It was the twist no one saw coming. And not just because of the pod walls.
Love Is Blind fans were left stunned when it was revealed in season five that two of the contestants had previously dated: Uche Okohora and Lydia Velez Gonzalez. Someone who was left even more surprised than the audience, however, was Aaliyah Cosby, Uche's no. 1 connection and Lydia's BFF.
The revelation altered the Netflix reality dating series moving forward, with Aaliyah making the shocking decision to exit the pods off-camera, just as Uche was getting ready to propose.
"Making the decision to leave, I feel like it was the best thing for me," Aaliyah explained to E! News in an exclusive interview. "It was really hard because I had a lot of love for him. At the moment, I was just like, 'Man, I don't feel like this is the type of situation that I would want going into an engagement.'"
Though she didn't tell a blindsided Uche that she was leaving the experiment before he even had a chance to get down on one knee, the two finally met IRL in episode seven.
"I was hopeful we could continue," Aaliyah explained of her mindset heading into their sit-down. "And I think we both tried."
Ultimately, Uche chose not to give Aaliyah a second chance, a decision she understood.
"It just didn't end up working out and I think it was for the best," the ICU travel nurse said. "We're both in a very good place, individually, knowing how the other felt and there's that mutual respect and understanding now. I wish him the best and I feel like he wishes me the best as well. We're in a decent place."
But what about her fractured friendship with Lydia, the woman who was guiding her throughout her relationship with Uche? During her conversation with Uche, Aaliyah explained that she had a confrontation with Lydia, one that was not shown to viewers, that factored into her decision to initially leave.
Describing their un-aired interaction as a "a very emotional conversation," Aaliyah clarified, "It wasn't really an argument or anything."
So what did the two women discuss?
"The conversation we had, it was revealing to where she stood and where I stood," Aaliyah recalled. "Ultimately me coming to a point where I was like, 'You know what, I'm just not comfortable with this.'"
While the initial revelation about Uche and Lydia's past was "shocking," after having some time to reflect on the situation, Aaliyah said she has a new perspective.
"I've been able to step outside myself and I've just chosen to extend them grace in everything because they had a history prior to this that I was not a part of," she explained. "And I think love is a very complex emotion and we all do things out of love sometimes that we don't even understand ourselves. We just need to extend people grace and when they are ready to speak on their story, I'm sure they will."
As for Aaliyah, she's focusing on the future, after admitting it "took me a little bit of time to find my footing" after her Love Is Blind journey ended in such dramatic fashion.
"I had to get to a place where I could focus on loving myself again," the 29-year-old said. "When you're hurt and you feel like, 'Okay, this is going to be the ending,' and then that doesn't happen, it is a little devastating emotionally."
Still, Aaliyah is confident she's readier than ever to find love.
"But I really feel like I came out of it stronger," Aaliyah shared. "I trusted myself more coming out of it and I am leading with intuition and discernment following the show, and it's been much better for me. I was glad I was able to hold onto those takeaways, to listen to my intuition and pay attention to red flags and things that just don't add up. It's okay to love someone and then it ultimately not be your person."
Paul Peden and Micah Lussier: Not Together
Opposites seemed to attract all season for this pair...until they got to the altar. Sensing Paul's hesitation, Micah asked him to give his answer first and it was a pass on marriage for Paul.
"I literally feel like a disaster," Micah said. "If Paul would have wanted to marry me, I 100 percent would have said 'I do.'"
At the reunion, Paul apologized for his comment in a confessional about not being able to see Micah as a mother.
"I think I phrased that really unfairly toward her," Paul explained. "I think the better way to phrase that would be that I can't see us as parents."
While the duo briefly reconciled after filming, they ultimately weren't able to make their relationship work, with Paul explaining they broke up for good when he visited Micah in Arizona.
In After the Altar, Paul revealed he is dating a new woman who enjoys traveling and his cooking skills.
Kwame Appiah and Chelsea Griffin: Together
Despite Kwame's mother refusing to attend the wedding and his arguably inappropriate conversations with Micah, whom he also connected with in the pods, Kwame and Chelsea were one of the three couples to exchange vows at the end of season four.
