"No survival instincts" — Love is Blind fans criticize Monica for falling for Stephen despite knowing he is a "cheater"

Netflix's hit dating series Love is Blind premiered with Episodes 1-6 of Season 7 on Wednesday, October 2, 2024. Singles from various backgrounds participated in the unique experiment to find their life partners. They were encouraged to share their inhibitions and vulnerabilities to form deep and meaningful connections.

The experiment was the ultimate test to see if love was truly blind. In Season 7 Episode 2, Monica found her ideal partner in Stephen. They forged a solid bond, willing to go the distance with each other. During one of their dates, Stephen opened up about about his previous relationship, admitting he cheated on his then-partner. He confessed he was not proud of his behavior, and was seeing a therapist for the same.

Monica appreciated his honesty and was willing to overlook his dating history. On another date, Stephen called Monica a "mutt" while they discussed their mixed ancestry and political ideologies. Instead of getting offended, Monica agreed she was a "mutt" and looked forward to going on a date with him.

Love is Blind fans were shocked by their interactions. They took to X to criticize Monica for accepting Stephen, despite knowing about his dating history.

"No. Monica has absolutely no survival instincts because the minute I heard “I’m a cheater” and “my most recent rship” I would have been OUT OF THEREEE! Omg," a fan wrote.

"Monica you weak a** bird how you’re the one saying sorry when the man admitted to being a cheater…," another fan commented.

"Stephen is a walking red flag. Monica start running," a netizen tweeted.

Many Love is Blind fans slammed Monica for sympathizing with Stephen after learning about his promiscuous tendencies.

"Ayo Monica said it’s not so black and white when this man said HE’S A CHEATER. And that he cheated because HE DIDN’T THINK HE WAS GOOD ENOUGH for his MOST RECENT rship. Girl this is not in his past. He’s just now in therapy. She’s dunce," a user reacted.

"You could hand Monica a piece of paper stating that Stephen is a red flag and she still wouldn't catch it. You gave him sympathy for cheating???" one person commented.

"Did Monica just say “I’m sorry” to Stephen who was the one that cheated on his ex!?!" another fan wrote.

"Monica telling a man who said he “technically holds the title of a cheater” that he’s being too hard on himself is quite insane to me… stand up pls," another user tweeted.

Other Love is Blind fans were in disbelief that Monica was unaffected by Stephen's "mutt" comment.

"Stephen really called Monica a mutt on national tv and she laughed it off. What in the tarnation is going on," a netizen commented.

"now why did monica laugh & agree when stephen called her a mutt," another person reacted.

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Love is Blind star Monica felt Stephen was being "too hard" on himself

While introducing herself before the cameras, Monica admitted she joined the cast of Love is Blind because she usually judged men based on their appearance. She confessed that "arms" made her feel "hot and bothered." Everything was "outside first" for her, a pattern she wanted to break.

Her first interaction in Episode 2 was with Stephen. Right off the bat, she asked him to detail his last relationship and why it did not work out. Stephen said it was two and a half years ago and was one of the healthiest and most communicative relationships he had been in. He added he was "big on communication" and preferred transparency between partners.

Monica responded that she wanted to be in a relationship or a marriage "that's not expecting perfection" all the time. It encouraged Stephen to share his secret, something he was not proud of.

"I technically hold the title of being a cheater. I've been cheated on multiple times as well. I believed that this person that I was dating at the time, I believed I didn't deserve her," Stephen said.

Then, the Love is Blind cast member explained the "concept of cheating." He revealed he emotionally cheated on his ex by sliding into "a girl's DMs" and "flirting with intention." Despite knowing he would get caught, he continued the affair and was later disappointed in himself. After hearing Stephen's story, Monica said, "I'm so sorry."

He also stated he was consulting a therapist to discuss his demeanor. Monica appreciated Stephen's honesty and said:

"We're all human. I'm 36 years old. Like, it's not so black and white."

Despite having "gross" experiences with promiscuous partners, the Love is Blind cast member was ready to find a "path to forgiveness." She added:

"I can tell, even the way you described how upset you were with yourself, I really appreciate it, and I think you were, like, too hard on yourself."

Later in the episode, the Love is Blind duo discussed their complicated ancestry. While Monica explained she had both Honduran and African-American Black heritage, Stephen said, "Okay, so you really are a mutt, girl," to which Monica replied, "I'm a f**king mutt."

The couple eventually got engaged in Episode 4 of Love is Blind Season 7.

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Love is Blind is available to stream on Netflix.