Former ‘Love Is Blind’ Contestant Briana Holmes Opened Up About Her Time on the Show

Netflix is under fire after several former reality contestants got candid about the uncomfortable filming conditions of one of the streaming platform’s most popular series, Love Is Blind. Four seasons in, the marriage experiment is a cultural phenomenon in and of itself. But at what cost? Season 1 contestant Briana Holmes is among the former contestants who recently publicly shared what it was like to film.

From alleged mistreatment by production to disregard for mental health and claims of encouragement of alcohol abuse, some of the Love Is Blind stars are anything but happy with their experience on the show. Netflix hasn't come out to address the former contestants' claims, but Briana is vocal about her experience. Here’s what she had to say.

Several former Love Is Blind contestants have come forward about what they allege are unacceptable filming conditions of Netflix’s highly-rated marriage experiment, one of whom is Brianna from the show’s first season. She quit during her time filming, which is part of the reason why she wasn't part of one of the couples that got married in the inaugeral season.

During an interview with Insider, the 25-year-old former reality star opened up about her mistreatment in the pods and her decision to leave the series.

While filming Season 1 of Love Is Blind in Atlanta, Briana revealed to the outlet that she began having a panic attack when a man in the pods told her he wasn’t sure if he wanted to propose to her.

The former contestant ran outside to escape the cameras and obtain some privacy — only to be followed and filmed during said panic attack.

"They literally chased me off of the set to the trailers, cameras in my face," Briana told Insider. "I'm like, this is too much. I don't want this. I don't want to be here. I don't want to do this."

That same day, Briana quit the first season of Netflix’s marriage experiment. After 20-hour days of filming, a two-week pre-engagement period, and being chased by production during a panic attack, the pressure became too much for the former reality star to handle.

"It's a lot," the Love Is Blind star revealed. "None of it was scripted. Everything you see is real. These are people's real lives and real emotions."

Four seasons in, the golden goblets are a Love Is Blind staple. However, their consistency throughout the series posed a problem for many contestants.

One anonymous production assistant told Insider that producers constantly wanted them to top off the contestants’ alcoholic beverages — especially during dates.

And while Briana made a point not to drink during her time on the show, she joked about wanting a specific type of alcohol, resulting in a concerning response from production.

The next day, Brianna was given not one but four bottles of the liquor she mentioned. "I was like, is this a joke?" she recalled. "Maybe they were trying to do it to be nice. I don't think so, though."

After Love Is Blind Season 1 aired, Briana was shocked when she realized she only received several seconds of screen time.

"It made it feel like everything I went through was for nothing," the former contestant admitted. "I wasn't good enough to make it more than 30 seconds on the show? It was like a smack in the face."

Not only that, but Briana also quit her job as a mental health counselor one week after leaving the marriage experiment. Because her profession consistently reminded her of her horrible time on the Netflix series, she couldn’t bring herself to continue in her line of work.

After a disastrous shot at a live Love Is Blind reunion, this revelation comes at the worst time for the reality series.

Season 4 of Love Is Blind is available to stream on Netflix.