For the first time in Love Is Blind history, a contestant has been removed from the pod experiment after breaking one of production’s rules.
This post has spoilers for Love Is Blind: France.
“Gallien [Braghini] is no longer part of the experiment,” a title card read in French at the beginning of the third episode, which is now streaming on Netflix. “In this Love Is Blind journey, the singles commit to not interact with the outside world, [and] Gallien broke this rule.”
Neither Netflix nor Gallien, 37, has offered any details regarding how he broke the aforementioned rule. (The other contestants also were not informed of the specifics.)
Related: Love Is Blind’s Most Dramatic Moments Through the Years
While the premise of Netflix’s Love Is Blind is to help singles find their perfect match, the experiment hasn’t come without drama. During season 2 of the dating show, which premiered in February 2022, multiple love triangles blossomed. In one corner, Shayne Jansen connected with both Natalie Lee and Shaina Hurley, and in another, Jarrette […]
“In order for this experiment to work, there are a lot of rules. We have to be in a bubble. I broke one of the rules of the experiment. I’d rather not go into details,” Gallien said in French during a confessional interview filmed ahead of his exit. “I wasn’t necessarily hoping that this adventure would have a fairy tale ending, but now I’m leaving through the side door, which is pretty pathetic. I feel bad for the girls for not finishing what we started. This really blows, but there were rules. I only have myself to blame.”
Fellow contestant Thomas Belmonte, for his part, said via his own confessional that “what Gallien did was unacceptable” and he planned to tell their mutual connection, Tatiana Bazin, what actually happened. (Thomas, 37, had previously broken off his romance with Tatiana, 39, to pursue eventual fiancée Kim Musano.)
The men of ‘Love Is Blind: France’ speak with cohosts Teddy Riner and Luthna Plocus. Sophie Kohler/Netflix
“I’m going to let Tatiana know that she’s a beautiful person, and that she needs to find someone who can be there for her and her son,” Thomas said, telling single parent Tatiana that Gallien allegedly met a girl in his hotel “a couple of times.”
“So, you know what I mean by that. I won’t go into details,” Thomas told the cosmetics entrepreneur. “That’s why I knew he wasn’t the right guy for you. I wanted to protect you from that, but I didn’t know how to tell you. I didn’t want the Tatiana that I adore to get involved with that kind of guy.”
Tatiana, for her part, was blindsided by the accusations.
“If he had been in front of me, he wouldn’t have gotten away with it,” Tatiana said in an interview. “I guess God was protecting me from something. Of course, I’m disappointed, but I know it’s not over. There’s still that special connection with [another contestant] Yannick [Rikko Yamanga], it’s not over.”
Thank You!
You have successfully subscribed.
Tatiana also likened Gallien’s actions to a “betrayal” in her confessional.
“It really made me sad because Gallien checked a lot of my boxes, and he met quite a few of my needs, especially being lighthearted, listening [and] communicating,” she said. “It was all smooth. I did take it a little bit like a betrayal, and I thought, ‘When I was being genuine, what kind of game was he playing?’ … It’s starting to be a lot. I feel a little lonely.”
Love Is Blind: France is currently streaming on Netflix. New episodes drop weekly.