> 00:07:04,758 and just, I don't know, just more about myself. 145 00:07:04,842 --> 00:07:06,260 I think I can speak for everybody, 146 00:07:06,343 --> 00:07:08,179 it was totally worth the price of admission. 147 00:07:08,262 --> 00:07:10,931 -Mmm-hmm. -And, yeah, life's been good. 148 00:07:11,015 --> 00:07:12,725 -And you're single now. -Yes, I am single. 149 00:07:12,808 --> 00:07:15,728 Guys, it's probably one of the most asked questions, 150 00:07:15,811 --> 00:07:19,148 but how was it dating in the pods? 151 00:07:19,231 --> 00:07:23,527 I know I said myself a lot that it was, uh... 152 00:07:23,611 --> 00:07:25,321 possible that this could work for me, 153 00:07:25,404 --> 00:07:27,364 but I honest to God didn't think it was probable. 154 00:07:27,448 --> 00:07:30,910 I went on this show thinking, "It's a chance to find love. Why not? 155 00:07:30,993 --> 00:07:33,746 -Let's see what happens." But-- -[Cameron] Yeah. 156 00:07:33,829 --> 00:07:38,792 Hey, I was as skeptical as anyone was probably watching coming into this. 157 00:07:38,876 --> 00:07:42,171 Is there anything that in a pod, you were like, "This is not the one"? 158 00:07:42,254 --> 00:07:43,672 -It was an instant-- -Mmm. 159 00:07:43,756 --> 00:07:44,757 -Me and Barnett. -No. 160 00:07:45,424 --> 00:07:47,801 He was like, "Oh, Diamond, you're a stripper." She was like-- 161 00:07:47,885 --> 00:07:49,136 Nope. 162 00:07:49,220 --> 00:07:51,388 If you'd have given me a second chance, I... 163 00:07:52,473 --> 00:07:54,141 He's still tryin' to be smooth. 164 00:07:55,226 --> 00:07:57,228 Barnett, you had enough going on as it was. 165 00:07:57,311 --> 00:08:00,523 And I'm so sorry that I fell asleep on Amber. I'm so sorry. 166 00:08:01,190 --> 00:08:05,069 Okay, in all fairness, in this process, it was exhausting. 167 00:08:05,152 --> 00:08:06,737 And the second date-- 168 00:08:06,820 --> 00:08:09,573 -She was all over me on the second date. -Get outta here. 169 00:08:09,657 --> 00:08:12,284 -[all laughing] -Nobody got to see Carlton say, 170 00:08:12,368 --> 00:08:15,913 "My God, you're so interesting. I wish I'd known this on the first date." 171 00:08:15,996 --> 00:08:18,874 Okay? So, no, I am not boring. 172 00:08:18,958 --> 00:08:21,627 Barnett and Diamond, you guys didn't connect, 173 00:08:21,710 --> 00:08:23,546 -but as I mentioned... -I love you, Barnett. 174 00:08:23,629 --> 00:08:27,800 ...you had a pretty active thing going on in terms of dating in the pods. 175 00:08:27,883 --> 00:08:30,636 -There was a lot goin' on there. -I dated, like, 15 women. 176 00:08:30,719 --> 00:08:32,805 -Yeah. -Should we watch a clip? 177 00:08:32,888 --> 00:08:35,140 I think we should watch a clip. 178 00:08:35,224 --> 00:08:38,477 Me and LC were very freakin' similar and it's like, 179 00:08:38,561 --> 00:08:41,105 what's goin' on here? [chuckles] Why are we so alike? 180 00:08:41,188 --> 00:08:46,610 With Amber, she excites me but she also scares the livin' hell out of me. 181 00:08:47,319 --> 00:08:49,405 -[Jessica] Hey, B. -Hey, girl. 182 00:08:49,488 --> 00:08:51,740 Yeah, I think Jessica is my number one. 183 00:08:51,824 --> 00:08:55,411 Because every time I talk to her, there's like mad goosebumps. 184 00:08:56,829 --> 00:08:59,665 I love everything about these girls but all in different ways. 185 00:08:59,748 --> 00:09:02,459 And I'm like, "What the hell? What am I supposed to do?" 186 00:09:02,543 --> 00:09:03,711 Let's talk about this. 187 00:09:03,794 --> 00:09:07,214 Now, we just watched that clip and seein' how secure 188 00:09:07,881 --> 00:09:12,636 Amber and Jessica and LC all felt about their relationship with you in the pods, 189 00:09:12,720 --> 00:09:16,932 watching that and looking back, would you have done anything differently? 190 00:09:17,016 --> 00:09:20,102 Actually, no. The last couple years before I went on the show, 191 00:09:20,185 --> 00:09:22,938 I was kinda emotionally empty. 192 00:09:23,022 --> 00:09:27,359 I had no connections. I couldn't figure myself out. 193 00:09:27,443 --> 00:09:29,945 -Excuse my spit. But, um-- -[Nick] Can we get a napkin, please? 194 00:09:30,029 --> 00:09:31,030 So smooth. 195 00:09:31,113 --> 00:09:32,489 -[Nick] Or a bib. -Or a bib? 196 00:09:32,573 --> 00:09:33,949 [all laughing] 197 00:09:34,033 --> 00:09:35,618 Anyhoo, um... 198 00:09:36,452 --> 00:09:41,957 It's really crazy to go to a place where you actually start opening up 199 00:09:42,041 --> 00:09:44,793 and you feel people accepting your emotions 200 00:09:44,877 --> 00:09:46,712 that you've never really shown to anybody. 201 00:09:46,795 --> 00:09:50,549 -It's just... It was kinda crazy. -[Nick] Yeah. 202 00:09:51,467 --> 00:09:54,011 I think most people could attest to that. 203 00:09:54,094 --> 00:09:57,806 Um, that I'm not super good with girls, actually. 204 00:09:58,474 --> 00:10:02,311 So it's kinda funny to see it, but, I don't know. I guess it's just like... 205 00:10:03,437 --> 00:10:08,275 When you think back to it and... and... you're sittin' there trying to figure out, 206 00:10:09,526 --> 00:10:13,822 like, who, you know, would be the best wife, 207 00:10:13,906 --> 00:10:17,576 you kinda wanna see what they think about even getting married. 208 00:10:17,660 --> 00:10:19,244 I may not have used the best words. 209 00:10:19,328 --> 00:10:22,289 Like saying that I would propose to you tomorrow or somethin' like that. 210 00:10:22,373 --> 00:10:26,126 But I feel like it gives you a good idea of how someone's gonna react 211 00:10:26,210 --> 00:10:28,921 to the thought of even marrying you. So... 212 00:10:29,004 --> 00:10:31,090 Do you have any regrets with how things went down? 213 00:10:31,173 --> 00:10:33,217 I always regret everything I say. 214 00:10:33,300 --> 00:10:34,843 -[Nick] Ha! -[Amber chuckles] 215 00:10:34,927 --> 00:10:39,014 I mean, no, I don't regret anything, really. 216 00:10:39,098 --> 00:10:43,977 I think that maybe there are better words to use to fill those feelings out. 217 00:10:44,061 --> 00:10:48,649 But, I mean, really, I don't regret it. 'Cause it got me to where I am today. 218 00:10:48,732 --> 00:10:52,361 Everyone has a different path that they take on something like this. 219 00:10:52,444 --> 00:10:55,114 And that was your... That was your journey. 220 00:10:55,197 --> 00:10:57,741 And I see him cracking his knuckles, and I feel you. 221 00:10:57,825 --> 00:10:59,243 I'm a little uncomfortable. 222 00:10:59,326 --> 00:11:04,164 You guys are actually seeing this process. And for Amber, you knew. 223 00:11:04,248 --> 00:11:07,418 You knew, 'cause on the women's side... You knew this. 224 00:11:07,501 --> 00:11:09,753 There was a very strong sense of girl power over there 225 00:11:09,837 --> 00:11:12,297 and we were all leaning on each other a lot. 226 00:11:12,381 --> 00:11:17,010 And we were very supportive and open about who we were all interested in. 227 00:11:17,094 --> 00:11:19,179 And when it got to the point that LC and I realized 228 00:11:19,263 --> 00:11:22,015 we both really cared about Barnett, we came to a mutual decision. 229 00:11:22,099 --> 00:11:25,436 Like... can we just not talk about our dates with him? 230 00:11:25,519 --> 00:11:28,605 And she was really respectful about that. 231 00:11:28,689 --> 00:11:31,567 So, Jessica coming out of left field tryin' to tell me 232 00:11:31,650 --> 00:11:33,110 that he proposed to her that night... 233 00:11:33,193 --> 00:11:34,236 Maybe he's having issues. 234 00:11:34,319 --> 00:11:36,321 But he told me that he doesn't know what he wants. 235 00:11:36,405 --> 00:11:38,782 That he's fucked up in his head. That's what he told me. 236 00:11:38,866 --> 00:11:41,410 After last night, he told me that he was gonna marry me. 237 00:11:41,493 --> 00:11:45,038 I was not happy. I confronted Matt about Jessica. 238 00:11:45,664 --> 00:11:48,500 And I said, "What the hell? What's going on here? 239 00:11:48,584 --> 00:11:51,170 What are you thinking? What are you doing? What do you do want?" 240 00:11:51,253 --> 00:11:54,047 He told me he was trying to figure things out and feel it out, 241 00:11:54,131 --> 00:11:55,758 and that he shouldn't have said that. 242 00:11:55,841 --> 00:11:59,219 That wasn't how he meant it. I'm like, "Okay, that's not how you meant it." 243 00:12:00,137 --> 00:12:04,641 I believe you. That was all... I trusted him. 244 00:12:04,725 --> 00:12:08,145 As far as I was concerned, that was nothing after the fact. 245 00:12:08,228 --> 00:12:13,400 So to see her throwing herself at him in Mexico... 246 00:12:13,484 --> 00:12:16,153 Bitch, you're shiesty. You're so fake. 247 00:12:16,236 --> 00:12:19,239 Comin' to my face like we were cool. You were so fake. 248 00:12:19,323 --> 00:12:21,450 I think you're a very disingenuine person. 249 00:12:21,533 --> 00:12:24,328 And I hope seeing this, you do grow from it. 250 00:12:24,411 --> 00:12:29,208 Because the world does not need women going behind people's backs like that. 251 00:12:29,291 --> 00:12:32,586 You were engaged to another man that you were leading on. 252 00:12:32,669 --> 00:12:35,088 He was engaged. He made his choice. 