“Love Is Blind” season 5 participant Tran Dang is suing her ex-fiancé and the present’s manufacturing firms. Dang filed a lawsuit in opposition to Thomas Smith and Kinetic Content material and Delirium TV for sexual assault, false imprisonment, and negligence, per TODAY.
Dang and Smith don’t seem in any promotional content material or episodes of Netflix’s newest “Love Is Blind” season. Nevertheless, Dang’s lawsuit says she received engaged to Thomas, they usually traveled to Mexico for the usual couple’s journey.
Dang alleges Smith sexually assaulted her in Mexico on or round Might 3, 2022. Tran Dang accuses Thomas of “incessantly” grouping her, exposing himself bare, and “forcibly and repeatedly” making “sexual contact” with out consent.
Dang allegedly stop the present after a number of makes an attempt to inform producers of her expertise. She contacted a lawyer and filed her go well with just a few months later, on August 16, 2022.
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A lawyer for Thomas Smith named Kip Patterson instructed TODAY.com that the season 5 participant denies Tran’s allegations.
Tran Dang is in search of monetary damages for her “disfigurement,” “psychological anguish,” medical bills and legal professional’s charges.
“Love Is Blind” Manufacturing Corporations React To The Lawsuit
Within the paperwork, Dang alleges the “Love Is Blind” manufacturing firms had the {couples} beneath “24-hour surveillance,” that means they supposedly captured “most if not all” of the alleged acts.
Nevertheless, in a press release, Kinetic Content material and Delirium TV deny fixed filming.
“We assist and stand with victims of sexual assault, however Ms. Dang’s claims in opposition to the producers are meritless,” their joint assertion mentioned. “We doc the unbiased selections of adults who volunteer to take part in a social experiment. Their journey isn’t scripted, neither is it filmed across the clock. Now we have no data or management over what happens in non-public residing areas when not filming, and contributors might select to finish their journey at any time.”
The businesses additionally said that Dang “by no means knowledgeable the producers of any alleged wrongdoing of any variety,” citing her determination to proceed collaborating within the blind love experiment.
“We take any and all issues of our contributors critically and prioritize their well-being. Clearly, we can not tackle undisclosed issues. As a substitute, Ms. Dang continued within the experiment for weeks after the time her attorneys now declare an incident occurred. We deny and can vigorously defend the allegations in opposition to us,” the assertion mentioned, per TODAY.
In the meantime, Tran Dang says the present’s producers “made makes an attempt to masks” her sexual assault as a “lack of attraction” to Thomas Smith.
“The producers are throwing cash on the drawback by spending an inordinate amount of cash on shedding authorized positions that do nothing however delay the events from having their day in court docket. They misplaced on three distinct authorized points earlier than the trial court docket after which filed three separtete appeals to multiply the prceedings we’ve to wade by means of earlier than lastly making an attempt this case.”
“Love Is Blind” Creator Chris Coelen Says Tran Dang “Did Not Make Any Declare Of Sexual Assault”
After information of the lawsuit broke, “Love Is Blind” creator Chris Coelen supplied a press release to PEOPLE. His phrases largely echoed these of the manufacturing firms. Coelen denied 24-hour filming, likening the collection to “a documentary” versus surveillance.
The present creator additionally denied that Tran reported the alleged sexual assault.
“We’d not proceed filming with somebody who was expressing that an incident of that kind had occurred. Now we have round the clock psychologists, a extremely educated manufacturing staff, we’ve an entire battalion of people that’s job it’s to make it possible for we prioritize our participant’s well-being. However the participant needs to be actively concerned in that course of,” Chris Coelen mentioned.
Coelen additionally addressed Tran’s claims about “Love Is Blind” producers falsely imprisoning her. Tran alleges she needed to search permission to go away her lodge room, enter one other solid member’s room, or hand around in frequent areas. She additionally says she needed to request permission to make use of the lavatory within the pods.
“Claiming that you’re falsely imprisoned on Love Is Blind is preposterous and ridiculous,” creator Chris mentioned. “You come and go as you select. You aren’t required to remain. In the event you keep, that’s your determination,” he continues. “The contributors aren’t beneath our management. They’re residing their lives. We are available, we movie them for a time frame, we depart. They’ll depart — as many, many, many individuals have earlier than — anytime they need.”
Coelen additionally says the lavatory association is as a result of advanced set-up of their 68,000-square-foot sound stage. Contestants ask for permission to maintain them from getting misplaced, shield “the integrity of the experiment,” and stop wanderers.
“We’ll vigorously defend ourselves. I’m not ready to invest about what occurs with adults on their very own time behind closed doorways. I need to be actually, actually clear about that. I’m not saying her allegations of sexual assault are or aren’t true. I’m not ready to say that. I’m actually supportive and empathetic of people that make these claims,” Coelen added.
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