‘Love Is Blind’ Season 3 Star Matt’s Behavior Alarms Professional Psychologist
Love Is Blind Season 3 wrapped up on Nov. 9 with the finale and the reunion episodes. This season introduced us to an entirely new cast of singles looking for love, including Matt Bolton and Colleen Reed. Matt and Colleen argued a few times in front of the cameras, and Matt’s behavior alarmed several fans. Recently, professional psychologist Isabelle Morley spoke up about Love Is Blind and Matt’s behavior.
[WARNING: This article contains detailed spoilers regarding Love Is Blind Season 3, including the finale and the reunion.]
‘Love Is Blind’ star Matt became angry after believing Colleen was flirting with Cole Barnett
The first argument between the Love Is Blind couple happened during their trip to Malibu with the other cast members. Matt overheard a conversation between Colleen and Cole discussing the body types of people they were typically attracted to in the real world. Later that night, Matt blew up at Colleen for talking to Cole about that particular topic and told her, “I might be done.” Colleen became visibly upset and convinced him to stay.
In another instance, Matt called Bartise, angry because Colleen hadn’t come home yet. When Bartise and Nancy said that Colleen may have gone to a club called The Candleroom, Matt said he knew because “going to the club was more important than coming home to her f****** boy.”
Despite those incidents, Love Is Blind stars Matt and Colleen both said yes at the altar. Hosts Nick and Vanessa Lachey brought up the uncomfortable situation with Cole at the reunion, but no one touched on the topic of Matt’s anger.
However, the Lacheys and the rest of the cast asked Colleen to explain her reasoning for the conversation. Plus, everyone took aim at Cole and Bartise Bowden for their behavior during Love Is Blind Season 3. Several fans wondered why no one called Matt out for his anger issues.
Professional psychologist Isabelle Morley says the cast held Colleen accountable but not Matt
Viewers made several comments about Matt’s behavior during Love Is Blind, with one person even saying Matt “straight up scared me.” Now, it seems that a professional psychologist might feel the same way.
In an article from Psychology Today, Dr. Morley writes, “Not only do people not defend Colleen and reprimand Matt, they do the opposite: They hold Colleen accountable for crossing a line with Cole but do not see any problem with Matt’s behavior.”
Dr. Morley clarifies that she understands editing plays a huge role in what audiences see in each couple’s relationships. However, she also expresses concern for Colleen because of her body language when they replay the Malibu footage at the Love Is Blind reunion.
“You can see Colleen’s body tense, her breathing change, and her heart race. She is stiff and anxious the entire episode. She barely smiles. She stumbles over words as she tries to explain. She even apologizes for getting emotional and crying. If she were presenting that way in my office, I’d be very worried about her,” Dr. Morley observes.
Dr. Morley says the Lacheys and ‘Love Is Blind’ producers may have made ‘an unforgivable mistake’
The majority of Dr. Morley’s article focuses on the ethical responsibility of the Love Is Blind producers. She believes they chose to “elevate the drama” for entertainment purposes.
“If Matt is as abusive as he appeared on-screen, then the Lacheys and the entire production team made an unforgivable mistake. They put Colleen in the line of fire for more abuse. They reopened the first trigger of Matt’s abuse and encouraged contestants to rehash their reactions,” Dr. Morely explains.
Dr. Morley suggests the Love Is Blind producers hire psychologists to assist the participants next time. Plus, she believes adding a warning when abusive interactions happen on screen might help as well. Hopefully, these are two things producers might consider for next season.
How to get help: In the U.S., call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or text START to 88788.
