SEATTLE, WASHINGTON: A 'Love Is Blind' contestant is suing the Netflix reality dating series' production firms over alleged sexual assault, false imprisonment, and negligence.
Tran Dang allegedly filed a lawsuit against Kinetic Content and Delirium TV, claiming she was sexually assaulted on set by her then-fiance and fellow participant, Thomas Smith, and that producers allegedly did nothing to stop it, as per People.
Tran Dang filmed for the show's currently airing fifth season but has not been featured in the episodes that have been released.
Dang claimed in her complaint that she proposed to Smith while they were filming, although none of them appeared in the September Netflix cast announcement for Season 5.
According to a complaint obtained by People, Dang claimed was allegedly sexually assaulted by Smith on May 3, 2022, during the Mexico getaway vacation trip.
Dang alleged that "Smith, and without Ms Dang's consent, forcefully groped her, exposed himself in the nude, and repeatedly made sexual contact over her express objections."
The lawsuit also alleged, "Because of [Kinetic Content and Delirium TV’s] 24-hour surveillance of cast members, most, if not all, of these traumatic acts were likely captured on film."
During filming, the suit alleges the cast was "intentionally sequestered for two weeks" in the pods, without the use of their cell phones, passports, wallets, or communicative devices.
The lawsuit further claimed, "Over multiple days of filming in multiple venues, including Houston, [Kinetic Content and Delirium TV] provided the cast members with alcohol—but limited food. This combination was designed to encourage them to engage in striking conversations and actions that would increase viewer ratings."
Dang's lawsuit further alleged, "While on set, for up to 18 hours per day, [Kinetic Content and Delirium TV] required Ms. Dang to request permission to do virtually anything, including use the restroom. She was prohibited from leaving her hotel room without express permission and kept under 24-hour surveillance."
'Love Is Blind' creator Chris Coelen dubs Tran Dang's false imprisonment claims 'preposterous'
'Love Is Blind' creator Chris Coelen debunked Tran Dang's claim and said that he supported people coming forward about sexual assault. However, he insisted that the production was "never told that she felt unsafe or experienced any of the allegations that she made."
Coelen noted that if anybody ever came to them and said they felt unsafe in any way, they would 'immediately remove them from the experiment and talk to them, and try to get to the bottom of it.'
He added, "Unfortunately, in this case, that kind of sentiment was never addressed to us in any way, nor was any alleged wrongdoing brought to our attention ever."
Coelen also called Dang's false imprisonment claims 'preposterous,' as participants are always free to walk away from the show, like what has been done in the past with previous cast members and most recently, in this season with Aaliyah Cosby, Taylor Rue and Jared “JP” Pierce.
Tran Dang was not featured in any episode of 'Love Is Blind' Season 5
Tran Dang claimed that the assault might have also been recorded on the camera. Meanwhile, after multiple alleged attempts to notify producers about her experience, Dang decided to quit the show.
However, she claimed that she was told she had to film a 'final scene,' in which producers fed her lines. Although Dang had filmed multiple episodes of 'Love Is Blind' Season 5, she was not featured even in a single scene.
However, Chris Coelen claimed that there have been multiple contestants who got engaged during the show but they never featured when the Netflix show premiered. However, Dang also alleged that she was 'aggressively recruited' by Kinetic's casting team to appear on season 5.
Dang noted that she 'did not seek involvement' but she eventually agreed to join the show.
Who was Tran Dang's ex-fiance Thomas Smith?
Thomas Smith was also a contestant in 'Love Is Blind' Season 5 but his time on the show wasn't featured when the show premiered. He sparked a connection with Tran Dang and later got engaged with her.
However, Smith has been accused of sexually assaulting Dang during filming 'Love Is Blind' Season 5. Just like Dang, Smith has also opted to keep his identity private.
Meanwhile, according to People, Smith's attorney, Kip Patterson, said that his client denies the allegations. The attorney said, "We do not comment on ongoing litigation."
'Love Is Blind' Season 5 finale episodes will be released on Netflix on Friday, October 13.
