• "Love Is Blind" season eight features singles from the Twin Cities area.
• Mason and Meg shared a connection in the pods but didn't get engaged on the show.
• A new teaser for the rest of the season shows they may have gotten back together.

Warning: Major spoilers ahead for the first nine episodes of "Love Is Blind" season eight.

"Love Is Blind" is a Netflix series that has resulted in at least a few marriages — but not everyone meets their beloved.

The show's eighth season features singles from the Twin Cities area, bringing the franchise back to the heartland of the United States. Since it first launched in 2020, Netflix has spun off "Love Is Blind" into multiple international franchises and a key part of its unscripted series business.

This season, five couples make it out of the pods and on to their engagement trip. In a twist, a few couples from the pods — including 33-year-old cinematographer Mason and 31-year-old oncology nurse Meg — decide not to get engaged. At the beginning of episode six, the two seemingly split up.

Because they didn't get engaged, Meg and Mason don't feature in the three new episodes that aired this week, which focused on the couples' getaway and meeting each others' families back home. However, the new teaser at the end of episode nine shows that they'll be back this season, and heavily hints that their relationship may not have ended for good.

Mason's multiple connections affect his relationship with Meg

Mason and Meg hit it off on their first date in the pods. Mason, however, has another connection with 28-year-old artist Madison, who in turn is also dating 29-year-old commercial real estate broker Alex in the pods.

In episode two, Mason continues to bond with both Meg and Madison. In that episode, Meg learns about Mason's connection with Madison and starts to worry about their connection. Meanwhile, in episode three, Madison continues to bond with Alex — and without naming names, Mason essentially tells Alex that Madison is his top pick, not Meg.

Things start to come to a head later in that episode when Madison and Mason talk about the fact that they're both dating other people. During that date, Madison tells him that Meg is focused solely on Mason.

On their following date in episode four, Mason tells Madison that he's committed to her. She asks if he feels like she put an ultimatum on him, which he denies, and then thanks him for telling her. Later, outside the pods, Madison says that Mason is her number two. On a date with Alex later in the episode, Madison says that she intends to pursue a relationship with him. In episode five, she breaks up with Mason.

Later, in episode five, Mason tells Meg that he "validated Madison," but it ultimately "did not feel right."

"I clearly said it to the wrong person," he says.

Meg, however, is skeptical and asks Mason if he's now choosing her by default because Madison dumped him for Alex. In response, he tells her that she was always his first choice.

Their date continues in episode six. Mason reiterates his feelings, but Meg says that she won't be able to shake the doubt that he chose her because Madison became unavailable. She ends her relationship with Mason amicably, wishing him well.

"I feel a lot of regret," Mason says in a confessional. "I should never have validated Madison over Meg, and that's something that I'm gonna have to live with."

Ultimately, Madison and Alex don't get engaged in the pods either, after having a disagreement over Madison's breakup with Mason.

Meg and Mason don't appear to follow each other on Instagram

As of the season eight premiere, Meg and Mason don't seem to follow each other on Instagram. Mason also doesn't appear to follow Madison or Alex. Meg doesn't appear to follow Madison, nor vice versa.

Both Meg and Mason have posted about the new season on social media. Mason even poked fun at getting dumped by Madison over a plate of pancakes.

Despite not getting engaged, Mason and Meg's time on the show doesn't appear to be over. In a teaser for the next batch of episodes shown at the end of episode nine, Meg and Mason reunite with other participants in a pod squad meet-up — and crucially, they seem to arrive together.

"The second I got my phone, I was like, 'How's Mason?'" Meg recounts.

"He's a huge liar," Madison, now with bright pink hair, emotionally says. It's unclear if she's replying directly to Meg in the context of that conversation, or referring to someone else since she doesn't say Mason's name.

They're also not divulging anything about their current relationship status in interviews with press, though what they have said doesn't rule out a reunion.

When reflecting on the love triangle and her "Love Is Blind" experience, Meg told Glamour that she's "very happy with how life has transpired since the show ended."

Mason, for his part, told Vulture that Meg was "the clear person" for him and that he knew all along the two were "super, super compatible." He even compared their romance to the movie "Moulin Rouge," calling their relationship "the perfect love story that should have been, but ends in tragedy."

Dramatic? A bit. But it's also very much the kind of thing a guy who was still trying to make amends to his current girlfriend for his treatment of her might say.

Meg also seems to be (maybe inadvertently) dropping some unsubtle hints on social media. Most tellingly, she liked (and then unliked) a comment on one of her posts where someone said they wanted Meg and Mason to be the "Zack and Bliss" of this season.

Zack and Bliss are the fan-favorite season four couple who got engaged post-pods after Zach initially proposed to another contestant instead of her. They ultimately married in the season finale, and went on to have a child together.

At this point, it's impossible to tell for certain whether Meg and Mason got back together outside the pods. We'll just need to tune into the next batch of episodes and hear them explain what happened during the pod meetup.

The first nine episodes of "Love Is Blind" season eight are now streaming on Netflix.

• "Love Is Blind" season eight features singles from the Twin Cities area.
• Monica and Joey are one of the couples who make it out of the pods.
• Here's what we know about their relationship today.

Warning: Spoilers ahead for the first six episodes of "Love Is Blind" season eight.

"Love Is Blind" is back with its eighth season — just in time for Valentine's Day.

The show's new season, which coincides with its fifth anniversary, features singles from the Twin Cities area. It's just the latest iteration of one of Netflix's most successful reality television franchises, which has resulted in millions of hours of watch time, international spinoffs, and a handful of successful marriages.

This season features a few matches who make it out of the pods and on to their engagement. Monica, a 28-year-old who works in digital marketing, and Joey, a 35-year-old physician associate, are one of those couples. (And if Joey looks familiar, that's because he was also one of three season eight cast members that Netflix introduced to viewers during the season seven reunion.)

Here's what we know about their relationship today.

Monica and Joey bond in the pods

Monica and Joey go on a date in episode one, where they speak about their families. Monica has a "decent-sized" family in Chile, while Joey is close to his parents and three sisters, one of whom died when he was a teenager.

On another date later in episode one, the pair learn that they've both seen "The Sound of Music" multiple times: Monica because it's her family's favorite movie, and Joey because he frequently spent time at his grandmother's house as a child. While Joey played football in high school and received D-1 offers to play in college, he chose to decline them and stay close to his family.

In episode two, Monica reveals that she stepped away from her job to help care for her grandma. Joey reassures her, saying that he understands her decision to prioritize her family over her career.

Later that episode, the two become the season's first couple to get engaged when Joey proposes to Monica and she accepts. In episode three, the couple meets face-to-face for the first time.

"You look like Tarzan," Monica tells him.

"Hopefully that's a good thing," he replies.

"It's a good thing," she says.

Monica and Joey are one of five couples that producers follow on an engagement trip in the second batch of episodes.

A teaser hints at doubts for the couple

In the teaser for the next batch of episodes, Monica and Joey are seen enjoying their vacation with the other couples. It also hints at more serious conversations.

"My OCD. Everything's done in, like, a numbered way," Joey tells Monica in a clip. "How many times I drink something. How many times I will pick something up."

"So you just let your mind spin," she says as the two sit at a bar.

In another conversation, Monica asks a group of women if Joey typically pursues blonde women.

"Without fail," one of the women replies, to Monica's visible surpriise.

In a third clip, a different woman seems to express doubts to Monica about Joey as they sit next to a fire pit.

"I can see him being a really good actor," she says. "He knows what people want to hear."

Joey, however, reaffirms their relationship later in the teaser, telling Monica that his feelings for her are already equivalent to what he'd be feeling in a three-year relationship.

Joey and Monica have interacted on Instagram

Ahead of the season eight premiere, Joey and Monica still followed each other on Instagram. Joey has also liked some of Monica's posts on the platform, ranging from April 2024 to December 2024.

Monica also liked Joey's post featuring clips from his appearance at the "Love Is Blind" season seven reunion, as well as two other posts from May 2024 and April 2024. The pair also appear to follow some of the same accounts that do not belong to "Love Is Blind" cast members.

Both Joey and Monica have also posted about "Love Is Blind" on their respective TikTok accounts.

All signs point to Monica and Joey being one of the franchise's success stories. Of course, we'll need to wait for the finale and the reunion to air in March to find out for sure.

The first six episodes of "Love Is Blind" season eight are now streaming on Netflix.

• "Love Is Blind" is back with its eighth season, which takes place in Minneapolis.
• Several couples make it out of the pods in season eight.
• Here's what we know about Ben and Sara's relationship.

Warning: Spoilers ahead for the first six episodes of "Love Is Blind" season eight.

"Love Is Blind" is back with its eighth season, and this time, the Netflix reality dating series has landed in Minnesota.