253 00:12:36,048 --> 00:12:38,759 Anyhoo, so no, I'm not super happy seeing that. 254 00:12:38,842 --> 00:12:42,554 But I would have been a lot more comfortable 255 00:12:42,638 --> 00:12:45,516 had somebody else said, "Hey, I'm still having feelings for him." 256 00:12:45,599 --> 00:12:47,559 Do you think you should have come forward sooner? 257 00:12:47,643 --> 00:12:50,854 Do you think, "I still respect the way that I kept it to myself"? 258 00:12:50,938 --> 00:12:54,650 Yeah, I mean, [clears throat] for me, um, 259 00:12:54,733 --> 00:12:58,153 obviously there's... To go back to kinda Barnett's point, 260 00:12:58,237 --> 00:13:01,824 that I really wanted to see how my relationship was with everyone. 261 00:13:01,907 --> 00:13:04,660 Everyone needs to realize that this was days, not weeks, 262 00:13:04,743 --> 00:13:07,162 to find a connection to spend forever with someone. 263 00:13:07,246 --> 00:13:09,206 So I really wanted to vet everything out. 264 00:13:09,289 --> 00:13:12,668 Obviously, I was rejected by Barnett. I didn't take that very well. 265 00:13:12,751 --> 00:13:15,921 Seeing that play out is brutal, you know? 266 00:13:16,004 --> 00:13:19,049 So I was really trying to keep myself open 267 00:13:19,132 --> 00:13:22,386 and work that all out. I don't think that necessarily played out. 268 00:13:22,469 --> 00:13:29,434 But I do definitely owe a major apology to you, Amber, and to Barnett. 269 00:13:29,518 --> 00:13:33,397 Who... I super respect them both. I respect their relationship. 270 00:13:33,480 --> 00:13:40,195 Um, and, you know, definitely was not good of me to even ever question that, 271 00:13:40,279 --> 00:13:43,615 so I apologize. And I have nothing but the most respect for you both. 272 00:13:43,699 --> 00:13:45,075 I wish you nothing but the best. 273 00:13:45,158 --> 00:13:47,077 I'm just happy that I was able to participate 274 00:13:47,160 --> 00:13:49,663 in an experiment where this does work out. 275 00:13:49,746 --> 00:13:52,249 And there are happy married couples. It's... 276 00:13:52,332 --> 00:13:56,962 I have no hard feelings towards you whatsoever. At all. 277 00:13:57,045 --> 00:14:00,340 I have a whole lot of respect for you for coming here and being a part of this. 278 00:14:00,424 --> 00:14:02,676 -Thanks. -[Nick] And being big enough to to say, 279 00:14:02,759 --> 00:14:04,678 "I messed up and I apologize." 280 00:14:04,761 --> 00:14:07,055 I wanna clear this air. If she is apologizing, 281 00:14:07,139 --> 00:14:08,599 do you accept that apology 282 00:14:08,682 --> 00:14:11,977 or is there something that you're like, "I wish that this would've happened 283 00:14:12,060 --> 00:14:14,021 -so that we can all move on"? -[Amber] My... 284 00:14:14,897 --> 00:14:18,692 I had a full understanding of what this experiment was. 285 00:14:18,775 --> 00:14:22,779 And I knew that she may have had a crush on him still. 286 00:14:22,863 --> 00:14:26,909 And the fact that she was going to him behind my back with me in the same room, 287 00:14:26,992 --> 00:14:29,620 saying things like, "Are you sure this is what you want?" 288 00:14:29,703 --> 00:14:33,206 Yeah, that bothered me. Because if you still have feelings for my husband 289 00:14:33,290 --> 00:14:35,751 and you're engaged to my friend, 290 00:14:35,834 --> 00:14:39,004 the least you can do is be honest about where you are at. 291 00:14:39,087 --> 00:14:43,342 I fully believe in being up-front. I have no filter, 292 00:14:43,425 --> 00:14:47,888 as you guys have seen. I have no filter. So, what I needed 293 00:14:47,971 --> 00:14:50,307 to be okay with this was for her to say, 294 00:14:50,390 --> 00:14:52,935 "Look, I'm still feeling him. I'm still confused." 295 00:14:53,518 --> 00:14:56,146 So that I'm not sitting there looking like a fool, 296 00:14:56,229 --> 00:14:57,689 thinking we're cool, we're friends. 297 00:14:57,773 --> 00:14:59,858 [Vanessa] I don't know that you looked like a fool, 298 00:14:59,942 --> 00:15:02,069 'cause you got the guy, but she had her process. 299 00:15:02,152 --> 00:15:05,864 Do you accept an apology or are you like, "I still need a minute to process"? 300 00:15:07,366 --> 00:15:10,035 I accept the intent behind the apology. 301 00:15:10,118 --> 00:15:12,329 -I can't be fully there yet. -[Vanessa] Yeah. 302 00:15:12,871 --> 00:15:14,790 -That's okay. -[Nick] Well, the process continues. 303 00:15:14,873 --> 00:15:18,377 All right, every one of you sitting here today 304 00:15:18,460 --> 00:15:23,590 decided to choose to spend the rest of your life with someone sight unseen. 305 00:15:23,674 --> 00:15:26,176 Let's hear more about what was going through your minds 306 00:15:26,259 --> 00:15:29,596 when you saw each other for the very first time. 307 00:15:31,682 --> 00:15:33,266 -[exclaims] -Yeah. 308 00:15:40,148 --> 00:15:41,316 [chuckles] 309 00:15:42,317 --> 00:15:44,069 [all exclaiming] 310 00:15:45,278 --> 00:15:48,031 -[Vanessa] Yeah, D-money! -[Nick] Smooth. Smooth. 311 00:15:48,115 --> 00:15:51,159 Who surprised you the most when you guys saw them in person? 312 00:15:51,243 --> 00:15:53,745 Because you obviously talked to everybody. Everybody dated. 313 00:15:53,829 --> 00:15:55,747 Even for that speed date round, everybody dated. 314 00:15:55,831 --> 00:15:58,000 So who did you see that you were like, "Wow!" 315 00:15:58,083 --> 00:16:03,380 I'd say Lauren. Honestly. 'Cause you and I talked, I think, twice. We dated twice. 316 00:16:03,463 --> 00:16:07,718 Um, no, I mean, you're captivating, you're stunning. It shines through. 317 00:16:07,801 --> 00:16:11,013 I can agree to that. It is funny. I love you, Cam, but-- 318 00:16:11,096 --> 00:16:12,556 [all laugh] 319 00:16:12,639 --> 00:16:16,309 It is, because me and Lauren, I think we dated every day 320 00:16:16,393 --> 00:16:17,686 up till the point of engagement. 321 00:16:17,769 --> 00:16:19,438 -We dated every single day. -We did. 322 00:16:19,521 --> 00:16:21,356 We had the best conversations. 323 00:16:21,440 --> 00:16:23,233 We would laugh all the time. 324 00:16:23,316 --> 00:16:26,528 -We started to talk in a Star Wars voice. -[all laughing] 325 00:16:26,611 --> 00:16:27,571 We really did. 326 00:16:27,654 --> 00:16:30,824 Wait a minute. We gotta see a Star Wars date right now. What's your voice? 327 00:16:31,742 --> 00:16:33,410 It's like, [in squeaky voice] "Hey, Damian." 328 00:16:35,328 --> 00:16:37,914 And I was like, [in throaty voice] "Hi, Lauren. Hi, Lauren." 329 00:16:37,998 --> 00:16:41,084 I was trying to do Yoda, but I'm not getting casted for Star Wars. 330 00:16:41,918 --> 00:16:44,254 I was really surprised to see Mark. 331 00:16:44,337 --> 00:16:46,631 I really was. He actually is really attractive. 332 00:16:46,715 --> 00:16:48,884 -Like, he's a good-looking guy. -[Damian] Rico Suave. 333 00:16:48,967 --> 00:16:50,052 [all laugh] 334 00:16:50,135 --> 00:16:51,470 He wears his heart on his sleeve. 335 00:16:51,553 --> 00:16:53,388 I really thought he was a beautiful person. 336 00:16:53,472 --> 00:16:56,391 You know, y'all are both single, right? 337 00:16:57,434 --> 00:16:59,936 We have a pod in our garage. You guys wanna come over? 338 00:17:00,479 --> 00:17:02,314 But we've already seen each other, so... 339 00:17:02,397 --> 00:17:04,649 We've talked lot about the emotional connection 340 00:17:04,733 --> 00:17:06,693 that all of you, I think, found on this show. 341 00:17:06,777 --> 00:17:08,737 But you guys took that emotional connection 342 00:17:08,820 --> 00:17:11,573 and you developed a physical connection 343 00:17:11,656 --> 00:17:15,452 and obviously with that, face time, you know, brings new challenges, 344 00:17:15,535 --> 00:17:16,953 brings new obstacles to light, 345 00:17:17,037 --> 00:17:19,498 and reality really started to sink in. 346 00:17:19,581 --> 00:17:20,874 Let's see right here. 347 00:17:20,957 --> 00:17:22,501 -[Carlton] Diamond... -[chuckles] Yes. 348 00:17:25,420 --> 00:17:26,963 Will you be my wife? 349 00:17:27,047 --> 00:17:28,882 [Diamond chuckles] Oh, my God. 350 00:17:31,551 --> 00:17:32,803 Will you marry me? 351 00:17:33,637 --> 00:17:34,846 [Diamond inhales deeply] 352 00:17:35,806 --> 00:17:37,933 [chuckles] Oh, my God. 353 00:17:41,853 --> 00:17:43,146 -Yes. -[Carlton] You will? 354 00:17:43,814 --> 00:17:44,773 [Diamond] Yes. 355 00:17:44,856 --> 00:17:46,108 Baby! 356 00:17:46,191 --> 00:17:47,442 [Diamond crying] 357 00:17:48,151 --> 00:17:51,029 -All the way... I saw suspense. -I know, right? 358 00:17:51,113 --> 00:17:56,326 What is it like, Carlton, Diamond, to see that? 359 00:17:56,409 --> 00:17:58,036 I get emotional. I really do. 360 00:17:58,120 --> 00:18:00,580 Because to actually hear someone actually say, like... 361 00:18:00,664 --> 00:18:02,916 "Do you want to be my queen? Do you want to be my wife?" 362 00:18:02,999 --> 00:18:04,668 I've never heard that before. 