Love Is Blind's Paul Peden Accuses Vanessa Lachey of Having "Personal Bias" at Reunion

Paul Peden is sharing how he really feels about Vanessa Lachey's questions at the Love Is Blind season four reunion. Read what the Netflix star had to say.

By Elyse Dupre Apr 18, 2023 6:26 PMTags
Watch: When Love Is Blind's Paul KNEW He Didn't Want to Say 'I Do' to Micah

Paul Peden isn't holding back on his thoughts about the Love Is Blind live reunion. 

While the April 16 special has already received a lot of criticism for starting more than an hour late, the season four contestant is speaking out about a different issue. As he recently shared, Paul wasn't thrilled about the questions host Vanessa Lachey asked him, including one about a comment he made about his now-ex and fellow Love Is Blind star Micah Lussier.

"I thought that I detected a little bit of personal bias there. I'm not sure what it was," he told People in an interview published April 17. "And I guess she's within her right to drill on personal bias, but she shouldn't present as being an objective neutral party if that's the case. But I think it's fair to continue follow-up questions. But if we're going to go that route, we need to be able to have a full-length conversation."

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Love Is Blind Season 4 Relationship Status Check

After forming a romance in the pods and getting engaged, Paul and Micah broke up at the altar on their wedding day. During the wedding finale, Paul told the cameras he loved Micah but that it was difficult for him to envision her as a mother. Reflecting on that moment at the reunion, Micah said the comment made her feel "terrible" as she's always wanted a big family, adding that she was shocked by the remark.

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When Vanessa—who hosts Love Is Blind with husband Nick Lachey—asked Paul about the comment, he admitted that he "phrased that really unfairly" and that "the better way to phrase that would have been I can't see us as parents."

"I couldn't envision myself as a father just as much as I couldn't see in her," he explained. "And I want to take 100 percent accountability and responsibility for my half of that equation. I think it's very possible that the reason why I couldn't see that in her was that I wasn't inspiring that in her. She didn't feel comfortable showing that side of her."

After Vanessa argued that Micah said she did, Paul noted this side "wasn't evident" to him and that he couldn't see it in their future.

"I'm not saying that there's anything about her that is not nurturing," he continued after Nick and Vanessa pressed further. "It's that I didn't give her the proper inspiration and motivation to show that side of her."

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However, Vanessa wasn't satisfied with his answer.

"Micah, is this explanation making sense and settling with you, or are you as confused as I am?" she asked before turning to Paul. "No, I don't mean it disrespectfully. Because I kinda understand what you're saying, but I feel like you're dodging around the issue."

And while Micah agreed that she too was still confused by Paul's comments, it appears that she just wants to move forward.

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"I think everyone did their best to say their truth," she told People about the reunion. "There was a lot that was said and not said, but I'm just trying to leave it there at this point and move on."

And it seems Vanessa and Paul do too. The day after the reunion, the environmental scientist posted a photo of a bouquet and note he received to Instagram and wrote, "Thanks for acknowledging the accidental misleading @vanessalachey."

Paul later confirmed to People that Netflix gave him the flowers and that Vanessa sent a separate message.

"They did send me flowers but that was separate from the apology," he told the outlet. "[Vanessa] sent me a message acknowledging that she 'may have been misled about how you wanted to defend yourself.' I think it was supposed to be a sort of apology for the clear bias. At least that's the way I took it."

E! News has reached out to Vanessa and Netflix's reps for comment but has not heard back.

For a recap on which season four Love Is Blind couples are still together, keep scrolling.

Tiffany Pennywell and Brett Brown

Status: Married

Come on, not since season one's Cameron Hamilton and Lauren Speed has an LIB pairing seem so meant to be! The oldest couple in the experiment—Tiffany was 36 and Brett was 37—exchanged vows, even though Brett had a sartorial emergency when his pants did not fit properly on their wedding day. (Shout out to seamstress Lucia, you're a real one!)

Since filming wrapped, Tiffany and Brett moved to Portland and are still perfect! Phew!

