Tran Dang, a contestant on Season 5 of Netflix’s Love is Blind, is filing a lawsuit against production companies Kinetic Content and Delirium TV amid allegations that she was sexually assaulted by her former fiancé Thomas Smith while filming, People reports. Dang is not featured in any episodes.
According to the lawsuit, Dang and Thomas flew to Mexico after getting engaged, while filming was still taking place, and Dang was allegedly sexually assaulted during the trip on May 3, 2022. She also reported being harassed by Smith during a phone call on May 14, 2022 in Houston. This reportedly caused Smith to call producers, “complaining that she had reported his behavior.”
The suit states that “due to Delirium TV and Kinetic Content’s 24-hour surveillance of Plaintiff and Defendant Smith, most if not all of these traumatic acts were filmed by the production crew and within their knowledge.”
“If anybody ever came to us and said they felt unsafe in any way, we would immediately remove them from the experiment and talk to them, and try to get to the bottom of it,” series creator and executive producer Chris Coelen told People. “Unfortunately, in this case, that kind of sentiment was never addressed to us in any way, nor was any alleged wrongdoing brought to our attention ever.”
The lawsuit also alleges false imprisonment, specifically that the cast was “intentionally sequestered for two weeks” in the pods, and that “while on set, for up to 18 hours per day,” Dang had to “request permission to do virtually anything, including use the restroom,” and also “was prohibited from leaving her hotel room without express permission and kept under 24-hour surveillance.”
Additionally, the lawsuit asserts that the companies “provided the cast members with alcohol—but limited food” while filming, a “combination that was designed to encourage them to engage in striking conversations and actions that would increase viewer ratings.”
In terms of these claims, Coelen deemed them “100 percent false and defamatory.”
“It’s not true in any way … we don’t push alcohol,” Coelen said. “Everyone has consistent and regular access to food and water.”
Also, he clarified that while contestants are in the pods, they “have someone escort them to the bathroom” in order to “protect the integrity of the experiment” and because “it’s very confusing to get around from place to place.”
In a joint statement obtained by both People and Variety, Kinetic Content and Delirium TV relayed the following:
“We support and stand with victims of sexual assault, but Ms. Dang’s claims against the producers are meritless. We document the independent choices of adults who volunteer to participate in a social experiment. Their journey is not scripted, nor is it filmed around the clock. We have no knowledge or control over what occurs in private living spaces when not filming, and participants may choose to end their journey at any time.”
They continued, “We take any and all concerns of our participants seriously and prioritize their well-being. Obviously, we cannot address undisclosed concerns, and throughout the time that Ms. Dang was involved in the production of Love is Blind, she never informed the producers of any alleged wrongdoing of any kind. Nor did she choose to end her participation in the experiment. Instead, Ms. Dang continued in the experiment for weeks after the time her lawyers now claim an incident occurred. We deny and will vigorously defend the allegations against us.”
Decider reached out to Kinetic Content and Netflix for comment, but did not hear back in time of publication.
Love is Blind is streaming on Netflix.
If you or someone you know needs to reach out about sexual abuse or assault, RAINN is available 24/7 at 800-656-HOPE (4673), or online at RAINN.org.