363 00:18:04,751 --> 00:18:06,962 And to hear those words, you know... 364 00:18:07,045 --> 00:18:09,422 A lot of us have been wanting that for a long time. 365 00:18:09,506 --> 00:18:11,424 You could see I was crying like a baby 366 00:18:11,508 --> 00:18:15,428 because I've never heard those words. I didn't even know how to respond to it, 367 00:18:15,512 --> 00:18:17,722 other than that I knew I wanted to do this. 368 00:18:18,473 --> 00:18:22,060 -And Carlton, you said it's a lot-- -Yeah, it's a lot. It's a... 369 00:18:22,144 --> 00:18:24,896 I think it just goes back to, like, 370 00:18:24,980 --> 00:18:27,983 no one will fully ever understand 371 00:18:28,066 --> 00:18:30,068 what was going through my head in that moment. 372 00:18:30,152 --> 00:18:33,697 That day, still to this day by far, 373 00:18:33,780 --> 00:18:35,657 is the happiest day of my life. 374 00:18:35,740 --> 00:18:39,494 Like to the point where I'm actively trying to, like, top it, 375 00:18:39,578 --> 00:18:42,122 so that we can just move to the next chapter of my life. 376 00:18:42,873 --> 00:18:45,500 Well, as we all know, 377 00:18:45,584 --> 00:18:47,878 once Carlton and Diamond got to Mexico, 378 00:18:47,961 --> 00:18:50,797 the relationship shifted almost immediately 379 00:18:50,881 --> 00:18:52,841 and it came to a head 380 00:18:52,924 --> 00:18:56,720 the morning after you, Carlton, opened up to Diamond 381 00:18:56,803 --> 00:18:58,430 about your past relationships. 382 00:18:58,513 --> 00:19:01,933 I'm okay with or without this situation. I am okay. 383 00:19:02,017 --> 00:19:03,393 What? I ain't got time for this 384 00:19:03,476 --> 00:19:05,854 -because you have a bad attitude. -Go ahead, throw it. 385 00:19:05,937 --> 00:19:08,148 -This is not for you. -Go ahead. Have your moment. 386 00:19:08,231 --> 00:19:09,232 You have your moment. 387 00:19:09,316 --> 00:19:11,359 I don't care if you're not fucking with me. 388 00:19:11,443 --> 00:19:12,611 I gave you your ring back. 389 00:19:12,694 --> 00:19:14,571 I don't give a fuck about a ring! 390 00:19:14,654 --> 00:19:16,823 -Fuck a ring! Fuck a ring! -I didn't do that. 391 00:19:16,907 --> 00:19:19,451 This is why I don't deal with bitches like you. 392 00:19:19,534 --> 00:19:21,119 Oh, I'm a bitch now. 393 00:19:23,288 --> 00:19:25,040 You gon' call me a bitch in my face? 394 00:19:25,123 --> 00:19:29,252 -I don't deal with women like you. -Fuck you! Fuck you. Fucker! 395 00:19:30,295 --> 00:19:32,964 -[Carlton] Nah, fuck like me. -[Diamond] Fuck you! 396 00:19:33,048 --> 00:19:34,174 -[Carlton] Bye. -Good luck. 397 00:19:34,257 --> 00:19:36,218 Watch my ass to the next dick, boy. 398 00:19:36,301 --> 00:19:38,220 Nah, watch your wig, 'cause it keep sliding. 399 00:19:38,303 --> 00:19:40,347 [Diamond] Who the fuck do you think I am? 400 00:19:40,430 --> 00:19:41,765 [Carlton] Your wig been sliding... 401 00:19:41,848 --> 00:19:43,391 You ain't married to no average bitch! 402 00:19:43,475 --> 00:19:44,309 [Carlton] Peace out! 403 00:19:44,392 --> 00:19:45,977 -[Nick] Hmm. -Okay. 404 00:19:46,853 --> 00:19:50,732 First of all, I want to thank both Carlton and Diamond 405 00:19:50,815 --> 00:19:52,734 -for coming here for the reunion. -[Nick] Mmm-hmm. 406 00:19:52,817 --> 00:19:54,444 I know that this has been hard. 407 00:19:54,527 --> 00:19:58,198 Kind of what I was talking about earlier, we have a lot of keyboard warriors 408 00:19:58,281 --> 00:20:01,534 and a lot of the fans have voiced their opinions. 409 00:20:01,618 --> 00:20:04,746 I'll start with you, Carlton. How are you feeling being here? 410 00:20:04,829 --> 00:20:07,499 Um, so, it's very awkward. 411 00:20:07,582 --> 00:20:10,085 It's obviously something new for me. 412 00:20:10,168 --> 00:20:12,295 Um, like, I've gotten death threats. 413 00:20:12,379 --> 00:20:15,048 It brings you to a very dark space. 414 00:20:15,674 --> 00:20:21,221 Um, the biggest misconception is that fluid people are just like rabbits. 415 00:20:21,304 --> 00:20:23,265 Just hopping around, sleeping with everyone, 416 00:20:23,348 --> 00:20:25,558 talking to both parties at the same time 417 00:20:25,642 --> 00:20:28,103 and that we have no self-control sexually 418 00:20:28,186 --> 00:20:29,896 and I think it's very unfair. 419 00:20:29,980 --> 00:20:33,233 And it's a very ignorant assumption for anyone to make. 420 00:20:33,316 --> 00:20:36,194 Out of everything, I think, I've been more concerned with Diamond. 421 00:20:36,278 --> 00:20:39,364 And like, her backlash and I just want to make it clear that 422 00:20:39,447 --> 00:20:42,325 the woman that I fell in love with, I don't... 423 00:20:42,409 --> 00:20:45,787 I've never felt that she was biphobic, homophobic. 424 00:20:45,870 --> 00:20:48,081 Um, or that she wouldn't love me. 425 00:20:48,164 --> 00:20:50,709 I just was afraid that we would have some issues 426 00:20:50,792 --> 00:20:53,003 that we would have to work through. 427 00:20:53,086 --> 00:20:55,964 The types of feedback that I've been getting online, 428 00:20:56,047 --> 00:20:57,799 it's no reflection of who I am. 429 00:20:57,882 --> 00:21:00,468 Now, do I deserve some of the feedback? 430 00:21:00,552 --> 00:21:04,055 Yes, I do. Because I made a horrible mistake 431 00:21:04,139 --> 00:21:06,850 and indirectly called her out of her name. 432 00:21:06,933 --> 00:21:09,269 That is something that should've never happened. 433 00:21:09,352 --> 00:21:10,312 There's no excuse. 434 00:21:10,395 --> 00:21:14,816 Um, and I told myself, you know, before the show start, 435 00:21:14,899 --> 00:21:18,194 I want to at least be comfortable with him in the same room. 436 00:21:18,278 --> 00:21:21,740 And I didn't want any animosity or any tension towards us. 437 00:21:21,823 --> 00:21:25,785 I felt like I could at least do that. At least hear what he has to say, 438 00:21:25,869 --> 00:21:27,245 and then he did apologize. 439 00:21:27,329 --> 00:21:29,414 Who initiated that contact? 440 00:21:29,497 --> 00:21:31,958 I think it was, like, "Happy holidays" or your birthday? 441 00:21:32,042 --> 00:21:35,420 That's how we were able to move forward and even be here. 442 00:21:35,503 --> 00:21:37,881 Because like he said, he was getting remarks 443 00:21:37,964 --> 00:21:39,674 and people attacking him. 444 00:21:39,758 --> 00:21:42,844 I'm getting the same thing. I've gotten death threats as well. 445 00:21:42,927 --> 00:21:45,638 I've gotten a lot of-- Been called those names. 446 00:21:45,722 --> 00:21:47,390 I was really hurt by that. 447 00:21:47,474 --> 00:21:50,310 And I'm like, "Why would they... People are seeing it 448 00:21:50,393 --> 00:21:52,395 in a totally different perspective." 449 00:21:52,479 --> 00:21:54,314 My goal right there in that scene 450 00:21:54,397 --> 00:21:57,567 was to talk to him and understand 'cause I didn't know about it. 451 00:21:57,650 --> 00:22:00,820 You know, I didn't want it to get crazy and out of control 452 00:22:00,904 --> 00:22:02,947 and me going off and coming out of my character. 453 00:22:03,031 --> 00:22:04,824 'Cause that's not who I am. 454 00:22:04,908 --> 00:22:06,451 Um, although, if you mess with me, 455 00:22:06,534 --> 00:22:09,037 I do have a tendency to, like, put my foot down. 456 00:22:09,120 --> 00:22:11,081 [Vanessa] You were just spewing words and I know, 457 00:22:11,164 --> 00:22:13,958 sitting here, watching you watch that, you're mortified. 458 00:22:14,042 --> 00:22:15,877 -You're like, "This is not me." -Mmm-hmm. 459 00:22:15,960 --> 00:22:19,881 So, if you had an opportunity now to write that scene, 460 00:22:19,964 --> 00:22:22,759 and I'll start with you, Diamond, what would you want to say? 461 00:22:22,842 --> 00:22:24,052 So, I guess, in my way, 462 00:22:24,135 --> 00:22:26,221 I should've approached it differently 463 00:22:26,304 --> 00:22:28,139 and been more comforting. 464 00:22:28,223 --> 00:22:31,434 And maybe approached it in a way of saying that, you know, 465 00:22:31,518 --> 00:22:33,019 "I respect you as a person." 466 00:22:33,812 --> 00:22:35,730 -[Vanessa] You all right? -Yeah, I'm good. 467 00:22:36,606 --> 00:22:38,191 [Vanessa] Would you have told her sooner? 468 00:22:38,274 --> 00:22:40,276 Do you think that would have made a difference? 469 00:22:40,360 --> 00:22:42,821 I would have done, you know, whatever it takes 470 00:22:42,904 --> 00:22:45,657 to be sitting on the couch as happy as these people, 471 00:22:45,740 --> 00:22:47,117 even these people. [voice breaks] 472 00:22:48,493 --> 00:22:50,370 I would've done whatever it took 473 00:22:50,453 --> 00:22:55,458 had I known then that that's what it took to sit here happily married. 474 00:22:55,542 --> 00:22:56,709 You know? 475 00:22:56,793 --> 00:22:57,919 -To her? -Yeah. 476 00:22:58,002 --> 00:23:03,216 I think that, um, in that moment, I felt I went back into my shell. 477 00:23:03,299 --> 00:23:06,219 It was a shell that was difficult breaking out of, 478 00:23:06,302 --> 00:23:09,597 not to mention in front of the world. Um... 479 00:23:09,681 --> 00:23:14,352 And once something just felt like it wasn't right, 480 00:23:14,436 --> 00:23:17,605 I immediately let fear sink in and like, 481 00:23:17,689 --> 00:23:19,357 "Oh, I have to go back into... 482 00:23:19,441 --> 00:23:22,193 'Carlton's the only person who will defend Carlton 483 00:23:22,277 --> 00:23:23,903 and understand Carlton' mode." 484 00:23:23,987 --> 00:23:26,406 And that has translated into my everyday life. 485 00:23:26,489 --> 00:23:29,617 Sometimes, people may say, "Oh, he's so to himself. 