The series, which Netflix has spun off into multiple international editions, is celebrating its five-year anniversary in 2025. Since its premiere, the series has become one of Netflix's biggest titles — and it's led to at least a few lasting marriages.

Season eight features a cast of singles from the Twin Cities area, and by the end of the first batch of episodes, five couples have made it out of the pods and on to their engagement trip.

One of those couples is Ben, a 28-year-old account executive, and Sara, a 29-year-old oncology nurse. Despite some bumpy discussions in the pods, the couple get engaged and meet face-to-face before going on vacation with the other season eight couples.

It's still early, so information about their relationship is scarce. Here's what we know.

Ben and Sara hit it off and talk through politics in the pods

In episode two, Ben and Sara bond in the pods over a love of food, and the fact that both of their fathers make great steak. Their discussion eventually moves to deeper subjects like faith: While Ben is Christian, Sara isn't particularly religious and worries about discrimination against her sister, who is gay. In turn, Ben reassures her that he's comfortable with LGBTQ people and doesn't believe queerness is a sin.

During a date in episode four, Ben tells Sara that he's falling in love with her. Sara thanks him, but wants to talk about their political beliefs. She became more engaged in politics after the election of Donald Trump in 2016, and the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis in 2020.

Ben, however, says that he didn't vote in the previous election and doesn't have opinions on the Black Lives Matter movement. Sara candidly tells him that she doesn't like his responses.

"I will tell you, basic human rights, equality," she tells him. "I need someone to be on the same page with me about that. I feel like that speaks volumes about who you are as a person and morals and values and, you know, how you think of others."

In episode five, the couple continues to deepen their relationship. Sara, however, still has some reservations about Ben's social beliefs and politics. Ben reassures her that he intends to grow and learn, and feels that his beliefs align with her own.

Ben proposes to Sara in episode five, and she says yes. The pair finally meet face-to-face later in that episode, and are one of five couples producers select to follow on vacation.

A teaser hints at trouble ahead for Ben and Sara

In a preview for the next batch of episodes, Ben and Sara seem to have a great time on vacation with the other couples.

"I've been searching for this feeling my whole life," Ben says in a voiceover.

The couple are also seen speaking with an older couple — potentially Sara's parents — over dinner, presumably when they get back to Minneapolis after the trip. Ben tells them that he goes to church every Sunday. The clip then cuts to the other woman saying she's "definitely skeptical," and the man saying that he's "surprised."

Ahead of the season eight premiere, both Ben and Sara followed each other on Instagram. Both have posted about the new season on Instagram, and Ben has posted about it on TikTok as well. So, they might be together, or they may just be cordial.

In any event, only time (and the finale and reunion episodes) will tell us for sure.

The first six episodes of "Love Is Blind" season eight are now streaming on Netflix.

• "Love Is Blind" season eight features singles from the Twin Cities area.
• Lauren and David are one couple who make it out of the pods.
• Here's what we know about their relationship.

Warning: Spoilers ahead for the first six episodes of "Love Is Blind" season eight.

"Love Is Blind" season eight takes us to the Midwest just in time for Valentine's Day.

The show's eighth season, which coincides with its five-year anniversary, features singles from the Twin Cities area. Since it premiered in 2020, "Love Is Blind" has featured participants from cities across the United States, and launched international editions set in countries including the United Kingdom and Brazil. In addition to being a boon for Netflix's unscripted business, the show has resulted in a few marriages as well.

In season eight, Lauren, a 31-year-old working in educational sales, and David, a 33-year-old medical device salesman, are one of five couples we see get engaged sight unseen and leave the pods together. Here's what we know about their relationship status today.

David and Lauren get engaged in the pods after being in a love triangle

David (or Dave, as people typically refer to him in the pods) opened his conversations by asking women what was wrong with them. Despite this — and the fact that he jokes that Lauren is no longer attractive as a 30-year-old woman — the two build a relationship in the pods.

On their second date in episode one, the pair share information about their families. David says that his sister wasn't "thrilled" with him participating in the show, though he felt like it was the right decision.

Dave has another connection in the pods with Molly, a 30-year-old executive assistant, and continues to bond with both her and Lauren over the course of several episodes and dates. This causes some tension, because Lauren is uncertain if Molly knows that she and David are also dating.

In episode four, Lauren confronts David and asks if he told Molly that she was his number one. In episode five, David says that he didn't tell Molly that she was his number one, and that Lauren was the only person he had said he could see himself proposing to.

Later in that episode, David breaks up with Molly. Afterward, Molly and Lauren agree that David put them in a poor position, and end their conversation on a good note.

Despite the drama, Lauren and David reconcile, and in episode five, he proposes to her. She accepts, and they meet face-to-face in episode six.

A teaser for the rest of the season hints at drama ahead for the couple

Lauren and David are one of the couples who producers follow on a post-engagement vacation. In one clip from the teaser, Lauren says that she hasn't "been in love like this."

One of David's comments, however, shifts the tone in the teaser.

"In the bed, outside the bed, there's nothing I'm like, 'I hate this so much,'" David tells Lauren as they sit on the edge of a boat. "Maybe the new hair."

In a clip from another conversation, Lauren asks David where he stands with his sister. In one shot from another conversation, she tells him while crying that she feels "helpless." And later in the teaser, Dave tells Lauren that "you guys clearly were seeing each other," and she tells him that she wasn't trying to hide anything from him.

The show also teases the reemergence of Lauren and David's love triangle with Molly from the pods when David and Molly meet up in person after the couples get back to Minneapolis.

"You are allowed to change your mind completely," Molly tells Dave as they sit at a table together.

"I fucked up, so…," he says.

"Were you scared?" she asks, laughing.

Ahead of the season eight premiere, David and Lauren still followed each other on Instagram. Both of them also mutually followed Molly. David liked both Lauren and Molly's cast portrait posts, and Lauren and Molly had also liked several of each other's posts on the platform.

On Wednesday, two days before the season eight premiere, David seemingly poked fun at his comment to Lauren about her age in advance. Using a season eight prediction template, he wrote his name next to a heart emoji and text reading, "anyone under 30."

Lauren has also launched a TikTok account, where she's posted about the show, but no obvious hints as to her current relationship status.

It remains to be seen whether Dave ultimately marries Lauren or Molly (or neither of them).

The first six episodes of "Love Is Blind" season eight are now streaming on Netflix.

• The first six episodes of "Love Is Blind" stream on Valentine's Day.
• This season is based in Minnesota with a new crop of 20 to 30-year-olds looking for love.
• Here's what to know about the contestants, including where to find them on Instagram and TikTok.

"Love Is Blind" is back this Valentine's Day.

The first six episodes of season eight will air on Friday and feature a new cast of singles from Minnesota dating in isolated pods where they can't see what their partner looks like.

This season features multiple nurses, a wine bar owner, and a cinematographer. Here's where you can find the cast on social media.

Adam Beavis

Adam, 33, is a fashion director.

You can follow him on Instagram here and on TikTok here.

Alex Brown

Alex, 29, is a commercial real estate broker.

You can follow him on Instagram here and on TikTok here.

Amanda Burke

Amanda, 43, is a district retail manager.

You can follow her on Instagram here.

Andrew Cole

Andrew, 27, is a real-estate agent.

You can follow him on TikTok here.

Ashley Sutten

Ashley, 28, is a client success manager.

You can follow her on Instagram here and on TikTok here.

Benji Smith

Benji, 26, is an entrepreneur and realtor.

You can follow him on Instagram here and on TikTok here.

Ben Mezzenga

Ben, 28, is a developer.

You can follow him on Instagram here and on TikTok here.

Brad Morgan

Brad, 35, is a dentist.

You can follow him on Instagram here.

Brian C Sumption

Brian, 30, is a wine bar owner.

You can follow him on Instagram here.

Brittany Dodson

Brittany, 35, is a partnership executive.

You can follow her on Instagram here and on TikTok here.

Casandra Barron

Casandra, 30, is a hairstylist.

You can follow her on Instagram here and on TikTok here.

Daniel Hastings

Daniel, 30, is a sales account executive.

You can follow him on Instagram here and on TikTok here.

David Bettenburg

David, 33, works in medical device sales.

You can follow him on Instagram here.

Devin Buckley

Devin, 29, is a basketball coach and a youth sports program director.

You can follow him on Instagram here and on TikTok here.

Hugo Orieny

Hugo, 30, works in marketing.

You can follow him on Instagram here.

Joey Leveille

Joey, 35, is a physician associate.

You can follow him on Instagram here and on TikTok here.

Kylie Shuelke

Kylie, 28, is a medical student.

You can follow her on Instagram here and on TikTok here.

Lauren O'Brien

Lauren, 31, works in educational sales.

You can follow her on Instagram here and on TikTok here.

Madison Errichiello

Madison, 28, is an artist.

You can follow her on Instagram here and on TikTok here.

