Why Love Is Blind Season 10’s Devonta Broke No Phones Rule in the Pods

Devonta Anderson wasn’t completely isolated from the outside world during his time on Love Is Blind.

Typically, contestants on the show aren’t allowed to use their phones while filming in the pods. However, in season 10, which premiered on Netflix on February 11th, a sales manager was given special permission to contact his family after a personal tragedy.

“I do wanna share something a little personal with you,” the 32-year-old told costar Brittany Wicker during a pod date. “I got pulled out by production—and my grandfather passed away.”

After Brittany, 33, offered her condolences, Devonta explained how he was processing the news.

He explained that if he chooses to stay, he needs to be sure it’s for the right reasons, as he could easily leave. After speaking with his brother and grandmother, they both mentioned that this is what his grandfather would have wanted him to do.

Brittany assured him that she wouldn’t hold it against him if he decided to leave the show.

She said she completely understands if someone needs to take a break for their own well-being, or if they simply want to spend time with their family.

After talking it over with his brother and grandmother, Devonta decided to stay on the show. He told Brittany he was committed to finding a lasting relationship, hoping to find someone like his grandparents had, and that he wouldn’t have continued if he wasn’t truly ready.

Devonta was allowed to speak with his family due to a unique situation, but generally, contestants aren’t able to use their phones until after they’ve left Mexico.

Shayne Jansen, who appeared on season two of the show, previously shared that during the getaway, participants weren’t allowed to have their phones or any personal belongings.

Honestly, it’s brilliant! The creator, Chris Coelen, actually took away their phones and internet access – can you believe it?! He told Oprah Daily back in 2020 that it was totally intentional, to eliminate any distractions. It’s just…genius! It forces them to really connect with each other, and it makes for way better drama, if I’m being honest. I’m obsessed with how much thought went into this!

Just a heads-up: the pods don’t have bathrooms! Curious about what it’s really like behind the scenes on Love Is Blind? You might be surprised by these details.

Do contestants get paid for being on Love Is Blind? According to former participant Matthew Duliba, they receive $5,000 for the ‘pod’ portion of the show.

Most of the financial gain from being on the show comes from sponsorship deals after the season ends. For example, Deepti Vempati and Natalie Lee, both from season two, each earned around $500,000 as social media influencers within two years of their episodes airing in 2022.

Contestants on the show sleep arrangements have changed between seasons. In season one, they slept on cots in trailers near the common areas. However, for season two, Netflix provided hotel rooms for better comfort. Staff always accompany them to and from the rooms to prevent any unauthorized contact between contestants.

In a 2025 TikTok video, season four’s Micah Lussier revealed that the show isn’t filmed in a real house. She explained that the contestants actually stay in a hotel, and the ‘pods’ are just a set built in a studio. The bathrooms, she added, are located in trailers outside the main set.

Contestants on the reality show aren’t allowed to use their phones until after they finish filming the tropical vacation part of the show.

Shayne Jansen shared of their vacations, “You don’t have your phone or anything on you.”

The “pods” part of the experiment usually lasts around 10 days, starting with 40 to 50 people looking for love. However, not everyone makes it through the entire process – some participants are eliminated along the way.

To give the most promising contestants more attention, we narrowed down the group during filming,” explained Chris Coelen, creator of Love Is Blind. “By that point, there were around 20 to 25 people still in the pods.”

Initial dates were arranged like a speed-dating event, giving each person eight to ten minutes to get to know everyone of the opposite sex. After that, participants were free to talk to whomever they chose, for as long as they wanted, but all conversations had to be scheduled through the show’s staff, as direct communication wasn’t allowed.

Sal Perez, a contestant from season two, revealed that singles on the show receive suggested conversation starters and questions before their dates, though they aren’t required to follow them.

Kyle Abrams explained in an interview with TopMob News that they had some conversation starters prepared. He said that if the conversation slowed down, they could easily use a small notebook to find new topics and keep things going.

Okay, so everyone thinks it’s all fake, but let me tell you, it’s REAL! I was reading an interview with Kelly Chase, and she swore up and down that nothing was scripted for them as contestants. She even said it was hard for her to believe how little direction they got! It’s amazing, honestly. It just proves how genuinely wild everything was!

