'Love Is Blind' alum Nick Thompson at risk of homelessness, slams 'exploitative' Netflix for paying '$7 an hour'
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS: Nick Thompson and Danielle Ruhl tied the knot on June 8, 2021, during their appearance on 'Love Is Blind' Season 2. Despite expressing their love and commitment during the wedding, their marriage eventually ended in divorce, with Ruhl stating that there was no singular reason for the split.
'Love Is Blind' alum Thompson now claims he is struggling to find work and is at risk of homelessness. Thompson claims to feel people don't take him seriously, even with a background as a former VP in software for five years. Thompson has spoken out against the exploitation of reality TV stars and the lack of assistance given to them since his experience on the show and the fallout from it have been difficult.
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Where is Nick Thompson now?
The former 'Love Is Blind' star has transitioned into a television personality-turned-mental health advocate. As he puts it on his official website, "I'm glad you're here. You may know me from season 2 of 'Love is Blind,' but this community is created to support everyone moving through life with their eyes wide open. I'm passionate about building human connections and elevating stigmatized societal issues such as mental health, self-care, healthy lifestyles, free speech, and helping others improve their lives."
Nick hosts his own podcast and YouTube channel, where he emphasizes the importance of viewing one another as humans and fostering compassion to make the world a better place. Despite his successful background as a VP in software for five years, Nick faced financial challenges after his appearance on 'Love Is Blind'. His current efforts include activism, supporting reality TV stars' rights, and providing mental health and legal support through the Unscripted Cast Advocacy Network (UCAN).
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Nick Thompson calls Netflix 'exploitative'
After appearing in 'Love Is Blind' Season 2, Nick revealed that he is on the brink of homelessness reportedly struggling to find stable employment. Nick said, "I lost my job last November. I'm having an incredibly hard time finding [a new] one... I've got two months left in the bank to pay my mortgage," as per Daily Mail. He further added, "When you think about the amount of money that's being made, and the way that it's the path for future seasons, and the fact that anyone can go on and watch me… and I'm going to be homeless," he said.
Despite the show's ongoing success and multiple seasons, Nick claimed he was paid just "$10,000 for 10 weeks of filming," equating to "$7.14 an hour," less than the national minimum wage. He expressed his frustration at Netflix, stating, "They're just making that money because reality TV is extremely cheap to produce, and they can continue to do so through the strike," as per the source article. Nick alleged that producers exerted significant control over contestants, adding, "You literally are held captive like a prisoner, and there is absolutely no reason that you shouldn't be considered an employee when you're technically under the control of your employer for 24 hours a day." Thompson, who hosts his own podcast 'Eyes Wide Open', expressed that going on 'Love Is Blind' "ruined his life completely." "I wish I could just go back to having a nice life that I had built for myself, instead of wondering whether my mortgage is gonna get paid," he admitted. "It's a brutal, brutal, brutal industry." Despite the hardships he faced, Nick is determined to fight for change and encourage Netflix to treat their cast members properly.
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Nick Thompson on 'Love Is Blind'
In an interview, Thompson opened up about his tumultuous experience on the show, describing it as 'awful', as per Insider. Inspired to help others facing similar challenges, Thompson co-created the Unscripted Cast Advocacy Network Foundation (UCAN) to provide mental health and legal support to reality TV contestants. The foundation aims to address issues like extreme exploitation, grueling filming schedules, and lack of mental health support in the industry. Despite his difficult time on the show, Thompson remains open to working with Netflix in the future to bring about positive change in reality TV.