Mason Horacen

Mason, 33, is a cinematographer.

You can follow him on Instagram here and on TikTok here.

Meg Fink

Meg, 31, is an oncology nurse.

You can follow her on Instagram here and on TikTok here.

Molly Mullaney

Molly, 30, is an executive assistant.

You can follow her on Instagram here and on TikTok here.

Mo Ndiaye

Mo, 35, is a property manager.

You can follow him on Instagram here and on TikTok here.

Monica Danus

Monica, 28, works in digital marketing.

You can follow her on Instagram here and on TikTok here.

Sara Carton

Sara, 29, is an oncology nurse.

You can follow her on Instagram here and on TikTok here.

Scott Sanderson

Scott, 34, is a project manager.

You can follow him on Instagram here.

Taylor Haag

Taylor, 32, is a colonoscopy nurse.

You can follow her on Instagram here.

Tiera Wright

Tiera, 34, is a marketing strategist.

You can follow her on Instagram here and on TikTok here.

Tom Dann

Tom, 38, is a management consultant.

You can follow him on Instagram here.

Vanessa Boreland

Vanessa, 31, is a media planner.

You can follow her on Instagram here and on TikTok here.

Virgina Miller

Virginia, 34, is a healthcare recruiter.

You can follow her on Instagram here and on TikTok here.

Yemi Ajagbe

Yemi, 30, is a product sales manager.

You can follow her on Instagram here and on TikTok here.

• Netflix's "Apple Cider Vinegar" explores Belle Gibson's fake cancer claims and wellness empire.
• The show fictionalizes real events, focusing on Gibson's business and fraudulent health claims.
• Chanelle, a character in the show, is inspired by real-life figures linked to Gibson's story.

Netflix's "Apple Cider Vinegar" is a fictionalized take on the story of influencer Belle Gibson, an Australian woman who built a wellness empire in the 2010s on claims that healthy living was helping her treat her terminal brain cancer. But it all fell apart when it was revealed that Gibson never had the disease at all.

In the Netflix series, Kaitlyn Dever's Belle is ultimately taken down by a pair of reporters thanks to a tip from Belle's former manager Chanelle (Aisha Dee). Things are complicated by the fact that before managing Belle, Chanelle also managed Milla Blake (Alycia Debnam-Carey) — a childhood friend who also built her brand around attempting to treat her cancer via alternative methods.

Like Milla, the Chanelle character isn't exactly the same in real life. But she shares a lot— including a first name — with the woman who is likely her real-life counterpart.

Chanelle works with both Milla and Belle in 'Apple Cider Vinegar'

In the Netflix series, Chanelle joins Milla's team after her business starts to take off to help her to secure brand deals. She meets Belle at a Cosmopolitan awards ceremony she's attending with Milla, who's up for an award in the same category as Belle (Belle wins). The three women meet at the after-party, where Chanelle and Belle bond after Milla leaves.

As Milla works on launching her juice line, Chanelle works with Belle to support the launch of her app, The Whole Pantry, on the Apple Watch. But as Chanelle is exposed to the more glamorous aspects of Belle's lifestyle, she starts to have doubts about her story.

Eventually, she confronts Belle and explicitly asks if she has brain cancer. Belle deflects, but the two seemingly come to an agreement to cancel her deal with Apple and the publishing of her cookbook. Instead, however, Belle doubles down on the lie and claims on social media that she's been diagnosed with multiple additional cancers.

After The Whole Pantry cookbook launch, Chanelle tells two reporters at The Age that Belle is a fraud. While they're unable to report any information about Belle's health, they publish a story with evidence that she hadn't followed through on multiple promised charitable donations.

Chanelle stops working with Belle, but later runs into her at Milla's funeral. (Milla, unlike Belle, actually had cancer.) Later, Chanelle is seen planting trees with Milla's father and fiancé.

Chanelle is based on one of Belle's former friends — but there are a few differences

Chanelle is likely based on Chanelle McAuliffe, though there are a few key differences between the character and the real-life woman, who told The Sunday Times she was not consulted for the Netflix series.

McAuliffe told The Sunday Times that she met Gibson at the 2013 launch party for her app, The Whole Pantry. Though she never explicitly worked with Gibson, as Chanelle does in the show, she started to suspect Gibson's claims were fraudulent after befriending her.

"She was doing this strict protocol of healing herself from cancer with nautral wellness remedies and clean eating," McAuliffe told the publication. "But she would go to the solarium, which obviously increases the risk of skin cancer, and she would get drunk at times. She was not sharing any of this with her community."

After Gibson collapsed at her son's birthday party but refused an ambulance, McAuliffe said she confronted Gibson and asked her to produce documentation that she had cancer.

When Gibson dodged the question and refused, McAuliffe went to the press, giving reporter Beau Donnelly a tip about Gibson. He and his colleague Nick Toscana then reported in the Sydney Morning Herald that Gibson had failed to follow through on multiple promised charitable donations. The pair went on to write the 2017 book "The Woman Who Fooled The World," which serves as the basis for "Apple Cider Vinegar."

In "Apple Cider Vinegar," Chanelle also works as Milla's manager, and is one of her childhood friends. In reality, McAuliffe did not work with Jess Ainscough, the real Australian influencer whose story resembles Milla's. Ainscough's manager was Yvette Luciano; Ainscough died of epithelioid sarcoma in 2015.

In real life, Gibson had little more than a tenuous connection to Aincough, too: Donnelly and Toscana report in their book that Luciano was confused to see Gibson make an appearance at Ainscough's funeral. After Ainscough's death, Yvette wrote on social media that Gibson and Ainscough were not friends, and did not have a relationship "beyond an Instagram or two."

"Apple Cider Vinegar" is streaming in full on Netflix.

• Netflix's "Apple Cider Vinegar" was inspired by Belle Gibson, who lied about having brain cancer.
• It features fictional characters that appear to be based on real people in Gibson's life.
• Milla, a character in the show, is reminiscent of real-life wellness influencer Jess Ainscough.

Netflix's "Apple Cider Vinegar" is a "true-ish" (in the streamer's words) story about a woman who built a wellness empire on the lie that she had cancer.

Belle Gibson, whose full name is Annabelle Natalie Gibson, claimed that she had been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer in 2009 and given a weekslong prognosis. In 2014, she launched her own nutrition app, The Whole Pantry. In 2015, reports emerged that she hadn't followed through on donations to charity — and then, she admitted that she had never had cancer.

The television series presents a fictionalized version of Gibson's story (she's played by Kaitlyn Dever). It juxtaposes her narrative against that of another wellness influencer: Milla Blake (Alycia Debnam-Carey), a young woman who forgoes chemotherapy and treats her cancer using alternative methods.

Unlike Gibson, there isn't a real Milla. However, her story on the show is reminiscent of the life of Jess Ainscough, a real Australian wellness influencer who died in 2015.

In 'Apple Cider Vinegar,' Milla has cancer and attempts to treat it naturally

"Apple Cider Vinegar" introduces Camilla "Milla" Blake as a young woman with a vibrant social life and journalism career in Sydney. Her diagnosis — undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma — throws her life into disarray. Milla refuses her doctor's recommendation to amputate, and instead opts for an experimental form of chemotherapy.

Unfortunately, Milla's cancer returns. However, she forgoes the recommendation to amputate again and tries to treat her cancer through natural methods. She also seeks treatment at the fictional Hirsch Institute, which promotes methods including coffee enemas and a specific diet and is reminiscent of real-life Gerson therapy.

Milla begins to blog about her treatment, eventually attracting a following that includes the show's fictionalized version of Belle Gibson. She publishes a book titled "From Hell to Well" and hosts events under her personal brand, Green Stone Healing. With the help of her friend-turned-manager Chanelle, she also nets brand deals and attempts to launch her own juice line.

Milla's cancer worsens over the years, and she turns to black salve, a dangerous, corrosive compound that is banned for sale in the United States by the FDA and is not a cancer cure. Her mother also contracts cancer and dies en route to the Hirsch Institute in Mexico, where she intended to pursue the same treatment as her daughter.

After a video of Milla goes viral and reveals to the public that the cancer has returned to her arm, she returns to her prior doctor. He informs her that the cancer has metastasized and is too far progressed to treat.

"If it was an option, I'd be returning to conventional medicine," Milla writes to her followers following the news. "But it's not. When I was diagnosed with cancer, I believed it was my fault. It wasn't. I believed it was up to me to cure myself. It wasn't. I thought I could become whole through diet, and by listening to my own instincts. But I was wrong."

Milla dies. The fictional Belle Gibson attends her funeral, crying loudly during the service. At the wake, she searches Milla's bedroom and attempts to console Milla's fiancé Arlo until he orders her to leave.