Jackie Bonds and Marshall Glaze

Status: Didn't make it to wedding day

Fans watched with dismay as Jackie chose to give Josh Demas, the other man she connected with in the pods, a second chance, meeting up with him before ending her engagement to Marshall. However, during the reunion, Jackie set the record straight on the timeline of events. "I broke up with Marshall before I met Josh at the coffee shop," she said. "It looks like I'm a cheater. I am not a cheater."

Jackie then addressed the end of her relationship with Marshall, saying she "can take accountability" for her words and actions, but "I hope that he would do the same. We just weren't meant to be." As for her romance with Josh? They were still dating and living together in After the Altar, released in September 2023.

Unfortunately for Marshall, who was hoping for some closure with Jackie, he was unable to fully express his feelings to his former fiancé as she chose not to attend the live taping, conducting a pre-recorded interview with Nick and Vanessa Lachey. But in an interview with E!, Marshall revealed he briefly connected with fellow contestant Kacia after the show

"We tried," Marshall explained, "But I wanted to just distance myself from all of that from that experience. It was going to be difficult to try to make a relationship with Kacia." 

In After the Altar, Marshall revealed he's been dating girlfriend Dr. Chay Barnes for one year and wants to spend forever with her. "Chay is the perfect woman for me. She's the yin to my yang," he said. "Opposites attract. She's quite literally my opposite and we mesh so well. That's what I love the most about her." 

Micah Lussier and Paul Peden

Status: Separated

Opposites seemed to attract all season for this pair...until they got to the altar. Sensing Paul's hesitation, Micah asked him to give his answer first and it was a pass on marriage for Paul. "I literally feel like a disaster," Micah said. "If Paul would have wanted to marry me, I 100 percent would have said 'I do.'"

At the reunion, Paul apologized for his comment in a confessional about not being able to see Micah as a mother. "I think I phrased that really unfairly toward her," Paul explained. "I think the better way to phrase that would be that I can't see us as parents."

While the duo briefly reconciled after filming, they ultimately weren't able to make their relationship work, with Paul explaining they broke up for good when he visited Micah in Arizona. 

In After the Altar, Paul revealed he is dating a new woman who enjoys traveling and his cooking skills.

Kwame Appiah and Chelsea Griffin

Status: Married

Despite Kwame's mother refusing to attend the wedding and his arguably inappropriate conversations with Micah, whom he also connected with in the pods, Kwame and Chelsea were one of the three couples to exchange vows at the end of season four. 

During the reunion, Chelsea revealed she has since met her husband's mom and Kwame offered an apology to his wife and her family for his behavior, saying his talks with Micah were "not the best representation." The couple is living in Seattle with their beloved dog Rocky.

Zack Goytowski and Bliss Poureetezadi

Status: Married

Sure, they say love is blind, but occasionally it needs a little bit of time—or proposing to another woman—to realize you made the wrong choice. Which is what happened when Zack initially got engaged to Irina Solomonova, only for the couple to break up during their trip to Mexico. After asking Bliss for a second chance, the pair defied the odds (and Bliss' dad's wishes) and both said "I do" at the altar. (And, no, they did not sit it out, enjoying that all important first turn around the dance floor to Lee Ann Womack's "I Hope You Dance," the song that bonded them in the pods.) After the finale aired, Zack shared a photo of the couple on Instagram with the caption "Eternal Bliss."

Since filming, Bliss revealed, Zack and her father have become "best buds," one of the many reasons Vanessa predicted they would be the first Love Is Blind couple to have a baby.

Irina Solomonova

Status: Sorry

Deemed the villain of season four due to her mean girl antics in the pods and for the way she treated Zack before their breakup, an emotional Irina showed up to the reunion ready to take accountability for her behavior. 

"My intention was never to hurt anyone," she said, "but my impact did." Irina added that she had offered private apologies to the female cast members before addressing Zack. 

"No one deserves to be treated like that," she told him. "I completely belittled you and made you feel so small. I was going through a lot mentally. That does not mean that was an excuse to do that, but looking back, I'm sorry."

As for Zack and Bliss, the couple said they have "100 percent" forgiven Irina, though Bliss did reveal Irina sent her a direct message on Instagram while the pair was in Mexico, telling her she "dodged a bullet."

Irina has since been focusing on herself, sharing her one-year fitness transformation from July 2022 to July 2023. "So proud of my body," she said. "Making little choices that just help me feel better inside & out."

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