Kelly mentioned that the food provided to contestants while filming was a highlight for her. They had a lot of different choices to eat while in the pods.

She explained that for the first ten days of shooting, the crew had a wide variety of catered meals to choose from, including grilled fish, chicken, steak, plus vegetables, pasta, rice, and fruit.

Although some proposals are presented earlier in the show for pacing, all of them actually occur on the same day.

You know, I’ve been hearing a lot about this new engagement tradition, and it’s honestly a little wild! Apparently, a lot of couples are now getting engaged on a specific day, and the next day is when everyone finds out. But here’s the really strange part: after the proposal, you only spend about fifteen minutes with your fiancé before going your separate ways! They head home, you head home, and you don’t see each other again for several days. It’s a really unconventional way to start a lifetime together, and I’m fascinated by it – and a little confused, if I’m being honest!

9. Where do the engagement rings come from?

The creator explained to Entertainment Weekly in 2025 that once the rings are given to the recipients, they are a gift. The recipients don’t have to return them, even if the relationship ends, and they’re free to say they purchased the rings themselves if they choose.

10. Hosts Vanessa Lachey and Nick Lachey are no longer allowed to be at the reveals.

Back in those days, we were all present for the premieres,” Vanessa explained to Parade in 2025. “When the cast would walk the red carpet, it was me, Nick, our hair and makeup team, the costume designers, and the sound crew – the whole team was there waiting.

But it ended up being “probably 50 people” in the room, which detracted from the romance.

It became too chaotic,” Vanessa explained. “Then they decided to limit the reveal to just the couple and the camera crew, wanting to keep the focus on their special moment.”

The producers of the show were hoping for a handful of engagements—they didn’t anticipate more than five couples getting engaged in the first season. However, eight couples actually got engaged during the initial pod phase. Because of this unexpected number, the producers weren’t able to continue filming the journeys of the two extra couples.

We really wanted to showcase a variety of stories,” Coelen explained. “It was amazing to see so many people find what felt like lasting connections. We actually had more compelling storylines than we could fit into the show, which is a testament to the connections made.

Rory Newbrough and Danielle Drouin were one of the engaged couples on the show. While the other couples filmed in Mexico, Rory and Danielle spent a week in Miami. However, shortly after returning to Atlanta, they broke up on good terms. Danielle realized she still had feelings for another cast member, Matt Thomas, and decided to explore that connection. Ultimately, Danielle and Matt’s relationship didn’t work out either, according to Rory, who shared the details with People magazine.

Another relationship that didn’t make it to air during the first season was between Westley Baer, who talked about dating as a shorter man, and Lexie Skipper. They dated for three months after filming in Atlanta, but Westley later told People magazine that a big career change led to their breakup. He explained that he decided to sell all his possessions and move to Asia.

In addition to one couple from season two, Caitlin McKee and Joey Miller, and Kara Williams and Jason Beaumont, also became engaged, though their relationships weren’t documented on the show.

14. Are constants allowed to talk when there’s not cameras around?

Micah explained that conversations aren’t recorded when contestants are in the ‘pods.’ There are always cameras running in that area. Even in the lounge, the producers prefer silence when the cameras aren’t on, to avoid missing important parts of the show’s story.

She said the experience in Mexico is similar.

She explained that they wouldn’t share any intimate moments or have private conversations until they were left alone together in the room on the first night. That would be the first time they could truly talk privately, away from cameras.

But when they go home, there’s more freedom to speak without being filmed.

She explained that because filming happened almost every day, the cast and crew had plenty of downtime to bond and get to know each other privately, away from the cameras.

15. Who pays for the wedding dresses?

Micah explained that the production team covers the cost of the dresses. He recalled a time when they had a selection of dresses already included in the budget to choose from, and there were plenty of options available.

They could have chosen to pay extra for a nicer dress, but the reality show contestant said that, as far as she knew, no one actually did.

Regarding wedding costs, a Netflix representative told Women’s Health that while the show provides some basic supplies, the couples are responsible for any additional expenses and covering costs if they exceed a certain amount, as these are their actual weddings.