486 00:23:29,701 --> 00:23:31,995 He's so standoffish." It's not that I want to be, 487 00:23:32,078 --> 00:23:34,581 it's just like that whole fear of rejection 488 00:23:34,664 --> 00:23:37,000 and being judged for something that's... 489 00:23:37,083 --> 00:23:39,210 Why do we have to be judged for who we love? 490 00:23:39,294 --> 00:23:41,212 Like, that's so lame to me. 491 00:23:41,296 --> 00:23:43,089 Even now, I could see people going, 492 00:23:43,173 --> 00:23:46,134 "Well, now you've cleared the air, so you're good, right?" 493 00:23:46,217 --> 00:23:48,720 What is like that now for you to sit here across from him? 494 00:23:48,803 --> 00:23:50,472 I mean, no woman... 495 00:23:50,555 --> 00:23:53,808 I know you wouldn't allow him to disrespect you like that. 496 00:23:53,892 --> 00:23:57,479 I see your love. I see you guys are really passionate about each other. 497 00:23:57,562 --> 00:24:00,732 And, um, I always felt like a man should always have his woman's back. 498 00:24:00,815 --> 00:24:03,193 We couldn't even just have an open communication. 499 00:24:03,276 --> 00:24:04,903 Just to be able to say, 500 00:24:04,986 --> 00:24:08,907 "Hey, this is me. Let's move forward. Let's move past this." 501 00:24:08,990 --> 00:24:14,370 And just that disrespect as to myself, I could never probably let that go 502 00:24:14,454 --> 00:24:15,955 and move past that. 503 00:24:16,039 --> 00:24:21,252 And I think that it's fair now to say that you probably won't get back together 504 00:24:21,336 --> 00:24:24,422 because you feel you're that hurt and you're that disrespected 505 00:24:24,506 --> 00:24:26,633 -and that was a red flag for you. -Yes. 506 00:24:26,716 --> 00:24:29,802 I think what I'm hearing from both of you is 507 00:24:29,886 --> 00:24:33,014 regret that that scene ever played itself out. 508 00:24:33,097 --> 00:24:38,228 It's disappointing that, like, you know, there is a line drawn, um... 509 00:24:38,311 --> 00:24:42,607 because my sole purpose of coming here today, 510 00:24:42,690 --> 00:24:43,942 as much as I didn't want to, 511 00:24:44,025 --> 00:24:48,029 I wanted to make it clear that I am here for you. 512 00:24:48,112 --> 00:24:51,407 No matter what was said or what we've been through, 513 00:24:51,491 --> 00:24:54,661 at the end of the day, you're like my ex-fiancée in real life. 514 00:24:54,744 --> 00:24:56,663 Forgiveness sometimes means, 515 00:24:56,746 --> 00:25:01,501 let's create something beautiful through all the darkness. 516 00:25:01,584 --> 00:25:07,549 And today I would like for it to be the start of, um, creating something... 517 00:25:09,092 --> 00:25:10,552 really beautiful. 518 00:25:14,430 --> 00:25:18,309 And I'm not proposing to you, before you, like, uh... 519 00:25:18,393 --> 00:25:19,394 -[all laugh] -Oh, my God. 520 00:25:19,477 --> 00:25:22,438 She's looking at me like, "Are you really going to do it?" 521 00:25:22,522 --> 00:25:23,982 [all laughing] 522 00:25:24,065 --> 00:25:27,902 I want to get down on one knee and just apologize again, um... 523 00:25:27,986 --> 00:25:29,320 at eye-level. 524 00:25:29,404 --> 00:25:34,075 And I hope that you take this ring again as 525 00:25:34,158 --> 00:25:38,913 a significant piece of our friendship and the start of something beautiful... 526 00:25:38,997 --> 00:25:45,670 um, without any type of, like, plan, or like, "This is our plan of action." 527 00:25:45,753 --> 00:25:47,213 -Look familiar? -[Diamond chuckles] 528 00:25:47,297 --> 00:25:50,300 -Did you go in the pool for that? -[Carlton] I sure did. 529 00:25:50,383 --> 00:25:51,718 Sure did. 530 00:25:51,801 --> 00:25:55,179 I do. I accept your apology. And I do forgive you. 531 00:25:55,263 --> 00:25:57,473 All right. I'm supposed to put it on your finger first. 532 00:25:57,557 --> 00:25:58,391 Oh, okay. 533 00:25:58,474 --> 00:25:59,851 [all chuckle] 534 00:26:01,311 --> 00:26:04,105 It don't fit anymore. There we go. Okay. 535 00:26:04,188 --> 00:26:05,106 -Thank you. -Thank you. 536 00:26:05,189 --> 00:26:06,190 [both chuckle] 537 00:26:07,108 --> 00:26:09,402 -Here's the box. [chuckles] -[Diamond] Sure. 538 00:26:10,236 --> 00:26:11,070 [Nick] Wow. 539 00:26:11,154 --> 00:26:12,655 I'm never speechless. 540 00:26:13,489 --> 00:26:14,991 Trust me, never happens. 541 00:26:15,074 --> 00:26:16,784 -That was lovely. -I don't know what to say. 542 00:26:16,868 --> 00:26:18,786 -Thank you. -[Nick] That's what today's all about. 543 00:26:18,870 --> 00:26:21,164 Well, another relationship that had everyone talking 544 00:26:21,247 --> 00:26:25,251 from the moment she proposed to the moment he said, "I don't." 545 00:26:26,210 --> 00:26:28,421 Giannina and Damian. 546 00:26:28,504 --> 00:26:31,883 [crying] I want to ask you, Damian Powers, 547 00:26:31,966 --> 00:26:33,801 will you marry me? 548 00:26:33,885 --> 00:26:36,512 [cries] I will marry you. 549 00:26:36,596 --> 00:26:38,181 I'll marry you, too. 550 00:26:38,264 --> 00:26:40,099 I needed someone strong 551 00:26:40,183 --> 00:26:43,061 'cause I need to be able to really be me. 552 00:26:43,144 --> 00:26:45,980 [Damian] I felt closer and a stronger connection with her 553 00:26:46,064 --> 00:26:47,649 than I have anyone else before. 554 00:26:47,732 --> 00:26:52,028 You guys were fiery from the get-go. There was a lot of passion. 555 00:26:52,111 --> 00:26:56,074 Damian, had you ever dated someone like Gi before? 556 00:26:56,157 --> 00:26:58,868 I could combine all of them together and it'd still be no. 557 00:26:58,951 --> 00:27:00,119 [all laugh] 558 00:27:01,120 --> 00:27:03,956 Well, so, Gi, you... The proposal heard around the world. 559 00:27:05,249 --> 00:27:08,670 Did you know you were gonna get down on your knee and propose to Damian? 560 00:27:08,753 --> 00:27:12,298 Or did that just happen in the moment? In the pod, like, "I'm doing this." 561 00:27:12,382 --> 00:27:14,175 I had no idea I was going to do that. 562 00:27:14,258 --> 00:27:15,510 -Really? -I didn't. 563 00:27:15,593 --> 00:27:17,261 -What I... -[Vanessa laughs] 564 00:27:17,345 --> 00:27:19,931 I mean, I wish I could say, like, 565 00:27:20,014 --> 00:27:22,266 "Yeah, I was going to propose to him and..." 566 00:27:22,350 --> 00:27:23,559 But I... 567 00:27:23,643 --> 00:27:27,397 Everything that Damian was saying to me while we were in the pods, 568 00:27:27,480 --> 00:27:30,233 he always spoke about wanting to find his equal 569 00:27:30,316 --> 00:27:31,818 and that's always what I wanted too, 570 00:27:31,901 --> 00:27:34,278 and that's what made me say we're soul mates. 571 00:27:34,362 --> 00:27:37,073 It was the first time where I felt like, 572 00:27:37,156 --> 00:27:40,159 "If he says yes, then okay." Like, we're so in this 573 00:27:40,243 --> 00:27:42,286 and it's not even funny how we're going to be in it. 574 00:27:42,370 --> 00:27:44,997 'Cause it was just... He sees me and he gets me. 575 00:27:45,081 --> 00:27:47,542 Yeah. But then you go all the way to the wedding day. 576 00:27:47,625 --> 00:27:49,752 Do you think you and Damian weren't ready? 577 00:27:49,836 --> 00:27:51,421 I mean, yeah, I... 578 00:27:51,504 --> 00:27:56,134 Looking back, I respect his decision. Um... 579 00:27:56,217 --> 00:28:00,972 I feel like where we are now is just... It's so right for us. 580 00:28:01,055 --> 00:28:02,306 Where we can just date 581 00:28:02,390 --> 00:28:05,143 and he has his own place, I have my own place. 582 00:28:05,226 --> 00:28:08,688 And we're getting to know each other at our own pace 583 00:28:08,771 --> 00:28:10,314 and it's just so refreshing. 584 00:28:10,398 --> 00:28:12,984 And it hurt so much, 585 00:28:13,067 --> 00:28:15,069 but it's all about, you know, 586 00:28:15,153 --> 00:28:17,905 "What can I do with that?" And "What did I learn from that?" 587 00:28:17,989 --> 00:28:18,823 Yeah. 588 00:28:18,906 --> 00:28:21,367 Well, you mentioned that. It was hard, I think, 589 00:28:21,451 --> 00:28:25,079 for all of us to watch both of your emotional reactions to that day. 590 00:28:25,163 --> 00:28:28,458 You blamed everything on me, and all I did was tell you how I felt, 591 00:28:28,541 --> 00:28:30,626 and I wanted to work everything out with you. 592 00:28:30,710 --> 00:28:33,087 -Gi. -I wanted to work it out so bad. 593 00:28:33,171 --> 00:28:34,046 This is you running-- 594 00:28:34,130 --> 00:28:36,340 -So bad! -I'm trying to talk to you right now. 595 00:28:36,424 --> 00:28:39,510 I know what happened was embarrassing and you'll never forgive me for it. 596 00:28:39,594 --> 00:28:41,053 And I'm sorry. 597 00:28:43,347 --> 00:28:44,766 You messed up. 598 00:28:45,349 --> 00:28:46,601 Honestly... [sniffles] 599 00:28:50,688 --> 00:28:52,148 That was such bullshit. 600 00:28:53,900 --> 00:28:54,942 [sniffles] 601 00:28:56,194 --> 00:28:58,112 You can take your bow back. 602 00:29:01,240 --> 00:29:03,409 I mean, looking back on that, 603 00:29:03,493 --> 00:29:07,246 would you have done anything different on that wedding day? 604 00:29:07,330 --> 00:29:08,331 No. 605 00:29:09,040 --> 00:29:10,082 Why not? 606 00:29:10,166 --> 00:29:13,002 It was definitely a strong love from the beginning. 