Milla is a fictional character, but her story is reminiscent of the real-life Jess Ainscough

Jess Ainscough was a wellness influencer who died in February 2015 at age 30, seven years after she was diagnosed with epithelioid sarcoma. Ainscough's doctors recommended amputation, but she pursued chemotherapy. She later turned to alternative medicine, including Gerson Therapy, which has not been approved by the United States FDA as a treatment for cancer.

Before her diagnosis, Ainscough worked at the teen magazine Dolly. After she chose not to pursue conventional treatment, Ainscough began posting on her blog, The Wellness Warrior. She published a book titled "Make Peace with Your Plate: Change Your Life One Meal at a Time," and hosted speaking engagements.

Ainscough's mother Sharyn was diagnosed with breast cancer and died in October 2013. The Guardian reported that Sharyn also supported Gerson Therapy.

Beau Donelly and Nick Toscano, the reporters who broke the story in 2015 that Gibson had not followed through on promised charitable donations, reported for the Sydney Morning Herald that Gibson attended Ainscough's funeral in March 2015, and was seen crying loudly during the service. Gibson and Ainscough had met two years prior and interacted on social media, the pair reported, but Ainscough's manager said that the two women were not friends.

Prior to her death, Ainscough was engaged to Tallon Pamenter.

"Apple Cider Vinegar" is streaming on Netflix.

• Belle Gibson was a wellness influencer who said she had brain cancer.
• In 2015, she said she did not have, nor had ever had, cancer.
• Netflix's "Apple Cider Vinegar" tells a fictionalized version of her story. Here's where she is today.

In the early 2010s, Belle Gibson built a wellness empire on a lie.

The influencer established a platform in the early days of Instagram, creating a nutrition app called The Whole Pantry that eventually led to a cookbook of the same name. She amassed more than 200,000 followers on her now-defunct account, as well as accolades including Cosmopolitan's 2014 Fun Fearless Female Award.

The influencer claimed that she'd been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer in 2009 and had extended her weekslong prognosis into years through natural treatments and nutrition. That lie brought in money: In 2015, the Sydney Morning Herald reported that her Whole Pantry recipe app, which cost 3.79 Australian dollars, had been purchased more than 300,000 times.

Now, Gibson's story is the basis of Netflix's "Apple Cider Vinegar," a series starring Kaitlyn Dever that bills itself as a "true-ish story based on a lie." The series presents a fictionalized account of Gibson's life and downfall.

Here's what happened to Gibson in real life.

Gibson's downfall began with reports she'd lied about charitable donations

The Fairfax Media reporters Beau Donelly and Nick Toscano, who wrote the book "The Woman Who Fooled The World: Belle Gibson's Cancer Con," reported in 2015 that Gibson hadn't donated money she solicited online in the name of multiple charitable organizations. Gibson attributed the delay in some donations to "cash flow" problems within the business.

Gibson's cookbook publisher, Penguin Australia, subsequently dropped her book, the Sydney Morning Herald reported in 2015. Apple, which had marketed the Whole Pantry app alongside the launch of its Apple Watch, also removed it from promotions in March 2015, the publication reported.

Gibson walked back her claim that she had terminal brain cancer and was fined

In an April 2015 interview with Australian Women's Weekly, Gibson admitted that she did not have, nor had ever had, cancer.

"None of it's true," she told the publication.

"I don't want forgiveness," she said. "I just think [speaking out] was the responsible thing to do. Above anything, I would like people to say: 'OK, she's human. She's obviously had a big life.'"

Gibson told the publication that she was told by two people, in 2009 and 2014, that she had cancer. The journalist Clair Weaver wrote that Gibson's stories about her diagnosis were "strange, involving men treating her with machines said to be capable of both diagnosing and treating cancer."

Gibson also spoke about her story in a "60 Minutes" Australia interview; the Sydney Morning Herald reported she was paid AU$75,000 for it.

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported in 2017 that an Australian Federal Court judge found Gibson guilty of misleading and deceptive conduct. She was later ordered to pay a fine of AU$410,000 for five violations of Australian consumer law, including failing to donate a week's worth of app sales to the family of a boy with an inoperable brain tumor, the ABC reported.

Gibson appeared in court in May 2019, during which she said she was unable to pay the fine, the ABC reported. She said again during a June 2019 court appearance that she was unable to pay, per the ABC.

In January 2020, Victoria Sheriff's Office officers raided Gibson's home in a "search and sale" effort to recoup the money after she failed to pay the amount, which at the time totaled more than AU$500,000 including penalties and interest, the ABC reported. Authorities raided her home again in May 2021, The Guardian reported.

Gibson said in 2020 that she'd been 'adopted' by the Ethiopian community in Melbourne

Years later, Gibson appeared to have embedded herself in the Ethiopian Oromo community in Melbourne. In an October 2019 video published on social media, which was reported on by The Age and the ABC in January 2020, Gibson reportedly spoke Oromo and introduced herself as Sabontu, saying that she felt "blessed to be adopted" by the community.

Members of the community told the ABC that they hadn't been aware of Gibson's social media past before the raid on her home that month.

Today, Gibson doesn't maintain a public social media presence. The Daily Telegraph Australia reported that Gibson said she was "not interested in a chat" when reached by phone.

An email listed on a LinkedIn profile that matches Gibson's information didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

"Apple Cider Vinegar" is now streaming on Netflix.

• Bianca Censori, Kanye West's partner, went almost fully nude while walking the 2025 Grammys red carpet.
• Censori, 30, has been romantically linked to the controversial rapper, 47, since January 2023.
• She is an architectural designer at Yeezy, per a LinkedIn profile matching her description.

Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, is no stranger to making headlines, but his partner Bianca Censori may have outshone him this time.

On Sunday, the rapper, 47, hit the 2025 Grammy Awards red carpet clad in a black shirt and pants, while Censori, 30, wore a black fur coat that she removed to reveal a virtually transparent mini dress underneath.

Censori has been spotted wearing sheer outfits in public multiple times before.

In March, she pulled up to a drive-thru with Ye in a super sheer black bodysuit. A month later, in April, she went to dinner with him in Los Angeles in a completely see-through tube dress and hot pink stockings. In December, she was also seen strolling around Art Basel Miami in a similarly racy nude bodysuit that left little to the imagination.

In January 2023, TMZ reported that the pair had symbolically wed without a marriage certificate in a private ceremony in Beverly Hills. Earlier in the month, they were spotted sharing a meal at the Waldorf Astoria, and Ye was wearing a new ring on his left-hand ring finger in photos taken by TMZ that day.

This came just two months after West finalized his divorce from Kim Kardashian.

Censori and Ye have yet to publicly confirm their marriage, but the rapper did refer to her as a "stepmom" to his children in a since-deleted birthday tribute post on Instagram in January 2024, per People.

Before news of their relationship broke, Censori hadn't been in the spotlight in the same way as Ye's more high-profile exes, like Kardashian and Julia Fox.

Here's everything you need to know about Censori and her connection to Ye. 

Censori is an architectural designer at Yeezy

According to Censori's LinkedIn account, she began working as an architectural designer at Yeezy in November 2020 and has been working full-time at the company.

Before that, she worked as a student architect and design consultant at DP Toscano Architects, an architectural firm in Collingwood, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia. 

Censori was also part of the architectural team involved in renovating Ye's Tadao Ando-designed beachfront property in Malibu, per The New Yorker. The rapper paid $57 million for the concrete home in 2011, gutted it, and sold it at a loss for $21 million in 2024.

She previously ran a jewelry brand called Nylons

Censori started Nylons, a jewelry company, just after she finished high school, she told i-D in 2016. "I started playing around with mesh, then putting crystals inside the meshing, just making really simple thin chokers," she said.

She began the company while studying at the University of Melbourne, where she pursued both undergraduate and graduate degrees in architecture. The business served as a "creative outlet" while Censori was in architecture school.

She's also a visual artist. 

In 2022, Censori appeared in a group show called "Vital Pleasures" at the Australian gallery It's Nice Inside. She and fellow artist Tanil Raif produced a sculpture of a woman bent over, seemingly covered in vines.

Ye released a song that appears to reference Censori in December 2022

NME reported in December 2022 that Ye dropped an original song that sampled the Alex Jones interview in which he praised Hitler, and also referenced some of his recent controversies and antisemitic remarks. Ye shared the song on Instagram on December 7, 2022, per NME, but the post has since been deleted. 

The caption of the song, which sampled the 1973 Donny Hathaway track "Someday We'll All Be Free," appeared to reference Censori. 

"Censori overload. The variable epitope library from the antigen promotes an immune response in the body," the caption read, a play on the term "sensory overload."

According to Page Six, one of the lyrics of the song reads, "And the Bible said, 'I can't have any more sex 'til marriage."

This story was originally published in 2023 and was updated after Bianca Censori's Grammys appearance.