During the reunion, Chelsea revealed she has since met her husband's mom and Kwame offered an apology to his wife and her family for his behavior, saying his talks with Micah were "not the best representation."
The couple is living in Seattle with their beloved dog Rocky.
Zack Goytowski and Bliss Poureetezadi: Together
Sure, they say love is blind, but occasionally it needs a little bit of time—or proposing to another woman—to realize you made the wrong choice. Which is what happened when Zack initially got engaged to Irina Solomonova, only for the couple to break up during their trip to Mexico.
After asking Bliss for a second chance, the pair defied the odds (and Bliss' dad's wishes) and both said "I do" at the altar. (And, no, they did not sit it out, enjoying that all important first turn around the dance floor to Lee Ann Womack's "I Hope You Dance," the song that bonded them in the pods.)
After the finale aired, Zack shared a photo of the couple on Instagram with the caption "Eternal Bliss."
Since filming, Bliss revealed Zack and her father have become "best buds," one of the many reasons host Vanessa Lachey predicted they would be the first Love Is Blind couple to have a baby.
Brett Brown and Tiffany Pennywell: Together
Come on, not since season one's Cameron Hamilton and Lauren Speed has an LIB pairing seemed so meant to be!
The oldest couple in the experiment—Tiffany was 36 and Brett was 37—exchanged vows, even though Brett had a sartorial emergency when his pants did not fit properly on their wedding day. (Shout out to seamstress Lucia, you're a real one!)
Since filming wrapped, Tiffany and Brett moved to Portland and are still perfect! Phew!
Raven Ross and Sikiru "SK" Alagbada: Not Together
After SK said "I don't" at their wedding, he and Raven seemingly parted ways.
However, when the cameras stopped rolling, the former flames reunited, revealing they were dating again during the season three reunion special.
But a month later, the couple announced that "we have decided to go our separate ways" amid allegations that SK had been unfaithful. In a joint statement shared on social media in November, SK and Raven said, "Due to on-going legal proceedings surrounding these allegations, we cannot provide additional details and ask that you please respect our privacy during this hard time. Thank you for following our love story and believing in us."
Jackie Bonds and Marshall Glaze: Not Together
Fans watched with dismay as Jackie chose to give Josh Demas, the other man she connected with in the pods, a second chance, meeting up with him before ending her engagement to Marshall.
However, during the reunion, Jackie set the record straight on the timeline of events. "I broke up with Marshall before I met Josh at the coffee shop," she said. "It looks like I'm a cheater. I am not a cheater."
Jackie then addressed the end of her relationship with Marshall, saying she "can take accountability" for her words and actions, but "I hope that he would do the same. We just weren't meant to be."
As for her romance with Josh? They were still dating and living together in After the Altar, but Jackie announced during a Sept. 17 Instagram Live that they had broken up.
Unfortunately for Marshall, who was hoping for some closure with Jackie, he was unable to fully express his feelings to his former fiancé as she chose not to attend the live taping.
But in an interview with E!, Marshall revealed he briefly connected with fellow contestant Kacia after the show. "We tried," Marshall explained, "But I wanted to just distance myself from all of that from that experience."
In After the Altar, Marshall revealed he's been dating girlfriend Dr. Chay Barnes for one year and wants to spend forever with her.
Nancy Rodriguez and Bartise Bowden: Not Together
Nancy and Bartise had one of Love Is Blind's more explosive weddings, but not because of the bride or groom.
While Nancy was ready to get married in the season three finale episode, Bartise revealed he was not so confident in their relationship. The update did not sit well with Nancy's family, who unapologetically sounded off on Bartise.
Despite the drama, Bartise and Nancy have maintained an on-again, off-again friendship. "We've gone from being friends to being acquaintances," he told E!, "to being completely no communication back to friends."
And in April 2023, Bartisse, who appeared on Perfect Match, announced the arrival of his son, Hayden, though he hasn't publicly shared the identity of the little one's mom.
Several months later, he debuted his new romance with Cait Vanderberry on Instagram.
Nancy has also entered a new relationship, but has yet to publicly reveal her boyfriend's identity.
Alexa Alfia and Brennon Lemieux: Together
During the season finale, viewers watched as Alexa and Brennon got married in front of their loved ones.
