A former “Love Is Blind” contestant is suing Netflix and the show’s producers, alleging that contestants were effectively treated as unpaid workers under “inhumane” conditions while filming. Stephen Richardson, who appeared on season 7, has filed a proposed class‑action lawsuit in California state court against Kinetic Content, Delirium TV and Netflix.
The case argues that cast members should have been classified as employees, entitled to minimum wage, overtime and basic protections under state labour law. The filing claims producers exercised “complete control” over contestants’ schedules, movements, eating and sleeping arrangements, and communications with the outside world during production.
According to the complaint, contestants had their IDs, phones, wallets and credit cards confiscated, were instructed not to leave designated hotel areas and were allegedly denied regular access to food while alcohol and energy drinks were freely provided. Richardson says hotel staff were told not to give cast members food, and that limiting water and meals while encouraging drinking was done to heighten control and make cast more emotionally volatile for entertainment value.
@nbcnews "Love Is Blind" season seven contestant Stephen Richardson has filed a lawsuit against #Netflix accusing the show's creators of "inhumane working conditions," according to court documents.
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The lawsuit also attacks the show’s non‑disclosure agreements, saying contestants faced potential six‑figure penalties if they spoke out about conditions, and frames that as part of a pattern of “hazardous” working environments on unscripted series. NBC News amplified the claims in a TikTok explainer, noting that “Love Is Blind” season seven contestant Stephen Richardson has filed a lawsuit against Netflix accusing the show’s creators of “inhumane working conditions,” according to court documents, in a clip posted via @nbcnews.
Richardson is asking the court to certify a class covering multiple seasons of “Love Is Blind” and potentially other similar Netflix reality shows, seeking back pay, damages and a declaration that the practices violated California labour and wage laws. His case follows other challenges from reality contestants, including a previous “Love Is Blind” alum who accused producers of emotional distress and labour‑law violations and was hit with an arbitration claim over alleged NDA breaches.
Together, these suits are adding to wider calls for stronger union‑style protections and clearer employment rules across reality TV. For a detailed breakdown of what Richardson is alleging and how he says production controlled cast members’ lives, Entertainment Weekly lays it out in this report on his “Love Is Blind” working‑conditions lawsuit.