• In the Oscars' nearly century-long history, only nine women have ever been nominated for their directing.
• Jane Campion, Chloé Zhao, and Kathryn Bigelow are the only women to win the best director award.
• Coralie Fargeat is the latest woman to be nominated, for her film "The Substance."

The Oscars have been around since 1929, but to date, only nine women have been nominated for the award for best director.

Since Lina Wertmüller became the first woman nominated for the award in 1977, there have only been a handful of subsequent nominations, and even more notable snubs. Only three women who were nominated for the award have ever won it.

Coralie Fargeat, who was nominated for "The Substance," is now the ninth woman to be nominated for the award for best director at the Oscars.

Fargeat and "The Substance" have been major players on the festival and awards circuit in the 2024-2025 season. Fargeat won the award for best screenplay at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, and she notched nominations for directing and screenplay at the 2025 Golden Globes. Demi Moore, the film's star, was also nominated for best actress at the Academy Awards after winning the same award at the 2025 Golden Globes.

Here are all the women who have been nominated for best director at the Oscars.

Lina Wertmüller, "Seven Beauties" (1977)

In 1977, Wertmüller became the first woman ever to be nominated in the directing category at the 49th Academy Awards. She was also nominated for best original screenplay. Her film, "Seven Beauties," is an Italian-language movie about an Italian man who deserts the army during World War II, and is captured by Germans and sent to prison camp. 

Wertmüller lost the directing category to John G. Avildsen for "Rocky." Other nominees in the category were Sidney Lumet ("Network"), Ingmar Bergman ("Face to Face") and Alan J. Pakula ("All the President's Men").

Jane Campion, "The Piano" (1994), "The Power of the Dog" (2022)

In 1994, Campion became the second woman to be nominated for directing a film. "The Piano," about a mute piano player and her daughter, stars Holly Hunter, Harvey Keitel, and Anna Paquin, who won best supporting actress at age 11. 

At the 66th Academy Awards ceremony, Campion won for best original screenplay, but lost the directing category to Steven Spielberg, who won for "Schindler's List."

Campion is the only woman who has earned multiple best director nominations at the Academy Awards. In 2021, she was nominated and won the award for "The Power of the Dog," which starred Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons, and Kodi Smit-McPhee.

Sofia Coppola, "Lost in Translation" (2004)

Coppola's critically acclaimed dramedy starring Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson was a favorite in the 2004 awards season, earning her a nomination for best director. The movie, about two lonely Americans who become friends after meeting at a Tokyo hotel, was also nominated for best picture.

Though it didn't win in either of those categories, Coppola won the statue for best original screenplay. Coppola lost the directing category to Peter Jackson for "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King." Other nominees in the category included Fernando Meirelles ("City of God"), Peter Weir ("Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World"), and Clint Eastwood ("Mystic River").

Kathryn Bigelow, "The Hurt Locker" (2010)

Bigelow was the first female director to win an Oscar, and earned the award for her film "The Hurt Locker." The film follows an elite bomb disposal unit during the Iraq War.

Bigelow won over Quentin Tarantino ("Inglorious Basterds"), Lee Daniels ("Precious"), Jason Reitman ("Up in the Air"), and James Cameron ("Avatar").

Greta Gerwig, "Lady Bird" (2018)

Gerwig was nominated for best director for her coming-of-age film "Lady Bird," which starred Saorise Ronan and Laurie Metcalf. Metcalf and Ronan were both nominated in acting categories, Gerwig was also nominated for the award for best original screenplay, and the film was nominated for best picture.

"Lady Bird" did not win any of those awards. The directing award that year went to Guillermo del Toro for "The Shape of Water."

Chloé Zhao, "Nomadland" (2021)

Chloé Zhao became the first woman of color to win the award for best director with her film "Nomadland." The film stars Francis McDormand a woman who pursues a nomadic lifestyle in the United States.

"Nomadland" also won the best picture award that year, and McDormand won the award for best actress. Zhao was also nominated for, but did not win, the Oscars for best adapted screenplay and best film editing.

Emerald Fennell, "Promising Young Woman" (2021)

Emerald Fennell was nominated for her film "Promising Young Woman" in 2021, but lost the directing award to Zhao that year.

"Promising Young Woman" was also up for best picture that year, but also lost to "Nomadland." Fennell, however, won the award for best original screenplay.

Justine Triet, "Anatomy of a Fall" (2023)

Justine Triet was nominated for best director for her film "Anatomy of a Fall," a French film that stars Sandra Hüller (also nominated) as a woman attempting to prove that she's innocent of her husband's possible murder.

Triet did not win the directing award, which went to Christopher Nolan for "Oppenheimer." She and writing partner Arthur Harari did, however, win the award for best original screenplay.

Coralie Fargeat, "The Substance" (2024)

Fargeat is the ninth woman to be nominated for best director at the Academy Awards, and the tenth overall nomination.

Her film, "The Substance," stars Demi Moore as a actor in her 50s who, after being fired from a longtime gig, takes a drug that creates a younger version of herself, played by Margaret Qualley.

For the directing award, Fargeat is competing against Sean Baker ("Anora"), Brady Corbet ("The Brutalist"), James Mangold ("A Complete Unknown"), and Jacques Audiard ("Emilia Pérez").

Carrie Wittmer contributed to a previous version of this article.

• Lots of couples have gotten engaged on "Love Is Blind," but only a few actually marry each season.
• Two season seven couples — Taylor and Garrett, and Ashley and Tyler — got married.
• Ashley said in January 2025 that she and Tyler had split, leaving just 10 couples still together.

Dozens of couples have formed connections on "Love Is Blind," the hit Netflix reality show that debuted in 2020 and has since spawned spinoffs in multiple other countries. But not every pair makes it to the aisle, and even fewer have stayed married.

Only 10 "Love Is Blind" couples have gone the distance — and of those couples, three have even expanded their families in the years since we saw them walk down the aisle and say "I do." 

Here's a refresher on every "Love Is Blind" couple who's still married and where they all are today.

Libby Torres and Esme Mazzeo contributed to previous versions of this article. The article was first published in 2023.

1. Cameron Hamilton and Lauren Speed-Hamilton

Cameron and Lauren met and married on "Love Is Blind" season one and are widely considered one of the franchise's biggest success stories. The couple, who share a dog named Mr. Sparx, celebrated their five-year anniversary in November 2023.

Cameron posted a sweet selfie of him and Lauren to Instagram in January 2024, captioning the post: "Taking over the [world] together." Later that year, the two launched a podcast called "The Love Seat," and in an October episode, they opened up about their attempts to conceive a child.

The couple, who revealed they tried IVF without success, said their fertility struggles had made them "more connected" and stronger as a couple.

"I feel like in marriage, or any type of relationship, when you go through something that's big and heavy or weighs on your heart, it creates a bond," Lauren said.

2. Matt Barnett and Amber Pike

Matt Barnett and Amber Pike also got married on "Love Is Blind" season one. Like Cameron and Lauren, they celebrated their five-year anniversary in November 2023.

In October 2024, the couple revealed that they were expecting their first child together on the inaugural episode of "The Love Seat," the podcast hosted by their season one costars.

Amber also posted about her pregnancy on Instagram. 

"Just to confirm: No, you weren't seeing things. Yes, I am pregnant," she wrote in a post accompanied by a photo of her standing poolside and holding her stomach.

3. Brennon and Alexa Lemieux

Brennon and Alexa Lemieux met on "Love Is Blind" season three and married in 2021.

In January 2024, they revealed that they were expecting their first child. In an interview with People announcing the news, Alexa said the two had been trying to conceive for more than a year, and she'd undergone fertility treatments that didn't work before unexpectedly conceiving naturally.

"I feel like it's just the next chapter for us. It was good timing," Alexa told People. "We're looking for a house right now, and so it's also very different looking at everything now, like where the nursery will be, and the backyard."

The two also appeared at the season six reunion, which was filmed in early 2024. They welcomed their daughter, Vienna Ziva Lemieux, in July.

"She has mommy's hair and daddy's dimples and we couldn't be more in love," Alexa captioned several photos of herself and Brennon posing with the baby.

4. Matt Bolton and Colleen Reed

Like Brennon and Alexa, Matt and Colleen met on "Love Is Blind" season three and got married in 2021. 

Colleen and Matt are quieter than many "Love Is Blind" cast members on social media, but they sparked conversation online because of their unconventional living arrangement. 

They were married for about two years and lived separately before announcing they finally moved in together in June 2023.

The couple appeared together at the season six reunion in March 2024 and celebrated their three-year anniversary in July 2024. Colleen last posted a video of her and Matt in September, leading fans to speculate that the two are no longer together, but they haven't commented on their relationship status publicly.

5. Brett Brown and Tiffany Pennywell Brown

Brett Brown and Tiffany Pennywell Brown met during "Love Is Blind" season four, which aired in 2023. They were married in May 2022.