In heartwarming vows, Alexa gushed, "You make me laugh, you make me think and, more than anything else, you make me happy."
Zanab Jaffrey and Cole Barnett: Not Together
Well, we can't say we're surprised by this breakup.
The two never seemed to be on the same page during their courtship, resulting in several skirmishes. Though Zanab and Cole made it to the wedding altar, Zanab declared, "You have disrespected me. You have insulted me. You have critiqued me. And for what it is worth, you have single-handedly shattered my self-confidence."
Cole later reflected on their tumultuous relationship.
"We were going through all these bumps, but we were working through things and finding smoother waters," he told E! News. "And so I was hoping that we would at least be able to continue after the wedding if we didn't get married on that day."
Colleen Reed and Matt Bolton: Together
Colleen and Matt successfully exchanged vows in the season three finale.
Despite the highs and lows they faced during their courtship, the pair felt confident in their relationship and happily said "I do."
On why she ultimately chose to go through with the wedding, Colleen told E! News, "As soon as I saw him cry and snort, I was like, 'That's my man.' So I knew that I was going to say yes as soon as I saw him."
And for those wondering, Colleen confirmed, "A year-and-a-half later, we're very, very happy."
Mallory Zapata and Salvador Perez: Not Together
During the season finale, Sal wasn't able to say, "I do."
In an E! News interview, he revealed that he is now single.
"Dating in the future now?" he said. "I don't even know the approach. I think the best approach is stay off the dating apps."
Deepti Vempati and Shake Chatterjee: Not Together
As we know, Deepti and Shake's time on the show did not end with a happily ever after.
While Deepti revealed to E! News that she is now single, her brother and Shake have been feuding on Instagram."'Shake', bruh, you're a loser," Deepti's brother Sunny and his partner Hina Merchant Vempati wrote in a joint Instagram. "You minimized my sister's life by making some awful and cringeworthy comments about her."
They continued, urging Shake to "stay the f--k away" from their sister.
Looks like Shake will be heading to his Nobu reservation alone!
Shayne Jansen and Natalie Lee: Not Together
Though Natalie and Shayne's time on the show didn't end with the exchanging of vows, Natalie told E! the "love stories" we saw on the show were "completely genuine."
"It's not reality TV," Natalie shared. "It's our real lives, real feelings, and our real relationships."
Which is why Natalie was so hurt when Shayne allegedly agreed to star on the spinoff series Perfect Match while they were attempting to make their relationship work post-failed nuptials.
"He texted me numerous times he wanted to leave midway through filming because he still had feelings for me after we saw each other for [the] first time since our breakup at the reunion show taping," she revealed on Instagram, adding that she "encouraged him to continue filming."
And when production for Perfect Match had wrapped, Natalie said she met up with Shayne but "ultimately told him we shouldn't reconcile."
Shayne, meanwhile, briefly dated Too Hot to Handle alum Chloe Veitch after they connected on Perfect Match.
Nick Thompson and Danielle Ruhl: Not Together
Danielle filed for divorce from Nick at a Chicago court on Aug. 15, 2022, more than a year after they married on the finale.
Iyanna McNeely and Jarrette Jones: Not Together
The two announced on Aug. 17, 2022 in a joint statement on Instagram, "After much thought, we're saddened to share that we have separated and will begin the process of divorcing. While we have love for each other, our lives are going in different directions, and that's okay. Coming to this decision was far from easy and we will always wish each other the absolute best."
Kyle Abrams and Deepti: Not Together
While the pair confirmed their friendship had blossomed into a romance in the After the Altar spinoff, which debuted in September 2022, Kyle announced just days later that they had split in the time since the special was filmed.
And in April, Kyle proposed to his girlfriend Tania Leanos, whom he did not meet in a pod.
The pod squad's most solid and seemingly content couple, of course, made it official at the altar, both going through with the marriage (despite some early hesitation on Lauren's part).
In December 2019, both Cam and Lauren posted vacation photos from Cancun, though they didn't tag each other or post photos of one another. They also happen to be wearing the same pair of sunglasses, so…
But also, Lauren revealed in an interview with Elite Daily that they are still together. "Oh my God. We're so happy," she gushed. "It's just, like, every day we learn more and more about each other, and we honestly fall more and more in love with each other."