607 00:29:13,085 --> 00:29:16,047 We pushed through a lot of challenges, as did everyone here, 608 00:29:16,130 --> 00:29:21,385 but I wanted it every day since the day I told her I loved her in the pod. 609 00:29:21,469 --> 00:29:24,388 And it turned into our love story, but... 610 00:29:25,848 --> 00:29:27,725 she was in and out of it so much. 611 00:29:27,809 --> 00:29:32,688 You know, the butterflies aren't there, the stuff, even like the sex conversation. 612 00:29:32,772 --> 00:29:36,400 But getting to the day of the wedding, me and her had talked, 613 00:29:36,484 --> 00:29:39,862 and I said, "Look, no matter what happens, we leave this together." 614 00:29:39,946 --> 00:29:41,155 And she's like, "Yeah, we do." 615 00:29:41,239 --> 00:29:43,658 When she said "I do," I didn't... 616 00:29:45,409 --> 00:29:48,538 I didn't expect that. Um... 617 00:29:49,914 --> 00:29:52,375 I thought she was going to be the one to say, "I don't" 618 00:29:52,458 --> 00:29:55,378 and I was going to say, "Okay. I don't either. I'll walk away with you." 619 00:29:55,461 --> 00:29:58,506 I wish I could take the pain away from her that day, and the hurt, 620 00:29:58,589 --> 00:30:00,341 um, and the embarrassment, you know, 621 00:30:00,424 --> 00:30:03,803 to her family and friends, I'm sorry 622 00:30:03,886 --> 00:30:05,930 that I ever put her through that. [voice breaks] 623 00:30:06,013 --> 00:30:08,474 I am. And to you, I'm sorry. 624 00:30:09,183 --> 00:30:10,601 Um... 625 00:30:10,685 --> 00:30:14,272 But that was the hardest decision I've probably made in my life, honestly. 626 00:30:14,355 --> 00:30:18,651 And I would stick by it again because of where we are now. 627 00:30:18,734 --> 00:30:23,739 So, okay. I love, love that you are proving that love is blind. 628 00:30:23,823 --> 00:30:25,783 This is beyond the show. 629 00:30:25,867 --> 00:30:29,287 And how has your relationship evolved since we stopped filming? 630 00:30:30,079 --> 00:30:32,206 So, I mean, right after... 631 00:30:32,290 --> 00:30:35,835 There was a lot of things that we both needed to come to terms with. 632 00:30:35,918 --> 00:30:41,173 You know, I was so afraid of driving this person away 633 00:30:41,257 --> 00:30:43,926 that I was just instinctively doing it anyway. 634 00:30:44,010 --> 00:30:46,679 I guess, like, the whole thing of me is that 635 00:30:46,762 --> 00:30:49,140 I self-sabotage and I'm aware of that. 636 00:30:49,223 --> 00:30:52,727 And, um, I felt because we were in the pods 637 00:30:52,810 --> 00:30:56,063 and we would communicate so well that he could instinctively tell. 638 00:30:56,147 --> 00:30:58,649 But he couldn't read my mind, or know these things. 639 00:30:58,733 --> 00:31:00,902 So when I felt frustrated, I just let it out 640 00:31:00,985 --> 00:31:05,573 in very, you know, non-constructive, insensitive ways. 641 00:31:05,656 --> 00:31:08,826 And especially looking back at it now, 642 00:31:08,910 --> 00:31:11,829 it's just like, how did you ever, you know, 643 00:31:11,913 --> 00:31:14,498 come about and be so calm and patient with me? 644 00:31:14,582 --> 00:31:19,420 And I really just want to take that time to apologize to you and... 645 00:31:19,503 --> 00:31:23,257 [voice breaks] I never wanted to hurt you, either. 646 00:31:23,341 --> 00:31:30,056 [sniffles] You know, we both have expressed ourselves in really hard ways. 647 00:31:30,139 --> 00:31:32,767 Um, but since the show, it's just... 648 00:31:32,850 --> 00:31:36,354 It's... it's been such an amazing journey with you. 649 00:31:36,437 --> 00:31:37,897 To get to know you 650 00:31:37,980 --> 00:31:41,233 and to see how we integrate with each other's lives 651 00:31:41,317 --> 00:31:44,528 and my friends and family love you. [chuckles] 652 00:31:45,613 --> 00:31:47,698 And so it was just all these fears that 653 00:31:47,782 --> 00:31:50,326 were never there in the first place. So... 654 00:31:52,328 --> 00:31:54,580 So, I'm so happy. [sniffles and chuckles] 655 00:31:55,247 --> 00:31:59,460 I love that you guys have the wherewithal to be able to see your faults. 656 00:31:59,543 --> 00:32:03,839 And I don't mean that in a negative way. But to see what it is you have to work on. 657 00:32:03,923 --> 00:32:06,926 I'm so proud of you guys. And I love your love. 658 00:32:07,009 --> 00:32:09,804 Well, Kelly and Kenny 659 00:32:09,887 --> 00:32:12,390 were a couple that seemed solid from the beginning. 660 00:32:12,473 --> 00:32:16,060 But as the experiment went on, fans were surprised to see 661 00:32:16,143 --> 00:32:19,271 that maybe things weren't as perfect as they initially seemed. 662 00:32:19,355 --> 00:32:21,524 We were able to make this commitment to each other 663 00:32:21,607 --> 00:32:24,777 and then we haven't, you know, had sex yet. 664 00:32:26,320 --> 00:32:29,824 I know how I feel about it. Like, how do you feel about it? 665 00:32:29,907 --> 00:32:33,995 We are just so perfect on every level. 666 00:32:34,078 --> 00:32:35,287 -Right. -And I just 667 00:32:35,371 --> 00:32:37,623 don't want to throw that in the mix just yet. 668 00:32:37,707 --> 00:32:39,625 That's why I say I'm not in love with him, 669 00:32:39,709 --> 00:32:42,461 because if I was in love, I would have that infatuation, 670 00:32:42,545 --> 00:32:44,463 like... nothing else matters. 671 00:32:44,547 --> 00:32:49,301 The emotion was there because there were senses of guilt, 672 00:32:50,302 --> 00:32:52,513 senses of embarrassment, 673 00:32:52,596 --> 00:32:55,725 you know, getting my friends and family involved with it. Uh... 674 00:32:55,808 --> 00:32:58,436 Didn't even know how this would ever come to fruition 675 00:32:58,519 --> 00:33:00,104 and be portrayed to the masses. 676 00:33:00,187 --> 00:33:01,814 And honestly, it doesn't matter. 677 00:33:01,897 --> 00:33:05,192 So, I love the fact that I was able in that moment to share that. 678 00:33:05,276 --> 00:33:09,155 I think about all the takeaways I went through on the show, 679 00:33:09,238 --> 00:33:11,574 I've applied to my current relationship, 680 00:33:11,657 --> 00:33:14,827 and I've been able to be vulnerable and I've received it. 681 00:33:14,910 --> 00:33:18,456 My takeaway at this point is that I am not embarrassed by anything, 682 00:33:18,539 --> 00:33:21,751 uh, and that is why I'm supposed to be here. 683 00:33:21,834 --> 00:33:23,961 To hopefully impact others 684 00:33:24,045 --> 00:33:27,840 to make them feel supported in times of fear, in times of doubt. 685 00:33:27,923 --> 00:33:29,633 'Cause there's nothing you can't overcome. 686 00:33:29,717 --> 00:33:32,553 I say Kenny for president. 687 00:33:32,636 --> 00:33:33,471 [woman] Right? 688 00:33:33,554 --> 00:33:36,682 [Vanessa] So, um, Kelly, it was hard. 689 00:33:36,766 --> 00:33:39,685 At what point did you know you were gonna say, "I don't." 690 00:33:39,769 --> 00:33:42,354 -Right, um... -I can see now how emotional you are. 691 00:33:44,106 --> 00:33:46,108 [voice breaks] Yeah. Um... 692 00:33:47,276 --> 00:33:48,861 [Kelly crying] 693 00:33:49,820 --> 00:33:52,364 I mean, from day one 694 00:33:52,448 --> 00:33:54,784 of watching the show back, 695 00:33:55,910 --> 00:33:59,163 it's definitely brought up every emotion. 696 00:34:00,206 --> 00:34:04,877 I cry not just from my journey but Carlton's. 697 00:34:04,960 --> 00:34:07,838 Everybody made me cry. [laughs] 698 00:34:07,922 --> 00:34:13,469 I think with Kenny and my relationship, I think we both agreed to an "I don't" 699 00:34:14,178 --> 00:34:15,554 way before the wedding. 700 00:34:15,638 --> 00:34:18,265 And for me, it's like, although, yes, 701 00:34:18,349 --> 00:34:22,978 I was not that girl that planned everything of her wedding to a T 702 00:34:23,062 --> 00:34:25,523 as, like, a dream. "This is how my wedding's gonna be." 703 00:34:25,606 --> 00:34:29,068 But, like, I imagined how my wedding would be. 704 00:34:30,027 --> 00:34:32,571 I wanted a bridal shower. I wanted those things. 705 00:34:32,655 --> 00:34:35,908 I wanted the conventional. And, you know, I'm, like... 706 00:34:36,408 --> 00:34:39,370 You guys, like, I just... I don't know how you did it. 707 00:34:39,453 --> 00:34:42,039 I kept saying, "My head and my heart are not connecting. 708 00:34:42,123 --> 00:34:45,709 My head and my heart are not connecting. They're not in the right place." And... 709 00:34:45,793 --> 00:34:50,089 I think something for me is that, what I have learned, 710 00:34:50,172 --> 00:34:52,842 what I have reflected on, is the fact that... 711 00:34:53,592 --> 00:34:56,011 [voice breaking] Kenny, you were amazing. 