Appearing on the "Love Is Blind" season six reunion episode in March 2024, Tiffany and Brett confirmed they're still happily married. At the time, Tiffany said the two were househunting in Portland and had an upcoming trip to Japan planned. They closed on their new home in September 2024.

6. Kwame Appiah and Chelsea Griffin Appiah

Kwame Appiah and Chelsea Griffin Appiah met in the pods on season four and also got married in May 2022, though Kwame's mother didn't initially approve of the relationship. Despite some friction, they've managed to go the distance.

Chelsea and Kwame celebrated a year of marriage in May 2023 by adding to their engagement and wedding jewelry, and Chelsea shared in July 2023 that the couple had honeymooned in Santorini, Greece. 

Chelsea announced in August 2023 that she was working for Netflix and helping cast people on "Love Is Blind." She and Kwame also appeared at the season six reunion in March 2024, confirming they're still happily married.

7. Zack Goytowski and Bliss Poureetezadi-Goytowski

Zack Goytowski and Bliss Poureetezadi-Goytowski met on "Love Is Blind" season four, but they didn't get engaged sight unseen like most couples on the show. 

Zack chose Irina Solomonova in the pods, got engaged to her, and went on the couples' trip to Mexico with her before they decided they weren't a good match and swiftly broke up. 

After connecting in the pods, Bliss and Zack met in person when Zack returned from Mexico and had instant undeniable chemistry. Zack proposed to Bliss while the season was being filmed and she said yes. "Love Is Blind" followed the rest of their journey up to their wedding day in May 2022. 

Like all of the other season four couples, they had to keep their marriage a secret until April 2023, when the wedding episodes aired. They celebrated a year of marriage in May 2023 and announced in November that they were expecting their first child together — the first pregnancy announcement from a couple who married on the show.

Their daughter, Galileo Terri Rayne, was born on April 26, 2024, their rep confirmed to People. Most recently, the two appeared on the season seven reunion in October (and even brought baby Galileo along backstage).

8. Milton Johnson and Lydia Velez Gonzalez

Lydia and Milton met on "Love Is Blind" season five and bonded over their shared love of science. Their age gap worried Lydia at first, but they got married at the altar in June 2022. They later had a second wedding in Lydia's native Puerto Rico.

In October 2023, Lydia told Entertainment Weekly that she and Milton were in a long-distance marriage because Milton relocated from Houston to Long Beach, California, for work. They're still very much together, though, frequently posting cute couple pics on their respective Instagram accounts.

Milton even surprised Lydia with a special date night in Dubai while they were vacationing there in February 2024.

9. Johnny McIntyre and Amy Cortés

Amy and Johnny had the most unproblematic romance on "Love Is Blind" season six. In the finale, they became the only couple from their season to both say "I do" at the altar.

Johnny and Amy confirmed that they were still together at the season six reunion, which aired in March 2024. The reunion even featured a cute montage of their first year of marriage, including goofy moments at home and their trip to Paris.

10. Taylor Krause and Garrett Josemans

Taylor and Garrett had the most drama-free romance on "Love Is Blind" season seven, despite one disagreement over Garrett acknowledging a text from his ex. They were one of two couples to eventually make it to the altar. They confirmed at the season seven reunion, which aired in October 2024, that they were still married.

During the reunion, Taylor and Garrett laughed at speculation that his glow-up — mostly longer, more styled hair — was due to Taylor's influence, though she said that he had driven the transformation. They also revealed that they had decided to move to Washington, DC rather than San Diego, as they had discussed on the show.

Three other couples on the show got married but later split.

Split: Ashley Adionser and Tyler Francis

Ashley and Tyler were the second couple to make it to the altar on season seven. Before they married, they had one obstacle to overcome: Tyler told Ashley that he had donated his sperm to a friend and her wife and fathered three children, something that he hadn't disclosed to her in the pods. 

When the show started airing, however, speculation and claims about Tyler's relationship with the three children circulated online. Despite breakup speculation, Ashley supported Tyler at the season seven reunion in October 2024, where the two reaffirmed their commitment to one another, and she publicly defended him in post-show interviews.

However, on January 21, 2025, Ashley announced that she and Tyler had separated several weeks earlier and decided to divorce.

"While I had hoped for mutual understanding and transparency in our relationship, it has become clear that our paths are no longer aligned, making it impossible for me to continue in this marriage," Ashley said in a statement to People, also asking for privacy as she focuses on "healing and building a new future."

In a statement to Business Insider via Instagram DM, Tyler called the decision to split "an incredibly difficult and emotional process" for both of them and added that he takes "full accountability" for his role in their relationship difficulties.

"I respect Ashley's decision to move forward in a way that prioritizes her peace and happiness," he said. "Ashley is an incredible woman, and I have nothing but admiration and gratitude for the love and support she has given me. I ask for kindness and understanding as we both move forward separately, focusing on healing and growth."

Split: Iyanna McNeely and Jarrette Jones

Jarrette and Iyanna's path to the altar on season two of "Love Is Blind" was relatively smooth. Though they encountered road bumps due to their differing lifestyles (Jarrette likes to go out, while Iyanna is more of a homebody), the two married and were still married when that season's "After the Altar" was filmed.

The two announced their separation with a now-deleted joint statement on Instagram on August 17, 2022, about a year after their marriage, and finalized their divorce in November of that year. The post-show special, which aired in September, revealed the cracks that had been forming in their marriage prior to the split, including that Iyanna had moved out of their home because of Jarrette's partying.

Despite initially being amicable in their separate announcement, Iyanna later said on a podcast that Jarrette had cheated on her during their marriage, which Jarrette denied.

Iyanna hard-launched her new relationship in a 2023 wrap-up post on Instagram, and the two appear to still be going strong. Jarrette hasn't posted about his relationship status.

Split: Danielle Ruhl and Nick Thompson

Danielle and Nick were another season two couple who didn't make it. The two only had eyes for each other and seemed like a perfect match — which is why fans were shocked when People reported in late August 2022 that Danielle had filed for divorce from Nick earlier that month.

Initially, the split was contentious but they later reconciled and became friendly, with Danielle even appearing on Nick's podcast in May 2023.

Danielle hard-launched her new relationship on Instagram in July 2024. Nick hasn't shared whether he's dating anyone new, mainly using his social media presence to advocate for mental health.

"Love Is Blind" season eight premieres February 14 on Netflix.

• Ashley and Tyler from "Love Is Blind" faced a ton of off-screen drama.
• Tyler was at the center of controversy over his admission he fathered three children.
• The couple confirmed they are getting a divorce.

"Love Is Blind" season seven may be over, but the drama won't stop coming.

One of the biggest storylines from the season, which followed singles in Washington, DC, focused on the relationship between 34-year-old account manager Tyler and 31-year-old marketing director Ashley. They were one of only two couples (out of the six engaged pairs producers initially followed) to ultimately make it to the altar and get married in the finale.

Early in the season, Ashley and Tyler's relationship was relatively drama-free. That was complicated later on by Tyler's revelation in episode nine that he had been a sperm donor for a female friend and her wife — something that hadn't come up pre-engagement in the pods.

But this is "Love Is Blind," and much of the drama happens outside of the millions of eyes (and in turn, subscribers) that Netflix brings to each new season.

News that Tyler had fathered children broke on social media before it was ever addressed on the show, and claims that Tyler was more than a distant sperm donor to his children circulated as well. Ultimately, Tyler's sperm-donor controversy kept the show — and Netflix — in the news.

Now, three months after season seven was released on Netflix, Ashley confirmed that she and Tyler have split. Here's a recap of how their relationship played out on the show, the controversy that unfolded on social media, and the decision to end their marriage.

Ashley and Tyler bonded in the pods and made it all the way to the altar, despite a brief hiccup over his kids

In episode one, Ashley is enamored by Tyler's nerves on their first date. They also bond over their shared love of cooking and food, their religious faith, and the fact that they both used to ride horses.

In the same episode, Tyler opens up to Ashley about how hard his mother worked to raise him and his siblings after his grandmother died and his grandfather cut his mother off. As a result, he says, he wants to have a "big family" — someone with whom he could share his love.

The couple celebrates Tyler's birthday on a date in episode three. Tyler proposes to Ashley, and she accepts. Later in that episode, they meet in person for the first time — and luckily, producers choose them to take the post-engagement trip to Mexico with five of the other couples.

Unlike some of the other couples, Ashley and Tyler don't have any significant on-camera tension while on vacation. All in all, the first batch of episodes, which premiered on October 2, leaves their relationship in a good place.

In episode eight, things continue moving along as Tyler gets Ashley's father's blessing. But their story takes a major turn in episodes nine and 10: Cameras capture Ashley and Tyler debriefing about an off-screen conversation in which he revealed that he already fathered three children.