Even though some people doubted the marriages were real, they are legally binding. Lauren Speed from season one confirmed to Refinery29 that it’s a genuine marriage, saying, “This isn’t for the show—this is our life.”

The order in which people say “I do” or “I don’t” at the altar isn’t decided by chance. Micah explained that the production crew actually decides who goes first.

Micah explained that it’s not up to the person performing the ceremony who goes first. He believes they’ll ask the person they think is more likely to agree, so they get an answer from both people right away.

Without that, she explained, you miss out on the excitement of hearing someone accept your proposal for the very first time.

Were the reality show cast members required to actually go through with the weddings? According to producer Coelen, no. He explained to TopMob News that they were free to make their own choices on the wedding day. He admitted that, knowing the cast and their personal lives, he had no idea what anyone would decide.

So, why do people often wait until the wedding day itself to decide whether or not to marry their partner? Although contestants aren’t obligated to actually go through with the wedding, many still proceed with the ceremony, even if they end up rejecting the proposal.

Micah explained on TikTok that participating in ‘Love Is Blind’ wasn’t necessarily about getting married. It was about fully experiencing the experiment. Since the show is designed to test connections, you need to go through the entire process to see if a relationship could actually work. That was her reasoning for taking part.

It’s becoming increasingly uncommon for couples on Love Is Blind to get married. After only one wedding in season eight, executive producer Ally Simpson explained that finding genuinely kind men willing to participate is proving difficult, largely due to the influence of social media. To address this, former contestant Chelsea Griffin has joined the show’s casting team.

Rumors circulated online claiming Mark Cuevas, one of the youngest singles on the first season of the show, was secretly dating someone while filming. He later stated these rumors were false.

He explained on the Be There in Five podcast that he hadn’t dated anyone before or during the show. He was completely single and focused on his own life, and simply didn’t have the time for a relationship during that period. He’d never had a girlfriend, and the experience didn’t allow for one.

Oh my gosh, you won’t BELIEVE this! Apparently, Kelly and Kenny weren’t even planning on actually getting married at the end of the first season! Kenny told People magazine they were totally firm on not getting married, and the whole engagement was just a way to keep the show going – they both agreed on that! Kelly thought they’d just keep dating, because that’s what they’d talked about. But then, on their wedding day, Kenny dropped this bomb and said he wasn’t emotionally ready! Can you imagine?! Kelly was totally blindsided and felt so rejected. She was like, ‘Wait, what? That wasn’t what we agreed on!’ It’s just… heartbreaking!

Jessica Batten, who sparked a lot of debate among viewers on the first season of Love is Blind, recently revealed in an interview that she asked to leave the show, but producers wouldn’t let her.

I really had no choice but to stay,” she explained to EW. “I did consider leaving, but it just wasn’t possible. On top of everything, my dog got very sick and almost died while we were filming, and I was dealing with a lot of other personal things as well.

She explained that it was really frustrating because she suspected Mark and she wouldn’t succeed. She’d tried to leave a few times, even talking about it with others, but couldn’t manage to do so.

The weddings featured in the first season were filmed in the fall of 2018. This meant that the two couples who chose to get married—Lauren and Cameron Hamilton, and Amber Pike and Matt Barnett—had to keep their relationships a secret for a year and a half before the show finally aired.

26. Love Is Blind could go on and on, with Coelen telling TopMob News, “I’m thinking season 15.”

Do you recognize Carlton Morton? He previously appeared on a reality show filmed in Atlanta – he was Cynthia Bailey’s assistant on The Real Housewives of Atlanta in 2014. Longtime viewers might recall a memorable argument he had with Kenya Moore when she first joined the show.

Many viewers have wondered about the gold cups frequently seen in the show. While some thought they were used to conceal the liquid level for easier editing, creator Coelen explained the cups were actually selected for their visual appeal.

As a huge fan, I always know immediately when an episode starts – it just feels like our show! What I love most is how genuinely it follows these people’s lives, but it does so in a way that’s still really fun and lighthearted. It’s like we’re connected to their journeys, but it never feels heavy or forced – it’s just enjoyable to watch.

Deepti explained to TopMob News that they always serve their drinks in gold goblets, calling it a tradition with special meaning for the company.

2026-02-11 13:19

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