Love Is Blind Star Says He's "At Risk Of Being Homeless" After Show Allegedly Paid Him Less Than Minimum Wage While "Treating Him Like A Prisoner"
Source - “Love Is Blind” star Nick Thompson is at risk of losing his home after struggling to find work following his appearance on the Netflix reality show.
Thompson, 38, said in a new interview that he was paid just $10,000 for 10 weeks of filming and has not received any residuals.
“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 told the Daily Mail Tuesday, claiming he received only $7.14 an hour while being “treated like a prisoner.”
The minimum wage in Illinois, where Thompson’s season was filmed, was $12 in 2022, the year it aired.
Oh Nick. My sweet, sweet, Nick. What did you think was going to happen? That you'd come out of Love Is Blind and all of a sudden BOOM you're a star? That you'd be able to automatically go back to your old life if things didn't work out? Come on. You knew the risk you were taking when you signed up for the show and unfortunately for you, you're now in a worst case scenario. Thirty-eight years old, divorced, with zero dollars to your name.
Do I feel bad for him? I'm not sure, but here's how he said he got into his current situation...
“I lost my job last November. I’m having an incredibly hard time finding [a new] one,” he went on. “I burned through my savings that cashed out my 401(k). I’ve got two months left in the bank to pay my mortgage. I can’t get a job because people don’t take me seriously.”
The reality TV star-turned-mental health advocate said he worked as “a VP in software for five years.” “It’s not like I don’t have track record of experience or success,” he noted.
Thompson went on to claim his life had been ruined by the show, which he said “exploited” him and his co-stars.
The good news is I'm sure people will take him seriously now that's he's divulged his stellar decision making skills. He also went into just how strenuous the schedule was while filming...
“You are filming 18 to 20 hours a day,” he alleged. “And that doesn’t that 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.”
Again, the tiniest bit of research would've shown that filming a reality show is literal hell on earth. No offensive to our team here, but even filming Barstool reality shows is a GRIND. All you can do suck it up and put on a good show. So I guess to answer my question…no, I don't feel bad. You hate to see someone struggle to find work, but at the end of the day you made your bed. Now pick yourself up by your fucking bootstraps and figure it out. You've got 332k Instagram followers I'm sure there's something you can do with that.
And as far as the actual pay goes? There is a zero point zero percent chance he receives any sort of back pay or residuals. Especially considering he's got no money for a lawyer, so he can get that idea out of his head. Anyway, best of luck in the future, Nick. I'm rooting for ya. That's it for this one. Thanks for reading.