Tyler tells Ashley that he served as a sperm donor for a female friend and her wife, who wanted to have a child. He also told her that the children didn't know what he looked like, and said that he wouldn't be upset if Ashley decided she didn't want to get married because he'd initially kept this information from her.

"I'm not upset by you trying to help a couple have kids. I think that's admirable in certain ways, but the issue comes in with me feeling like I was not getting the full picture of you," Ashley says in episode nine. "And once you're not given the full picture of something, it's hard to not question everything."

But the couple patches things up, and Ashley tells Tyler in episode 11 that she still wants to marry him — though she warns him that any similar revelations going forward may put that in jeopardy. Later in that episode, they make good on one of Ashley's pre-marriage wishes: going skydiving with her fiancé.

In the season seven finale, Ashley and Tyler go on their respective bachelorette and bachelor parties, and then get married. They end the ceremony by jumping the broom — a wedding tradition with roots in American slavery, when Black slaves weren't able to legally wed and jumped a broom instead. Today, some Black Americans have reclaimed the tradition, incorporating it into their weddings as Ashley and Tyler did.

Ashley and Tyler were still married at the reunion — and said that their on-screen conversations didn't tell the full story

At the season seven reunion, which aired on October 30, Tyler and Ashley confirmed that they were still married. Tyler said that the almost-year that they had been married had brought "growth." Before the show premiered, they lived in a "bubble" — but after, they were subject to online commentary about their relationship.

In early October, soon after the first batch of episodes premiered on Netflix, allegations circulated online that Tyler had fathered three children, but lied to women that he'd dated about it. Photos appearing to show Tyler posing with the children, including one showing him wearing a shirt that says "Dope dad raising dope kids" while holding two of them, circulated online.

Of course, Ashley and Tyler addressed his children — and the fact that he didn't mention them in the pods — on the show. But what he told Ashley appears to contradict what people are saying online: namely, that the children don't know what he looks like.

Bri Thomas, a woman who identified herself online as the mother of Tyler's children, said that Tyler, who she said was her best friend at the time, had served as a sperm donor for her and her wife. However, after she and her wife separated, Bri said that Tyler became a co-parent to that child, and they later conceived twins naturally together.

According to Bri, the twins even have Tyler's last name. Bri said that she and Tyler didn't date, and she supported his decision to go on the show. However, she said that Tyler hadn't seen the children since September 30, 2023, the day before he left for filming.

Tyler and Ashley didn't explicitly address the controversy while the show was still airing. But after someone accused Tyler on Instagram of "trying to delete your past," he told them to "just be patient" and that he would "explain it all very soon."And on Tuesday, the day before the reunion aired on Netflix, he reposted a morning prayer from the Instagram account @kingofsolomon on his story.

"Help me to turn my trials into my testimonies," one bolded phrase in the prayer reads.

At the reunion, the couple finally spoke about how the controversy had played out both on- and off-screen.

"Those kids, that family, they did not sign up for this," Tyler said of the online controversy.

Tyler said that he had helped his friend and her wife have a child. After his friend's wife "left her high and dry," he decided to help his friend out with the children. According to Tyler, that's why he had been photographed spending time with the kids.

He did not explicitly name Bri as the friend. Bri did not immediately respond to an Instagram DM request for comment sent outside standard business hours.

"Ashley knows all this. This is news to the world. This has never been news to us," he said. "I'm giving this explanation now, because I feel like the world is waiting for it. But I don't owe anyone an explanation but my wife."

Ashley said that what viewers had seen wasn't the full picture and that she and Tyler had an off-camera conversation before they filmed their discussion about the issue. She said that while Tyler didn't want to speak about it on camera, she felt that they needed to address it so that she would be able to continue participating in the show.

However, Ashley said that there was some information that Tyler wasn't comfortable sharing on camera. In turn, she said that Tyler had lied to the cameras that the children didn't know what he looked like.

"Of course he divulged that information to me," Ashley said.

The couple said that they weren't letting online chatter affect their relationship.

"When I said 'I do,' I said 'I do' to all of it. I was aware and I took on what I wanted to," Ashley said. "And this is a once-in-a-lifetime kind of love. This is a rarity, and it's something that is worth risking anything for."

In a November podcast appearance, Ashley again defended Tyler and their marriage

Though Tyler hasn't given any interviews, Ashley has been making the rounds on the press tour and directly shutting down criticism. She most recently appeared on "The Viall Files" podcast in an episode released Wednesday, where she discussed the controversy in detail and further clarified what she knew about the situation when she decided to marry Tyler.

Ashley explained that Tyler had told her about the kids for the first time after a night out with fellow cast mate Nick Dorka. In that conversation, which wasn't filmed, Ashley was angry at him for withholding the information from her, feeling that he robbed her of the ability to make a fully informed choice. According to Ashley, the two spoke for hours, from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. the next morning.

The first filmed conversation after that revelation, shown in episode nine, happened the following day. At that point, Ashley said, she had packed her things and left the apartment, and Tyler believed she was leaving him and informed producers. Despite Tyler wanting to keep everything private to protect the kids and family, Ashley told him they needed to speak about it on camera because people would be able to tell her energy had changed.

After their first on-camera conversation about it, Ashley said they had an additional conversation later that night where Tyler went into more detail about the nature of his relationship with the kids. During that conversation, he showed her photos of him with the kids and explained how the situation had blurred the lines of a traditional sperm-donor arrangement.

Ashley said Tyler told her that all three of the kids were conceived via sperm donation with the intent that they'd be raised by Bri and her then-wife and that Tyler only stepped in when Bri's wife left her (which Ashley said happened while Bri was pregnant with the twins). Tyler told her that he'd previously been involved in the kids' lives in an uncle capacity, and that they were aware he was their biological father, but that he took on a bigger role in order to avoid Bri being a single mother.

Ashley maintained that Tyler was never in the kids' lives on a regular basis and that they'd never been to his apartment. She was aware of the photos of Tyler with the kids that circulated on social media while the season was airing (including the one where he was wearing a shirt that said "Dope dad raising dope kids") and claimed that Bri's mother, Lovetta Thomas, was the one who bought those clothes for Tyler and encouraged the kids to view him as their father.

Tyler told Ashley that before going on "Love Is Blind," he realized he needed to begin pulling back from the kids because the situation was getting confusing and he didn't feel connected to them because they were never meant to be his children. Bri was unhappy with that decision, according to Ashley, but Tyler cut ties with her and the kids before leaving for filming. She also said that the idea of Tyler and Bri having slept together was a "false narrative." She called it a mistake on Tyler's part to have blurred the lines so heavily.

Ashley also said that Bri had reached out to her on Instagram to apologize and say that she was praying for them and never intentionally meant to cause Ashley pain. According to Ashley, this outreach happened after Bri initially shared, and then deleted, a post insinuating Tyler abandoned the kids. However, Bri posted again about the situation on October 19, and those videos are still up; it's not clear whether Ashley's "Viall Files" conversation was recorded before or after Bri's new claims about Tyler and their relationship were made public, though host Nick Viall states in the episode that the conversation was recorded prior to the finale airing (October 23).

The major difference in Ashley's version of events and Bri's version is that Tyler told Ashley the twins were conceived via sperm donation. Bri, meanwhile, has said they were unplanned and conceived naturally and even had Tyler's last name.

Ashley said on "The Viall Files" that she had never seen the twins' birth certificate.

Ashley confirmed in January 2025 that she and Tyler had split

Ashley told People that she and Tyler had decided to end their marriage after they'd been separated for "several weeks."

"While I had hoped for mutual understanding and transparency in our relationship, it has become clear that our paths are no longer aligned, making it impossible for me to continue in this marriage," she told People.

"This was not a decision I made lightly, but one I know is necessary for my own growth and peace," she continued. "While this chapter is ending, I will always hold respect for the time and love we shared. I kindly ask for privacy during this deeply personal time as I focus on healing and building a new future. Thank you for your understanding and support."

In a statement to BI, Tyler confirmed the split, describing it as "an incredibly difficult and emotional process" that they approached with care and respect.

"While our journey together began with so much hope and love, we came to realize that there were challenges we couldn't overcome. I take full accountability for my role in the difficulties we faced, and I respect Ashley's decision to move forward in a way that prioritizes her peace and happiness," Tyler said.

"Ashley is an incredible woman, and I have nothing but admiration and gratitude for the love and support she has given me," he continued. "I ask for kindness and understanding as we both move forward separately, focusing on healing and growth. Thank you to everyone who has been a part of our journey."

"Love Is Blind" season seven, including the reunion, is now streaming on Netflix.

• Season eight of Netflix's "Love Is Blind" premieres on February 14, 2025.
• The new season features singles from Minneapolis, Minnesota.
• Trailers for the new season have teased a couple that may have known each other before getting engaged.