712 00:34:56,554 --> 00:34:58,264 You're a great guy. 713 00:34:58,764 --> 00:35:02,726 And I did love you. I did love you. 714 00:35:02,810 --> 00:35:06,105 I was not in love with you, as we mentioned, but... 715 00:35:06,188 --> 00:35:10,776 I did love you, and I wanted to continue our journey of dating 716 00:35:10,860 --> 00:35:13,154 and getting to know one another, you know? 717 00:35:13,237 --> 00:35:15,865 That didn't happen, and it's water under the bridge now, 718 00:35:15,948 --> 00:35:18,659 and I'm so happy for you and your relationship, 719 00:35:18,742 --> 00:35:21,078 but, um, I think I just needed time. 720 00:35:21,162 --> 00:35:24,582 For me, it's like, again, Kenny being such a great guy, 721 00:35:25,541 --> 00:35:29,795 I have friend-zoned a lot of those great guys in my life, 722 00:35:29,879 --> 00:35:33,799 and those are probably all the guys I should be marrying. [laughs] 723 00:35:33,883 --> 00:35:38,345 Now, it's like, "Kelly, stop thinking, 'Well, we attract who we are.' 724 00:35:38,429 --> 00:35:40,723 Put it out there into the universe, like, 725 00:35:40,806 --> 00:35:43,809 what are you gonna accept now into your life?" 726 00:35:43,893 --> 00:35:48,564 Yeah. A love story that ended in two "I dos" 727 00:35:48,647 --> 00:35:50,524 -is Amber and Barnett. -What, what? 728 00:35:50,608 --> 00:35:51,692 [Vanessa laughs] 729 00:35:51,775 --> 00:35:54,612 Yes, you said, "I do," and she said, "I do." That's two "I dos." 730 00:35:54,695 --> 00:35:56,822 -Okay. -You guys pulled the trigger, 731 00:35:56,906 --> 00:35:58,407 you both said I do, you got married 732 00:35:58,490 --> 00:36:01,243 and it's been, what, over a year now? So how's it been? 733 00:36:01,327 --> 00:36:03,871 -It's been a wild ride, I'd say. -[laughs] 734 00:36:04,455 --> 00:36:06,207 -[Barnett] It's, uh... -Lots of laughs. 735 00:36:06,290 --> 00:36:07,458 -[Barnett] Yeah. -Lot of fun. 736 00:36:07,541 --> 00:36:09,793 -All we do is have fun. I mean... -That's... 737 00:36:09,877 --> 00:36:12,421 Not all we do. We've had the normal, like, 738 00:36:12,504 --> 00:36:15,216 arguments and stuff that everybody probably has. But... 739 00:36:15,299 --> 00:36:18,844 shoot, I'm really excited that we found each other 740 00:36:18,928 --> 00:36:22,348 and have gotten to grow together over the last year. 741 00:36:22,431 --> 00:36:24,433 I mean, really, it's been crazy. 742 00:36:24,516 --> 00:36:26,852 It's been a great adventure. 743 00:36:26,936 --> 00:36:28,812 I'm really proud of how far we've come 744 00:36:28,896 --> 00:36:30,439 from where we were in the pods 745 00:36:31,106 --> 00:36:34,235 and how fast the process was. 746 00:36:34,318 --> 00:36:38,155 I know there is one point where we almost broke 747 00:36:38,239 --> 00:36:40,783 because we had such expectations 748 00:36:40,866 --> 00:36:43,619 out of what we wanted out of a husband and wife, 749 00:36:43,702 --> 00:36:46,789 and we knew we were married and we knew we were in love, but also... 750 00:36:47,539 --> 00:36:49,333 we were still learning each other. 751 00:36:49,416 --> 00:36:51,835 I was working as a cocktail waitress 752 00:36:51,919 --> 00:36:54,713 and there was a while I was making Matt so uncomfortable, like, 753 00:36:54,797 --> 00:36:56,382 I wasn't working. 754 00:36:56,465 --> 00:37:00,302 So, that was putting strain because I was so financially dependent on him, 755 00:37:00,386 --> 00:37:02,972 which... was new to me. 756 00:37:03,055 --> 00:37:05,933 I've never been financially dependent on somebody before. 757 00:37:06,517 --> 00:37:08,811 I've always had to figure that out for myself 758 00:37:09,395 --> 00:37:11,605 and had friends that helped me along the way, 759 00:37:11,689 --> 00:37:15,693 but being financially dependent on him was something that was totally new, 760 00:37:15,776 --> 00:37:17,278 and then I think him... 761 00:37:17,361 --> 00:37:19,613 Y'all saw how he liked to flirt with people, 762 00:37:19,697 --> 00:37:23,993 so, obviously, he was totally used to his bachelor life, 763 00:37:24,076 --> 00:37:26,829 and I was used to my bachelor life, too, 764 00:37:26,912 --> 00:37:29,331 but I think it took us a while to figure out how to 765 00:37:29,415 --> 00:37:32,251 hang out and party together, so... 766 00:37:32,334 --> 00:37:33,752 -And be respectful. -[Amber] Yeah. 767 00:37:33,836 --> 00:37:35,921 Normally, in a relationship, as you're dating, 768 00:37:36,005 --> 00:37:38,716 you take time and you adjust to that, but we were married. 769 00:37:38,799 --> 00:37:41,427 So, immediately, we expected it to be different, to be changed. 770 00:37:41,510 --> 00:37:46,098 And we weren't giving it the time that it needed to adjust, 771 00:37:46,181 --> 00:37:47,683 -to get used to it. -Interesting. 772 00:37:47,766 --> 00:37:51,312 I, at one point, had actually called about potentially getting the divorce lawyer. 773 00:37:51,395 --> 00:37:53,063 I was like, "This isn't working." 774 00:37:53,147 --> 00:37:56,233 -[Vanessa] You threw the "D" word out? -Something's not... Yeah. 775 00:37:56,317 --> 00:37:58,277 -Different. -Sorry, Mama Barnett, 776 00:37:58,360 --> 00:38:00,362 I love you. Just kidding. Um... 777 00:38:01,530 --> 00:38:05,993 -I'm a stubborn asshole, so... -I'm stubborn, too. 778 00:38:06,076 --> 00:38:08,996 So we butted heads a lot, and it took time to figure it out 779 00:38:09,079 --> 00:38:11,915 because when we were still in the bubble on the show, 780 00:38:11,999 --> 00:38:13,709 we hadn't really butted heads at that point 781 00:38:13,792 --> 00:38:16,003 'cause everything was just so perfect. 782 00:38:16,086 --> 00:38:17,755 -It was easy. -But seeing how 783 00:38:17,838 --> 00:38:21,884 we both are so stubborn and strong-minded and bull-headed, 784 00:38:21,967 --> 00:38:26,221 when we butt heads, it could be bad, it could be intense. 785 00:38:26,305 --> 00:38:31,185 So, figuring out how to handle that, it made a huge difference for us. 786 00:38:31,268 --> 00:38:32,561 Yeah. 787 00:38:32,644 --> 00:38:35,230 We stopped trying to force what we expected on each other. 788 00:38:35,314 --> 00:38:37,900 And once that happened, you know, 789 00:38:37,983 --> 00:38:41,445 I don't know, it's just nothing but really good things since then. 790 00:38:41,528 --> 00:38:45,032 I love that you guys have found what you need 791 00:38:45,115 --> 00:38:46,700 to have a lasting relationship, 792 00:38:46,784 --> 00:38:50,287 -and that is working on these challenges. -You guys are happy, clearly. 793 00:38:50,371 --> 00:38:52,915 And that's a beautiful thing. It's great to see. 794 00:38:52,998 --> 00:38:55,834 So, for Mark and Jessica, their relationship kept us on the edge 795 00:38:55,918 --> 00:38:57,419 through the entire experiment. 796 00:38:57,503 --> 00:39:00,297 We wanted to see how this would unfold. So check out this clip. 797 00:39:00,381 --> 00:39:04,426 [Jessica] In the outside world, I would never have looked twice at Mark. 798 00:39:04,510 --> 00:39:08,931 I would've figured out his age, or maybe that he was a fitness instructor, 799 00:39:09,014 --> 00:39:11,934 and that would be something, maybe, I wouldn't have been into. 800 00:39:12,017 --> 00:39:14,895 Usually, I'm someone who runs before commitment. 801 00:39:14,978 --> 00:39:18,107 But Mark has exceeded every expectation. 802 00:39:18,190 --> 00:39:21,735 Taking those vows, it's a huge commitment. 803 00:39:21,819 --> 00:39:23,862 And it's something I take very seriously. 804 00:39:25,114 --> 00:39:27,908 Jessica, what's it like for you to watch that over 805 00:39:27,991 --> 00:39:30,911 and watch your relationship with Mark on the show? 806 00:39:31,578 --> 00:39:32,996 [Jessica] Yeah, um... 807 00:39:33,705 --> 00:39:36,166 Actually, I looked down, 'cause I've seen it all. 808 00:39:36,250 --> 00:39:38,627 I don't need to see it again. Um... 809 00:39:39,378 --> 00:39:43,048 Yeah, it's tough, you know, because watching it back, 810 00:39:43,132 --> 00:39:48,095 it was obvious that I was working through some things. 811 00:39:48,178 --> 00:39:50,472 I just didn't really like the person that I saw. 812 00:39:50,556 --> 00:39:54,768 And the things that played out, obviously, I was really uncomfortable, 813 00:39:54,852 --> 00:39:56,979 and I was drinking too much, 814 00:39:57,062 --> 00:40:00,357 and that was really disturbing to see play out. 815 00:40:00,441 --> 00:40:03,569 And some of the comments I made, um, that were derogatory... 816 00:40:03,652 --> 00:40:07,573 And that certainly wasn't fair to Mark, who's a fantastic person. 817 00:40:07,656 --> 00:40:10,075 And, obviously, very, very attractive. 818 00:40:10,159 --> 00:40:12,828 I've gotten a lot of messages about that [chuckles] 819 00:40:12,911 --> 00:40:16,999 and that was never a concern whatsoever, and you knew that. 820 00:40:17,082 --> 00:40:20,878 I need to start with a friendship which, ultimately, 821 00:40:20,961 --> 00:40:24,465 that's not a good situation to sign yourself up for 822 00:40:24,548 --> 00:40:28,552 when you need something that's gonna maybe progress a little bit slower. 823 00:40:28,635 --> 00:40:30,929 Mark, I wanna ask you what, in your opinion, 824 00:40:31,013 --> 00:40:35,267 was the reason or maybe reasons that it didn't work out with Jessica? 825 00:40:36,810 --> 00:40:39,146 Um... Wow. 826 00:40:39,229 --> 00:40:43,275 Um, I think we were just two people trying to figure it out. 827 00:40:43,358 --> 00:40:45,736 We got engaged in ten days, you know? 828 00:40:45,819 --> 00:40:49,072 And I think that you get into this situation 829 00:40:49,156 --> 00:40:51,325 and maybe we just... 830 00:40:51,408 --> 00:40:55,787 Even myself, I didn't realize how much all of it was, how intense it was. 831 00:40:55,871 --> 00:40:58,290 And I think we were just both trying to figure it out. 832 00:40:58,373 --> 00:41:00,042 And she is a phenomenal woman. 