The Pods
Wait, How Much Do ‘Love Is Blind’ Cast Members Get Paid?
Ever wondered how much Love Is Blind contestants get paid during their run on the Netflix dating series?
Well, if you think they receive a fat paycheck, then you are wrong. Turns out, the leading men and ladies really do go on the Netflix hit to find “their person” or, in some cases, internet fame.
While the participants are figuring out if “love is truly blind,” they aren’t completely doing it for free. Instead, they get a stipend throughout their time on the show. Each stage of the series has a different pay grade.
During the pods portion of the show, which lasts for 10 days, all parties involved are paid $5,000, according to Season 6 alum Matthew Duliba.
When cast members move on to the next phase of the show, their paychecks increase. Journalist Chrissy Clark claims she obtained a copy of the pay structure for Love Is Blind. For the few days they are participating in the honeymoon period, they get $2,500,” according to Chrissy’s report. However, the cast members are reportedly only getting $3,000 for the period of time after the honeymoon period leading up to the wedding. This could potentially be because they are not getting filmed 24/7 and are once again able to pick up their regular day jobs.
For the couples who make it to the altar, a $1,000 bonus is headed their way. Another $1,500 check is provided when they show up at the reunion. Remember, this is all before taxes!
This wasn’t always the case, however. The first time someone from the show addressed the wages they were provided was in 2022. Season 2 contestant Jeremy Hartwell filed a lawsuit against Netflix and Kinetic Content. His attorney, Chantal Payton of Paytom Employment Law, told Variety that the producers “intentionally underpaid the cast members, deprived them of food, water and sleep, plied them with booze and cut off their access to personal contacts and most of the outside world. This made cast members hungry for social connections and altered their emotions and decision-making.”
Then, Love Is Blind reportedly paid contestants a flat rate of $1,000 per week. They were working up to 20 hours per day, seven days per week. That would calculate to as little as $7.14 per hour, which isn’t even half the minimum wage requirement in Los Angeles County of at least $15 per hour, according to the complaint. Hartwell has since reached a settlement with the streamer for just under $1.4 million, to be divided between attorneys and approximately 144 former cast and crew members.
When it comes to how much the contestants have to spend during their stretch on Love Is Blind is considered personal. The weddings and engagement rings are covered by production. They only need to pay out of pocket when they request items that are considered “out of the budget.” Creator Chris Coelen told Entertainment Tonight, “While some value having an impressive stack of outfits and glam, others do not — this is something they need to pay for themselves.”
