‘Love Is Blind:’ Diamond Jack Says the Backlash She Received After Her Breakup Taught Her the Meaning of an LGBTQ Ally
Diamond Jack and Carlton Morton’s breakup on the Netflix dating show Love Is Blind will go down in history as one of the most explosive endings to a relationship. The former couple split after Morton came out as bisexual, something that Jack said she was blindsided by. Though Jack said she had no issues with Morton’s sexuality, some viewers of the show felt otherwise. She recently revealed that the experience helped her understand the meaning of an LGBTQ ally.
Diamond Jack was accused of being biphobic after Carlton Morton came out to her
Jack was noticeably shocked by Morton’s admission. Though the news was hard for her to hear, she tried her best to be comforting as she understood the fear and courage it took for Morton to share with her, especially on television. It wasn’t until she and Morton met up the following day to discuss things that things took a drastic turn.
After accusing Morton of hiding his sexuality and not taking the experiment seriously, the two engaged in a war of words, with Morton accusing Jack of being biphobic and calling her out of her name. Moore shot back with her own rendition of Beyoncé’s “Don’t Hurt Yourself,” warning Morton that he was losing the best thing that ever happened to him.
After the episode aired, Jack was on the receiving end of viewers backlash, as they felt she was insensitive to Morton and sided with him on his accusation that she was biphobic and closed-minded.
Diamond Jack says she was confused by the backlash but that it made her understand what being an LGBTQ ally means
In a June 2020 essay for Women’s Health’s Pride Month edition, Jack reflected on her experience and what she would have done differently when faced with Morton’s admission. As she said during the reunion special, Jack told the magazine that she wishes she would have taken a more reflective approach. She also admitted that though she tried her hardest to be empathetic to Morton, she’d never had anyone come out to her prior.
She was confused and devastated by the hatred on social media. “I don’t deserve the treatment I’ve been getting online. The death threats have been the most hurtful. They make me feel like I have to watch my back wherever I go,” she wrote.
In the beginning, she ignored it as she knew the comments were not a true representation of who she is. But as more viewers tuned in, the hate continued, and Morton constantly speaking out and telling his story did not help.
Many viewers also sympathized with Morton as he continued to publicly apologize, despite Jack’s insistence that she was not ready to consider any form of relationship with him because of the way he disrespected her.
Still, she would not trade her experience on the show.
My appearance on the show was worth it. It taught me a lot about myself and what it means to be an ally. If there’s anything this show has inspired and motivated me to do, it’s to be true and honest to myself. I feel like the entire experience taught me to stand strong in who I am and that people will always have something to say about you. But if you know who you are and that being who you are will make you happy—then be that and love that.
Diamond Jack, Women’s Health
Jack is currently still single but has been dating. She also revealed previously that she’d consider participating in a similar experiment again to find love.