833 00:41:00,125 --> 00:41:02,920 I still, to this day, a year and a half has gone by, 834 00:41:03,003 --> 00:41:07,299 and I learned so many values. And so, I still have so much respect for you, 835 00:41:07,382 --> 00:41:09,885 no matter what happened and what went down. 836 00:41:09,968 --> 00:41:11,845 Um, I've become a better man. 837 00:41:11,929 --> 00:41:14,932 I know you are introspective. And I know you've done the same thing. 838 00:41:15,015 --> 00:41:18,018 I couldn't be more thankful to go through it with someone like you. 839 00:41:18,101 --> 00:41:20,854 And I think that's why, if anybody asks us why, like, 840 00:41:20,938 --> 00:41:22,898 "Oh, Mark kinda, like, feels strung along." 841 00:41:22,981 --> 00:41:25,108 No, we did have really powerful, strong moments 842 00:41:25,192 --> 00:41:26,818 even when we were in person. 843 00:41:26,902 --> 00:41:28,820 It's almost like I blinded myself, 844 00:41:28,904 --> 00:41:33,742 no pun intended, because I had these, kind of, thoughts about the age difference 845 00:41:33,825 --> 00:41:37,579 and I annoyed the living hell out of myself. 846 00:41:37,663 --> 00:41:39,873 It's tough watching it back. Um... 847 00:41:39,957 --> 00:41:41,667 But seeing the connection that we had, 848 00:41:41,750 --> 00:41:45,420 obviously, that surpassed any differences that we had, 849 00:41:45,504 --> 00:41:47,089 which we found out were many. 850 00:41:47,172 --> 00:41:49,633 -I think we just needed more time. -Yeah. I agree. 851 00:41:49,716 --> 00:41:53,720 And to commit to him that that was going to be forever, 852 00:41:53,804 --> 00:41:55,764 he didn't deserve that, 'cause I wasn't there. 853 00:41:55,847 --> 00:41:58,267 I will say and, like, I know that we're all here 854 00:41:58,350 --> 00:41:59,726 to clear the air and everything. 855 00:41:59,810 --> 00:42:02,688 I wish you would've told me the Barnett... 856 00:42:02,771 --> 00:42:05,232 I thought we cleared the air about that. 857 00:42:05,315 --> 00:42:08,527 Like, if you were still having recurring feelings 858 00:42:08,610 --> 00:42:11,863 for Barnett or anybody else that was in the experience, 859 00:42:11,947 --> 00:42:14,658 I felt like that was an obstacle we could've tackled together. 860 00:42:14,741 --> 00:42:18,954 Yeah, so I just saw the behaviors that I have in the real world, 861 00:42:19,037 --> 00:42:21,665 where I normally go after something that's unavailable. 862 00:42:21,748 --> 00:42:25,711 And I think you see that I kinda struggle with just accepting 863 00:42:25,794 --> 00:42:29,006 and understanding that people can love you and accept you for who you are. 864 00:42:29,089 --> 00:42:32,551 And also, I was served whiskey, [chuckles] you know? 865 00:42:32,634 --> 00:42:36,388 Like I said, the comment was not something that I ever should've said 866 00:42:36,471 --> 00:42:38,682 and that's truthfully not how I felt in the moment, 867 00:42:38,765 --> 00:42:40,267 so I don't know how to answer it. 868 00:42:40,350 --> 00:42:43,729 I really didn't have those feelings for him at that time. Um... 869 00:42:43,812 --> 00:42:48,692 But the pressure and what you were feeling that day, like, I still remember it. 870 00:42:48,775 --> 00:42:51,987 And I am sorry that we got sucked into this vacuum 871 00:42:52,070 --> 00:42:55,032 and I'm sorry that we didn't get that chance and opportunity 872 00:42:55,115 --> 00:42:56,491 to really get to know each other 873 00:42:56,575 --> 00:43:00,996 and get to know each other's friends, family, and what we stand for, 874 00:43:01,079 --> 00:43:04,541 but in the end, I still respect you, and I'm still thankful for all of this, 875 00:43:04,625 --> 00:43:07,210 and I know that no matter what you decide to do moving forward, 876 00:43:07,294 --> 00:43:10,881 you're gonna be even better off, and, like, kicking ass, so... 877 00:43:10,964 --> 00:43:15,761 I was always honest, and I get a lot of hate for that, you know? 878 00:43:15,844 --> 00:43:18,764 -You told me how you felt. -I was always honest from day one. 879 00:43:18,847 --> 00:43:22,851 It wasn't fair, for sure. So, I'm sorry. 880 00:43:23,435 --> 00:43:25,354 You never made me Italian beef, by the way. 881 00:43:25,437 --> 00:43:26,730 [all chuckle] 882 00:43:26,813 --> 00:43:28,190 [Mark] You said that the first day, 883 00:43:28,273 --> 00:43:30,150 -and you still haven't. -I forgot about that. 884 00:43:30,233 --> 00:43:32,444 -I'm just kidding. -[Vanessa] We could make it happen. 885 00:43:32,527 --> 00:43:34,529 It's not too late for that. Well, obviously, 886 00:43:34,613 --> 00:43:36,823 while not every relationship has a fairy-tale ending, 887 00:43:36,907 --> 00:43:38,408 Lauren and Cameron's relationship 888 00:43:38,492 --> 00:43:41,953 had the happy ending everybody was rooting for. 889 00:43:43,538 --> 00:43:46,333 [Cameron] Before, I wasn't really that happy, to be honest. 890 00:43:46,416 --> 00:43:47,292 [Lauren] Mmm-hmm. 891 00:43:47,376 --> 00:43:50,253 I think it was because I felt like I was missing you. 892 00:43:50,337 --> 00:43:54,549 I've never had a man so, just, willing 893 00:43:54,633 --> 00:43:57,427 to show me how much he loves me. 894 00:44:02,391 --> 00:44:05,727 So you gotta catch us up. How is married life? How's it been? 895 00:44:05,811 --> 00:44:08,313 We really started to get to know each other more. 896 00:44:08,397 --> 00:44:10,982 And do things together that we've never done. I mean... 897 00:44:11,066 --> 00:44:14,611 And coming from different backgrounds, as they said so much on the show! 898 00:44:14,695 --> 00:44:15,862 [all laugh] 899 00:44:15,946 --> 00:44:18,365 But we're able to teach each other things 900 00:44:18,448 --> 00:44:22,828 that the other may not have experienced or enjoyed. 901 00:44:22,911 --> 00:44:25,747 I feel like Cameron has opened my eyes to so many things. 902 00:44:25,831 --> 00:44:28,166 Like, he teaches me stuff every day. 903 00:44:28,250 --> 00:44:30,419 He's so loving, he's so genuine. 904 00:44:30,502 --> 00:44:34,631 He got me a puppy. We have a fur baby. Life is good. 905 00:44:34,715 --> 00:44:39,010 I think people often think that changing who you are is a negative thing. 906 00:44:39,094 --> 00:44:41,930 Lauren's an amazing woman, obviously. We all know that. 907 00:44:42,013 --> 00:44:47,269 Just being with her, I feel, like, changed me in many ways. 908 00:44:48,103 --> 00:44:51,273 Watching the show back, I mean, it was still me, 909 00:44:51,356 --> 00:44:55,318 -but I feel like I've evolved over time... -Me too. 910 00:44:55,402 --> 00:44:57,821 ...because I've become more like her in a lot of ways. 911 00:44:57,904 --> 00:45:00,282 I don't think that changes either, after you get married. 912 00:45:00,365 --> 00:45:03,243 It's just like you kinda continue to evolve into each other. 913 00:45:03,326 --> 00:45:06,413 I actually wanted to know whose idea was the fur baby. 914 00:45:06,496 --> 00:45:09,624 Oh, me. That was a part of, like... I was like, "If we get married, 915 00:45:09,708 --> 00:45:12,294 -I have to get a puppy." -That was in our marriage agreement. 916 00:45:12,377 --> 00:45:16,548 The thing for my mom was she had known that I had always said 917 00:45:16,631 --> 00:45:20,761 I would never date a woman who wanted to have a dog, 918 00:45:20,844 --> 00:45:23,346 which sounds crazy, in retrospect. 919 00:45:24,055 --> 00:45:26,266 She knew it was true love because I told her, 920 00:45:26,349 --> 00:45:29,227 "Yeah, we're gonna get a dog and that was something we agreed on." 921 00:45:29,311 --> 00:45:30,854 She was sold. She knew it was true love. 922 00:45:30,937 --> 00:45:33,023 -His name's Sparks. -Sparks! 923 00:45:33,106 --> 00:45:36,651 -Because the sparks flew. -Oh, that's so cute! 924 00:45:36,735 --> 00:45:37,694 [all exclaiming] 925 00:45:37,778 --> 00:45:40,155 -That thing that you do. -It's cheesy, but it's cute. 926 00:45:40,238 --> 00:45:41,323 [Diamond] It's so cute. 927 00:45:41,406 --> 00:45:43,825 Like, we got a fur baby, and that was like, 928 00:45:43,909 --> 00:45:46,703 we're then committing to see what we would be like as parents. 929 00:45:46,787 --> 00:45:50,707 -Oh, yeah. -Are y'all excited about that opportunity? 930 00:45:50,791 --> 00:45:52,751 Is that, like, actively happening? 931 00:45:52,834 --> 00:45:54,669 We're definitely excited. We've talked about, 932 00:45:54,753 --> 00:45:57,005 "Our kids could look like anything. From this to this, 933 00:45:57,088 --> 00:45:59,341 it could be Drake, it could be Barack Obama." 934 00:45:59,424 --> 00:46:02,594 Who knows, you know? So we are just... One day. 935 00:46:02,677 --> 00:46:04,513 -[Damian] They'll be gorgeous. -Hopefully, soon. 936 00:46:04,596 --> 00:46:05,555 Oh, thank you. 937 00:46:05,639 --> 00:46:07,390 We gotta talk about Dad for a bit. 938 00:46:07,474 --> 00:46:09,810 -Oh, yeah. Papa Speed. -[Vanessa] Papa Speed. 