Who is Renee Poche? Love Is Blind' Season 5 production sues Netflix star for $4M over 'violating' contract
HOUSTON, TEXAS: Renee Poche is a 'Love Is Blind' Season 5 contestant whose time on the Netflix show was never aired. She worked as a Veterinarian and hails in Houston, Texas.
She completed her bachelor's degree from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and pursued higher education at the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine.
Poche loves dogs and has been working as a Veterinarian since 2012. Netflix star recently landed in trouble after 'Love Is Blind' Season 5 production company Delirium TV took legal against her in November for allegedly breaking her non-disclosure agreement.
Delirium and Netflix sued Poche for 'violating' her contract, which may explain her absence from the season. However, Netflix allegedly filed a lawsuit against Poche for publically discussing "some limited public remarks about her distressing time on the Program, including the terrifying experiences she had with Wall."
According to Variety, the production company Delirium has been seeking $4 million from Poche, who reportedly only made $8,000 for appearing on the show.
She told the outlet, "I believe Delirium is trying to silence the abuse that occurs behind the cameras and ruin me for telling the truth."
Poche detailed her 'abusive' relationship with Carter Wall in an October 2023 episode of the 'Out of the Pods' podcast. In the episode, Poche claimed that production knew she felt unsafe around Wall and he was 'verbally abusive' both on camera and off.
Meanwhile, Poche shared with the outlet that Wall was in the 'Love Is Blind' Season 5 cast despite being allegedly 'broke, unemployed, violent and allegedly addicted to amphetamines and alcohol'.
Renee Poche countersues Netflix over 'traumatic' experience
After Netflix and Delirium TV sued Renee Poche for $4 million, she countersued the streaming giant and 'Love Is Blind' Season 5 production company.
Renee Poche and Carter Wall got engaged in the pods and made it to the altar but the storyline was not part of the episodes.
Months after she wrapped up filming, 'Love Is Blind' production company contacted her ahead of Season 5's release to let her know that her and Wall's storyline was significantly cut from the episodes so she wouldn't have to relive their painful relationship.
However, Poche now countersued 'Love Is Blind' production company Delirium TV and Netflix for alleged intentional infliction of emotional distress. She told Variety, "My experience on Love is Blind was traumatic."
Poche elaborated, "I felt like a prisoner and had no support when I let Delirium know that I didn’t feel safe." She added, "I tried to deal with these emotions over time and eventually felt like I needed to share what had happened."
Poche further explained, "I felt it was only right to let others know the truth of what all of the castmates had to endure."
Renee Poche was 'forced' to spend time with Carter Wall
'Love Is Blind' Season 5 former contestant Renee Poche alleged in her lawsuit that the production urged her to be patient with Carter Wall in the pods. They also insisted Poche continue filming and made her spend longer time with Wall despite her informing them that she felt unsafe when doing so.
The lawsuit stated that Wall 'regularly berated Poole,' 'stole from the set or places they visit,' and was 'emotionally abusive on and off camera,' among other allegations.
Poche was 'utterly terrified of Wall,' but was 'forced to spend long stretches of time alone with him, every minute of which she felt unsafe.' However, the production staff 'warned Poche to ensure Wall had no access to firearms'.
The lawsuit also revealed that Netflix and Delirium made it clear that Poche would be hit with legal action if she were to drop out of production. Poche claimed in the lawsuit that she 'was placed in a dangerous situation from which she had no escape.'
'Love Is Blind' Season 5 production lands in another legal trouble with Tran Dang
Renee Poche was not the first person to sue 'Love Is Blind' Season 5 production. The Netflix show was sued by Tran Dang, who was cast in Season 5, but was cut from the final edit and not listed as part of the official cast.
She filed a lawsuit against her ex-fiancé Smith as well as the production companies behind 'Love Is Blind', Kinetic Content and Delirium TV, for sexual assault in August 2022 and is ongoing.
In the lawsuit, Dang alleged that the Netflix show producers imprisoned her and acted with negligence during filming. However, 'Love Is Blind' producers and Smith denied the allegations.
