Did Lauren O'Brien Have a Secret Boyfriend Before Joining 'Love Is Blind'? (SPOILERS)

Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers for Season 8 of Love Is Blind.

Since leaving the Love Is Blind pods engaged, Dave Bettenburg and Lauren O'Brien have been caught up in a whirlwind of drama. While in Honduras, Dave reveals that he knows both of Lauren's ex-boyfriends, which is definitely throwing him off.

On top of that, Dave is having a difficult time dealing with the fact that Lauren had been talking to another guy just before filming for Season 8 of the Netflix series kicked off.

This tricky situation has raised eyebrows among Dave's friends and family, leaving him to question: Did Lauren have a boyfriend before joining Love Is Blind?!

In the eighth and ninth episodes, Lauren maintains that she didn't have a boyfriend when she joined Season 8 of Love Is Blind. She tells Dave multiple times that she never officially dated the guy she was talking to before filming started, claiming they were friends-with-benefits for a few months.

According to Lauren, she and this guy never even introduced each other to their friends or family, which she points to as proof that it wasn't anything serious.

In Episode 9, Lauren introduces Dave to her friends Delaney and Melissa, who both vouch for her side of the story. Delaney mentions that she knows the guy Lauren was talking to and recalls hanging out with him and his ex-girlfriend of seven years a while ago.

Delaney also reveals that she hasn't heard from him since 2019, but he recently slid into her DMs, saying something along the lines of, "Let's blow up this wedding."

The group agrees that this guy is just seeking attention and is more interested in TV fame than Lauren (and possibly feels bitter and lonely).

Despite all this, Dave is really struggling. He never got the chance to share the news of his engagement with his family and friends —those conversations started without him, thanks to the small-town gossip in Minneapolis.

What's worse, Dave says that his friends' first impression of Lauren, without even meeting her, is that they already know she's still talking to a guy they're familiar with.

Dave also drops a major bombshell: His friends told him Lauren hung out with this guy just two days before she left for filming. How crazy is that?!

To make matters even more complicated, this guy is still texting Lauren and trying to see her. And get this: He lives in the same apartment building where they're Dave and Lauren are staying for the show!

In Dave's eyes, Lauren never truly ended things with this guy — while Lauren might have thought it was over between them, Dave assumes she never made it clear, leaving the guy under the impression that they were still together.

Dave is clearly feeling the pressure, and it's become obvious that his loved ones are very worried — his sister, in particular. He discloses that even his sister knows Lauren had a boyfriend before the show, and while she had her doubts and concerns from the start, this situation has only made things worse.

Eventually, Lauren breaks down and tells Dave she just wants him to trust her. She also mentions that she needs to have a conversation with the people who seem to have the most influence on Dave right now, so they decide to arrange a meeting with his friends, Adam and Will.

The two plan for Dave's friends to come over to the apartment and discuss the situation with Lauren. However, things take a turn when Lauren and Dave end up in an argument. Dave expresses how strange it feels that Lauren was just with another guy and now, just weeks later, is planning to marry him.

Lauren then admits she feels like she's losing Dave and has no idea what to do next. She vents about having to defend her character against people who don't know her, especially since the discussions are happening without her there to speak for herself.

In the end, Dave reveals that his friends and family have been tempting him to walk away from Lauren, which is definitely a troubling sign for their future.

Love Is Blind is now streaming on Netflix.