939 00:46:09,893 --> 00:46:11,937 -[Nick] He kept it real. -Mr. Big. 940 00:46:12,020 --> 00:46:15,357 If I think about how it would be if my daughter came to me and said, 941 00:46:15,440 --> 00:46:18,360 "I'm marrying someone you don't know and have never met," 942 00:46:18,443 --> 00:46:21,238 -I can only imagine. -And I met through a wall. 943 00:46:21,321 --> 00:46:24,741 You're a white guy, she's a black woman. Let's talk about that. 944 00:46:24,825 --> 00:46:28,620 I had a serious relationship prior to meeting Lauren. 945 00:46:28,703 --> 00:46:30,831 -We dated for five years. -Okay. 946 00:46:30,914 --> 00:46:31,957 She was a black woman. 947 00:46:32,040 --> 00:46:35,210 I've experienced being in an interracial relationship where, 948 00:46:35,293 --> 00:46:37,671 -you know, people have issues. -Well, that's not everything, 949 00:46:37,754 --> 00:46:40,549 but it's going to play a factor to how you live in the world. 950 00:46:40,632 --> 00:46:43,885 Your daughter is the most amazing woman I've ever met. 951 00:46:43,969 --> 00:46:46,429 I fell in love with her without ever having seen her. 952 00:46:46,513 --> 00:46:49,766 I don't judge you by anything other than how you treat her. 953 00:46:49,850 --> 00:46:52,602 -I appreciate that. -Okay, let's see how this goes. 954 00:46:52,686 --> 00:46:55,397 Lauren's dad, I mean, I love him, you know. 955 00:46:55,480 --> 00:46:59,025 And we're family. I mean, he loves Lauren so much. 956 00:47:00,026 --> 00:47:04,197 -And, um... [voice breaks] -Here we go, crying again. 957 00:47:04,281 --> 00:47:05,991 He's gonna cry! 958 00:47:06,074 --> 00:47:08,159 I mean, we have that in common. 959 00:47:09,452 --> 00:47:11,663 And also, too, I mean... 960 00:47:11,746 --> 00:47:14,291 Lauren has a strong connection with her father. 961 00:47:14,374 --> 00:47:15,292 So... 962 00:47:16,626 --> 00:47:19,421 I mean, it makes sense that I would love him too, 963 00:47:19,504 --> 00:47:21,131 -because, you know... -Mmm. 964 00:47:21,214 --> 00:47:23,800 She's emulated him in a lot of ways. 965 00:47:23,884 --> 00:47:26,511 She's her own person, but they have a lot in common. 966 00:47:26,595 --> 00:47:31,683 At first, I was kinda nervous, because me and my dad are so close. Sorry. 967 00:47:31,766 --> 00:47:36,354 And I've never really introduced him to a boyfriend. 968 00:47:36,438 --> 00:47:38,857 So for me to introduce Cameron as my fiancé 969 00:47:38,940 --> 00:47:41,610 for the first time, like, him ever meeting anybody, 970 00:47:41,693 --> 00:47:43,320 that was a lot on its own. 971 00:47:43,403 --> 00:47:46,114 But, for me, it was kinda scary. 972 00:47:46,197 --> 00:47:48,783 But Cameron was cool as a fan the whole time. 973 00:47:48,867 --> 00:47:52,120 He's like, "I'll win him over. It's all good. I'll just be me." 974 00:47:52,203 --> 00:47:54,998 Um, so, of course, I was nervous, 975 00:47:55,081 --> 00:47:58,126 but, you know, I'm happy that things turned out great. 976 00:47:58,209 --> 00:48:00,879 Both of our families are so important to us. 977 00:48:00,962 --> 00:48:05,133 I love Cameron's family. His mom, his dad, his sister. 978 00:48:05,216 --> 00:48:06,801 I visited Maine a couple of times. 979 00:48:06,885 --> 00:48:08,345 They showed me the deers. 980 00:48:08,428 --> 00:48:12,307 Honey, I was out there in the apple orchard. It was great! So... 981 00:48:12,390 --> 00:48:14,476 I mean, me coming from Detroit, the city, 982 00:48:14,559 --> 00:48:16,436 that's like a whole new world to me. 983 00:48:16,519 --> 00:48:20,482 I felt like Jasmine in Aladdin, on the carpet... 984 00:48:20,565 --> 00:48:22,484 It was... Yeah, but, I mean, 985 00:48:22,567 --> 00:48:25,570 it's beautiful just how our families have blended and merged. 986 00:48:25,654 --> 00:48:27,948 Like, we just had... I feel like I'm snotty... 987 00:48:28,031 --> 00:48:32,410 No, we got a tissue right here, girl. He has a hankie! Stop it! 988 00:48:32,494 --> 00:48:35,080 We just had Thanksgiving together for the first time 989 00:48:35,163 --> 00:48:37,207 with both of our families recently, 990 00:48:37,290 --> 00:48:39,501 and that was, like, so beautiful to see. 991 00:48:39,584 --> 00:48:42,712 Like, our dads getting together, bonding, drinking bourbon, 992 00:48:42,796 --> 00:48:46,466 like, our moms baking in the kitchen, the dog running crazy. 993 00:48:46,549 --> 00:48:50,053 It was like, "Wow!" It was such a beautiful moment. 994 00:48:50,136 --> 00:48:51,596 I'm... I'm... [talks gibberish] 995 00:48:51,680 --> 00:48:55,517 I'm getting emotional, too, because it's... [voice breaks] Sorry! 996 00:48:55,600 --> 00:48:57,352 And I just commend your families 997 00:48:57,435 --> 00:48:59,729 and all of your families who are coming together 998 00:48:59,813 --> 00:49:01,815 to accept you for who you are 999 00:49:01,898 --> 00:49:03,525 and to trust your judgment and opinion. 1000 00:49:03,608 --> 00:49:05,944 This is true, real, and who you are. 1001 00:49:06,027 --> 00:49:08,655 This is the man you love and your dad accepted that. 1002 00:49:08,738 --> 00:49:11,741 So you can honestly, truly say love is blind. 1003 00:49:11,825 --> 00:49:14,077 I truly believe that you guys are finding yourself, 1004 00:49:14,160 --> 00:49:16,579 if not have found yourselves, through this process. 1005 00:49:16,663 --> 00:49:18,707 And sometimes, it took a route of finding a guy 1006 00:49:18,790 --> 00:49:20,583 -and going to Mexico with him. -Right. 1007 00:49:20,667 --> 00:49:22,919 Sometimes, it took a route of saying some stuff on TV 1008 00:49:23,003 --> 00:49:24,129 that is cringeworthy. 1009 00:49:24,212 --> 00:49:25,672 And sometimes it took a route 1010 00:49:25,755 --> 00:49:29,134 of running down the streets of Atlanta, Georgia in a wedding dress. 1011 00:49:29,217 --> 00:49:31,261 -Fastest I've ever ran in my life. -[women chuckle] 1012 00:49:31,344 --> 00:49:33,555 And I am just... I'm so amazed, 1013 00:49:33,638 --> 00:49:36,516 and honestly... I believe that Nick and I have said this, 1014 00:49:36,599 --> 00:49:40,145 that this was called a social experiment. A love experiment, if you will. 1015 00:49:40,228 --> 00:49:42,731 But, ultimately, these are your real emotions. 1016 00:49:42,814 --> 00:49:44,441 -This is your heart. -[Nick] Absolutely. 1017 00:49:44,524 --> 00:49:47,652 Even if the end result wasn't marriage for all in this love experiment, 1018 00:49:47,736 --> 00:49:51,406 it clearly affected how each of you looks at love and relationships today. 1019 00:49:51,489 --> 00:49:53,074 We've all learned a lot from this. 1020 00:49:53,158 --> 00:49:57,203 Mark, what have you learned walking away from this experience? 1021 00:49:57,287 --> 00:50:00,415 I think that all of the things that we went through 1022 00:50:00,498 --> 00:50:03,251 prepared me for who I'm supposed to be. 1023 00:50:03,334 --> 00:50:05,628 And that's why I'm forever thankful for this experience. 1024 00:50:05,712 --> 00:50:09,674 Yeah, and I think, now, I'm standing much stronger, 1025 00:50:09,758 --> 00:50:12,844 much more, kind of, independent, knowing who I am. 1026 00:50:12,927 --> 00:50:14,679 And I'm going to be much... 1027 00:50:15,388 --> 00:50:18,058 I'm gonna be ready. Once I find the right person. 1028 00:50:18,141 --> 00:50:22,103 I've definitely learned that at the moment that you feel like you love someone 1029 00:50:22,187 --> 00:50:25,648 and they love you, there's no fear involved in love. 1030 00:50:25,732 --> 00:50:29,694 Um, you should be able to let go and just completely be yourself. 1031 00:50:29,778 --> 00:50:33,198 Yeah, like, everything at the core of it is love. 1032 00:50:33,281 --> 00:50:35,075 Self-love, in particular. 1033 00:50:35,158 --> 00:50:40,288 If you can't accept yourself, your flaws, your great moments, 1034 00:50:40,371 --> 00:50:43,374 the things that you think are so cringeworthy 1035 00:50:43,458 --> 00:50:45,710 that you're afraid to show that other person, 1036 00:50:45,794 --> 00:50:47,128 if you can't accept those, 1037 00:50:47,879 --> 00:50:50,924 then you're not gonna be able to allow someone in. 1038 00:50:51,674 --> 00:50:55,678 All right, you guys, one last round of "Raise your hands if." 1039 00:50:55,762 --> 00:50:57,597 Should we do it? [chuckles] 1040 00:50:57,680 --> 00:50:59,933 [Vanessa] Even if marriage wasn't in it for you guys, 1041 00:51:00,016 --> 00:51:05,730 raise your hands if you think love really can be blind. 1042 00:51:07,148 --> 00:51:08,149 [laughter] 1043 00:51:08,233 --> 00:51:11,319 -[Nick] Wow. Wow. -[Vanessa] Yeah? 1044 00:51:11,402 --> 00:51:13,655 -I think we leave it there. -That says it all. 1045 00:51:13,738 --> 00:51:16,574 That says it all. Thank you again to these wonderful humans, 1046 00:51:16,658 --> 00:51:19,369 these incredible individuals who have opened up their hearts. 1047 00:51:19,452 --> 00:51:22,497 [Nick] And then opened themselves up again to share how they're doing now, 1048 00:51:22,580 --> 00:51:24,207 so, again, thank you for your honesty. 1049 00:51:24,290 --> 00:51:27,043 Thank you for giving all of yourselves to this experiment. 1050 00:51:27,127 --> 00:51:28,670 And thank you for loving each other. 1051 00:51:28,753 --> 00:51:31,548 Love is Blind, season one, down in the books. 1052 00:51:31,631 --> 00:51:32,841 [all cheering]