Cameron posted a photo from their wedding day, simply captioning the pic, "The happiest day of my life."
Matthew Barnett and Amber Pike: Together
Despite some chilly feet on Barnett's behalf on the morning of the ceremony, Barnett and Amber exchanged vows in the finale's final wedding. And over a year later, they are still married.
For their respective Fourth of July Instagram snaps, the husband and wife duo both wore the same American flag cowboy hat.
Mark Cuevas and Jessica Batten: Not Together
OK, if you thought these two were actually going to end up married at the end of this thing after their many, many struggles (the 10-year age difference, her being attracted to Barnett, Jessica not really being into Mark physically, etc., etc.), well...bless your naive little heart.
Since their failed wedding, with Jessica being the one to pull the plug (duh), Mark revealed to the New York Post in February 2020 that he had not spoken to Jessica since that day, though he had reached out at one point.
"I didn't hear back, but to me, it's just sending love out there," he said, adding the LIB experiment was still the "best" thing to happen to him. "Without Jessica, there would not be a Mark of today."
Mark and Aubrey Rainey wed in September 2022. Their sons, Ace and Axton, served as ring bearers.
As for Jessica, she married Dr. Ben McGrath, a podiatrist, in August 2022. The couple welcomed their son, Dax, this past June.
Damian Powers and Giannina Gibelli: Not Together
Damian delivered one of Love is Blind's most shocking moments when he blindsided Giannina by revealing he didn't think they should get married at the altar.
But the pair delivered another surpriae when they revealed they had reconciled during the season one reunion. Alas, they broke up again, with Giannina telling E! News in August 2021 that she was "officially single."
She went on to find love on another reality show, entering a romance with Bachelor Nation's Blake Horstmann after the pair met while filming All Star Shore in 2022.
Damian, meanwhile, sparked romance rumors with Too Hot to Handle alum Francesca Farago, with the duo dating on the spinoff series Perfect Match after her explosive surprise appearance during Love Is Blind: After the Altar.
Alas, Damian and Francesca left Perfect Match single.
Kenny Barnes and Kelly Chase: Not Together
Viewers were surprised when Kelly revealed she didn't feel a real physical attraction for Kenny and chose not to go through with the marriage, much to her family's surprise.
Since their wedding day, Kenny has moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, while Kelly still lives in Atlanta working as a health and empowerment coach. One of her recent Instagram posts was about being single in your 30s—"I know boundaries now. I love myself so much that I won't just be with a guy bc I'm lonely."
In August 2020, Kenny announced he was engaged to girlfriend Alexandra Garrison. The couple wed two years later.
Carlton Morton and Diamond Jack: Not Together
While they were one of the six couples to get engaged in the pods (well, at least the six that the producers decided to continue filming with), Diamond and Carlton didn't make it to the end of their trip to Mexico, breaking up in an explosive fight after Carlton revealed to her that he was bisexual.
But with time, the former engaged couple could end up as friends, with Carlton telling People, "At this point, whatever happens, happens. It would be great. But it takes time I think. I think we both have to still process the way we feel. We still have different views on the way things panned out and what was done wrong."
Diamond added, "We have a lot of growing, both of us, to do and I am willing to grow. I love growing but I feel like we can at least come now to a medium and be able to sit and now talk because this is a very touchy subject. And both of us still get emotional about it. Even though it happened over a year ago, it still feels like it was yesterday."
Mark & Lauren "LC" Chamblin: Not Together
Back in June 2020, a fan shared a post in Reddit that questioned Mark's relationship status after he and Jessica ended their engagement.
"My close friend's co-worker is dating Mark!!" the user wrote while including a screenshot of Mark's picture and another woman who appeared to be on a date.
LC, another woman Mark had connected with in the pods, then confirmed that they had been seeing each other by responding, "This is awkward because I live in Atlanta and I've been dating Mark since the beginning of May…Oh and btw, this is LC from Love is Blind…"
The couple would later confirm they were not together.
Love Is Blind is streaming on Netflix.