Will Nick Thompson become homeless? Former ‘Love Is Blind’ star says Netflix series ‘exploited' him
Nick Thompson, who appeared on the second season of 'Love Is Blind', a Netflix reality show, has revealed that he is facing the risk of losing his home after being unable to find a job since his appearance on the show in 2021. He claimed that he was paid very little for his participation in the show.
According to the Daily Mail, Nick was paid only $10,000 for 10 weeks of filming, which amounts to $7.14 an hour, less than the national minimum wage of $7.25 in 2021. Nick also said that he has not received any residual pay from Netflix, despite the show’s ongoing popularity and success.
Will Nick Thompson become homeless?
“I lost my job last November. I’m having an incredibly hard time finding [a new] one,” he told the media outlet. “I burned through my savings that cashed out my 401(k). I’ve got two months left in the bank to pay my mortgage." Nick also alleged that he and the other contestants were ‘exploited’ by the producers and psychologists during the filming of the show and that they had no control over their lives or privacy. “They’re just making that money because reality TV is extremely cheap to produce, and they can continue to do so through the strike,” he said before adding “We were manipulated, our triggers were utilized against us. Anything that we shared with a producer or with a psych exam was weaponized against us.”
It 'ruined his life completely'
Nick says that he regrets going on 'Love Is Blind', as it "ruined his life completely’". He says that he wishes he could go back to having a nice life that he had built for himself, instead of worrying about paying his mortgage. He says that he was treated like a prisoner by the show and that his personal information was used against him. “You are filming 18 to 20 hours a day,” he claimed. “And that doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re always going to be on TV, but you’re miked up from the moment you get there in the morning, and you’re miked up all the way until you leave. Then when you go home at the end of the day, you’re locked in your hotel room without a key without your wallet without money without identification. 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," he added.
'Get on the right side of the issue right now'
Nick has since co-founded the Unscripted Cast Advocacy Network (UCAN), which aims to provide mental health and legal support to reality TV stars. He also supports the idea of unionizing reality TV stars, so that they can have fair workers’ rights and pay. He told the outlet that he is inspired by Bethenny Frankel, a former 'Real Housewives of New York City' star, who has called for a ‘reality TV reckoning’ and argued that reality TV stars should receive residuals for their shows. Nick urges Netflix to act and do right by reality stars. He said, "They have a great opportunity to lead in the industry and get on the right side of the issue right now,". Nick also said that he is open to talking with them, but they need to start treating writers, actors, and reality cast members properly. He further added that they are going to write themselves out of business if they don’t.