‘Love Is Blind’ Cuties Scene Changes Zanab Jaffrey’s Narrative About Cole Barnett
The Love Is Blind Season 3 finale and reunion hit Netflix on Nov. 9, and things certainly got heated between a few of the stars. While Bartise Bowden and Cole Barnett took most of the heat from their fellow cast members, fans quickly voiced their opinions on a particular situation involving Zanab Jaffrey and her former fiancé, Cole.
[WARNING: This article contains detailed spoilers regarding Love Is Blind Season 3, including the finale and the reunion.]
‘Love Is Blind’ star Zanab aired her grievances with Cole in front of their friends and family at their wedding
Zanab and Cole’s relationship hit some major bumps in the road after exiting the pods in Love Is Blind Season 3. The pair connected quickly in the pods, but they had several arguments once they returned to the real world. Much of the criticism from Zanab and fans alike centered around several comments Cole made regarding Zanab’s physical appearance. During a pool party for the engaged couples, he also flirted with Colleen Reed, another participant this season. Zanab unleashed a litany of complaints at the altar to a bewildered Cole.
“The last two months have not been picture-perfect,” Zanab began while standing at the altar. “You have disrespected me; you have insulted me; you have critiqued me. And for what it is worth, you have single-handedly shattered my self-confidence. And I hate that you have had that kind of effect on me.”
She continued, “And the messed up thing is, I know I love you. But everything in me, and the logical part of my brain, tells me that love shouldn’t feel this way. Love shouldn’t hurt like this. I can’t marry you, and I don’t.”
After she finished, she walked out of the venue as a few of her friends applauded her speech.
Zanab claimed Cole shamed her for eating two tangerines, but the deleted “cuties scene” showed otherwise
There’s no denying that Cole made several rude comments to Zanab during their time together. Hosts Nick and Vanessa Lachey addressed the situation at the reunion, and Zanab added more details to several incidents.
Cole vehemently denied everything Zanab said. When Vanessa Lachey asked Zanab if Cole tried to control what she ate, Zanab replied, “The Cuties story that didn’t make the cut was one day, it was 2 p.m., and we were still filming. I hadn’t had a chance to eat so I grabbed two Cuties. He looked at me and said, ‘Are you gonna eat both of those?’ I said, ‘Well, yeah, that’s a serving.’ And he said, ‘Well, we’re going out to eat later so maybe you should save your appetite.'”
Cole then announced that if producers had that clip, please air it, which they did, in an end-credits scene. The scene showed Cole and Zanab discussing their plans for meeting her extended family while standing in the kitchen. Zanab began peeling some oranges, and Cole asked, “Are you about to eat two of those?”
Zanab replied, “Maybe. That’s a serving. Are you ok with that?”
“You better save your appetito [sic],” Cole answered. “We’re gonna have a big ol’ sucker tonight,” he added, referring to their plans for dinner.
Zanab continued, “I’ve only had a banana and a scoop of peanut butter today.”
The statement seemed to shock Cole, “You’ve only had a banana today? Why? I offered you a poke bowl.”
Cole’s response in the scene didn’t line up with Zanab’s claims that Cole controlled what she ate. At that moment, he seemed more concerned than anything about the lack of nutrients she’d consumed that day.
‘Love Is Blind’ fans are shocked at the difference between Zanab’s story and the actual conversation
Obviously, reality television is edited to make scenes more dramatic than what audiences necessarily see play out on their screens. However, Love Is Blind fans rushed to Cole’s defense in comments and posts on Reddit and Instagram.
One Instagram user wrote, “So glad Netflix exposed Zanab for lying about the entire cuties situation. I don’t think Netflix would have added the clip in if they knew you were emotionally abusive like she was describing.”
Several more people added their support in the comments of Cole’s Instagram post. Plus, hundreds more voiced their shock at Zanab’s behavior on Reddit.
A Redditor wrote, “I’m glad they showed this clip. I take back everything I’ve said negatively about him. I feel like we weren’t getting the whole story. Was there a decision to make the guy look bad throughout the show by the production team? If this scene is indicative of her other “body shaming” experiences with him, his reaction to her at the wedding and to her allegations during the reunion makes sense: the guy was blindsided.”
Another user wrote, “SHES A LIAR AND UNRELIABLE NARRATOR and definitely manipulating viewers. She’s projecting her low self-esteem and insecurities on Cole by making him the villain. He’s not free from blame because his comments about Colleen prolly triggered her insecurities BUT SHE TOOK IT THE WRONG WAY and she was so in her head about everything. They need to stop crucifying Cole for whatever it is Zanab is saying, sheesh, that last clip proves that she misconstrued everything he said and in no way did he ever directly make malicious comments about the damned cuties.”
As of now, it looks like plenty of fans have turned on Zanab, but maybe that will change if Netflix gives the cast an After the Altar special. Check out all the episodes of Love Is Blind Season 3, currently on Netflix.
