Theresa calls out ‘Age of Attraction’ producers over awkward unaired yoga date: ‘I was so uncomfortable’

‘Age of Attraction’ star Theresa DeMaria initially kept partner John Merrill's age hidden from her children.
UPDATED MAR 30, 2026
A screenshot of 'Age of Attraction' contestant, Theresa DeMaria (Image Source: Instagram | @theresa_demaria)
A screenshot of 'Age of Attraction' contestant, Theresa DeMaria (Image Source: Instagram | @theresa_demaria)

When Theresa DeMaria signed up to participate in 'Age of Attraction', little did she know that her time on the show would be marred to an extent by an outrageous date. The 54-year-old former Calvin Klein junior sales executive is now a yoga instructor and has attracted casting interest following her appearance on an unaired Netflix reality series, 'The Ranches at Belt Creek'. 'Age of Attraction' is the recently concluded social-experiment-based reality series from the streaming platform giant that builds on the craze for another such reality show, 'Love Is Blind'. The rules of the game on 'Age of Attraction' are simple, and participants must seek the answer to the question: Is age really just a number? 

In a recent interview with Glamour, DeMaria highlighted one of her most uncomfortable moments on the reality show. She also slammed the producers of 'Age of Attraction' for forcing her to go through the ordeal. The incident in question occurred during an unaired date on the show, in which she and John Merrill, her 27-year-old partner, practiced tantric yoga together. DeMaria revealed, "We also had another date that was ‘yoga.’ They were setting us up to do tantric yoga, which they don’t show at all because I think it was a little over-the-top, se****ly. I was so uncomfortable. In fact, I think I was a little angry at that date because they put me in such an awkward position. I felt like it was too early to be in that world with him."

'Age of Attraction' contestant Theresa DeMaria (Image Source: Instagram | @theresa_demaria)
A still of 'Age of Attraction' contestant Theresa DeMaria (Image Source: Instagram | @theresa_demaria)

When asked about what Merrill thought of the date, DeMaria responded, "He’s a very go with the flow kind of a guy, so he was kind of like, ‘okay, whatever.’ But I think he was also very uncomfortable. Tantric yoga is obviously meant to be the precursor to intimate relations. And he and I had barely even kissed at that point, aside from a peck. We’d never done any making out, tongue kissing, or any of that stuff, so it was kind of a little awkward. And to be filmed doing that with our peers around…it was just weird. I was like, I’m not into this. I’m not a PDA person."

Theresa DeMaria and John Merrill in a still from 'Age of Attraction' (Image Source: Netflix)
Theresa DeMaria and John Merrill in a still from 'Age of Attraction' (Image Source: Netflix)

"I did not plan on, nor would I have ever agreed to date somebody that was that young," DeMaria remarked, stating that during the screening interview, she had specified that she's not willing to date anyone younger than 38 years old. She further added, "But he ended up being 27, and so that was a bad part for me—like a detour—because I never would have thought in a million years he would be that young. I was devastated because I was like, How in the world am I going to navigate this?" This is too young for me." 'Age of Attraction' is exclusively available on Netflix

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