Season seven of the Netflix dating show "Love Is Blind" featured singles from the Washington DC area who were trying to find love. But season eight will focus more on the heart — well, the heartland.

The franchise is moving to Minneapolis for its next season. The last time the show was in the Midwest was season two, which cast participants from the Chicago area.

Season eight is special for another reason — it will premiere on the fifth anniversary of the "Love Is Blind" franchise in February 2025. The franchise has been one of Netflix's most successful reality ventures and, per the company's own engagement data, has drawn in millions of viewers in 2023 and 2024. It's spawned nine international editions in countries including Japan, Brazil, and the UK. Season eight also won't be the franchise's last: Netflix has renewed it through season 10.

Here's everything we know about "Love Is Blind" season eight.

The 'Love Is Blind' season 8 premiere date and location have already been announced

"Love Is Blind" season eight will premiere on February 14, 2025, featuring singles from Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The season 8 trailer features some shocking revelations

Netflix released a trailer for season eight on January 28 that teases some of the drama from the season — most importantly that two of the participants may have known each other before entering the pods. One woman says that she found her fiancé familiar when they met face-to-face, and believed he knew "exactly what I looked like the entire time we were talking through the wall."

The trailer also hints at a love triangle, as well as allegations that one woman had a boyfriend before going on the show.

A previous teaser trailer for season eight included moments from earlier seasons of the show to commemorate its five-year anniversary. It also teased the same couple that knew each other before getting engaged.

"When the doors opened, that was not the first time that he saw me," one of the season eight participants says in a voiceover.

Viewers already got a preview of the 'Love Is Blind' season 8 cast

For the first time ever, Netflix revealed some of the season eight cast members at the season seven reunion. Their names are Alex, Brittany, and Joey.

Alex said that he hadn't prioritized dating in his life and Minneapolis is a "small community."

"You kind of see the same people over and over, and it's a small bar scene," Alex said. "I just never found the right person that clicked for me, but I'm excited to be here."

A little over two weeks before the season eight premiere, Netflix released the full season eight cast list.

• "Back in Action" is Cameron Diaz's first film role in over a decade.
• Unfortunately, it's a poor comeback vehicle with rough dialogue and a thin plot.
• The film works fine as a casual watch, but not much else.

"Back in Action" is Cameron Diaz's first film role in over a decade. She should have made a better choice for a comeback.

The film, directed by Seth Gordon, is capital-F "Fine" at best and mediocre background watching at worst. Given that this is the movie Jamie Foxx miraculously recovered from a stroke to complete, one would hope the end product inspired stronger enthusiasm.

The aptly titled film stars Diaz and Foxx as Emily and Matt, suburban parents who were elite spies before having their first child and pivoting to coaching soccer and selling puzzles on Etsy. "Back in Action" kicks off 15 years in the past during their last mission together to steal an Industrial Control Systems key (don't worry about it) from a Eastern European crime lord. They succeed, but terrorists attack them on the plane back to safety. Presumed dead, Matt and Emily use the plane crash to disappear and raise the child that Emily has just learned she's carrying.

This opening sequence does little to establish Matt and Emily's relationship, or even their individual characters, past a few entertaining punches, quippy one-liners, and saccharine expressions of sincerity. "My favorite person is about to create my new favorite person," Matt tells Emily, despite having to clarify moments before that they were exclusive.

Their extremely normal life only gets blown up because Matt and Emily are caught on tape beating up a few guys ("BOOMERS WRECK DANCE PARTY") while picking their underage daughter Alice (McKenna Roberts) up from the club. With Alice and their son Leo (Rylan Jackson) in tow, they go on a quest to pick up the ICS key from Emily's mother Ginny (Glenn Close — why not?) and unite their family through espionage. Andrew Scott and Kyle Chandler are also in this film, for some reason, and are mostly wasted in their roles.

Aside from one tepid but somewhat surprising twist, "Back in Action" is a mélange of spy tropes, embarrassingly bad and self-explanatory dialogue, and trite familial conflicts. The film's emotional appeal hinges on Emily's relationships with Alice, who rebels against her for standard Teenage Girl Reasons, and her mother Ginny, whom she hates for being absent in her childhood. Simple friction leads to simple payoffs.

The film's fight sequences slightly redeem it, mostly because it's fun to watch Diaz and Foxx beat up some classic goons in tandem. However, the movie insists on soundtracking those fights to classic hits like Nat King Cole's "L.O.V.E." and Etta James' "At Last," seemingly in a bid to create a romantic, nostalgic atmosphere for its leads. To be fair, they have more chemistry in those moments than literally anywhere else in the film.

In the end, "Back in Action" is an unfortunate comeback choice for Diaz, and its script gives her and Foxx little to stand on through the film's nearly two-hour runtime. For audiences, it's a passable enough choice for a Friday night flick or folding laundry, but not much else.

"Back in Action" is streaming now on Netflix.

• "Severance" is finally back, three years after it first aired on Apple TV+.
• The series follows Lumon Industries' "severed" employees, who split their selves between work and home.
• Here's everything you need to remember before watching season two.

"Severance" season one was a workplace satire like no other — and after a three year wait, the ambitious Apple TV+ series is finally back.

The show follows a group of employees who work at the mysterious Lumon Industries. Unlike others at the company, they've undergone the "severance" procedure, which splits them into two distinct selves: one that lives in the outside world, and one that exists only at work.

The show's first season raised more questions than it answered, and three years is a long time to remember all of the series' various plot threads, intricacies, and goat-related mysteries. Here's a recap of everything that happened in season one — and what you need to remember before diving into "Severance" season two.

Mark S. is a "severed" employee at Lumon — and his new coworker Helly R. wants to leave.

Lumon Industries pioneered a workplace procedure called severance, which bifurcates a person's consciousness into two distinct entities by inserting a chip into their brain. Their "outie" exists in the outside world, while their "innie" exists at work. The split means that outies have no knowledge of their jobs — and innies have no knowledge of their outie's life outside the Lumon office. Sometimes, the severance technology is applied in other contexts: Mark's sister Devon encounters a mother who underwent severance so she wouldn't have to experience childbirth.

After his wife's death, Mark Scout (Adam Scott) accepts a job at Lumon as a Macrodata Refiner on the severed floor. He leads a team of three other employees: Dylan G. (Zach Cherry), Irving B. (John Turturro), and newcomer Helly R. (Britt Lower), who replaced their longtime colleague Petey (Yul Vazquez).

When Helly R. awakes on a conference table, she's hostile and wants to leave. Mark lets her go — but every time Helly attempts to exit the severed floor, the person she is on the outside forces her to reenter.

Helly Mark, Irving, and Dylan stare at lines of code all day, dragging numbers into buckets based on the emotional response they provoke. Employees work through files with names like "Tumwater" — but unfortunately, none of them have a clue what kind of work they're doing. It's rare for employees to finish files because they quickly expire, Dylan says — which makes finishing a file a big deal.

Helly persistently tries to leave her job at Lumon.

Helly attempts to formally resign from her job at Lumon, but her outie immediately denies the request. In turn, Helly attempts to send messages to her outie telling her that she wants to quit, to no avail. After one attempt to communicate with her outie, Helly is taken to the Break Room, where she's forced to repeat an apologetic monologue until supervisor Mr. Milchick (Tramell Tillman) determines that she means it.

Helly resorts to more extreme measures, threatening to cut off her fingers if she's not allowed to send a video message to her outie. In response, Helly's outie sends a video message denying her request and tells Helly that she's not a person.

As a last resort, Helly attempts to hang herself in the elevator. She survives, but her outie forces her to return. Ms. Casey (Dichen Lachman), the wellness counselor, is asked to observe her. When Mark and Helly escape Ms. Casey's supervision, she gets sent to the Break Room for punishment.

Lumon has a religious devotion to its founder, Kier Eagan.

The Lumon CEOs have all come from the Eagan line, and the office features numerous displays of reverence for the founder, Kier Eagan. Among those is the perpetuity wing, which features figures of members of the Eagan line and dedicates an entire section to Kier himself.

Lumon espouses many of Kier's philosophies, including his four tempers — woe, frolic, dread, and malice — that he believed determine a person's character.

Devotion to Kier isn't just the company line for some. Mark's boss, Harmony Cobel (Patricia Arquette), genuinely worships the founder and has a shrine to him in her home.

In the outside world, Mark lives a lonely life.

While innie Mark is cheerful, outie Mark bears the weight of his wife's death. His sister Devon (Jen Tullock) is skeptical of his job, especially after he returns from work with an injury and a gift card to Pip's, a local bar and grill, as recompense.

When Mark goes to Pip's, he runs into Petey, a man whom this version of himself has never met. However, Petey is unsevered now, and he thinks Lumon is out to get him. Petey hands Mark a red envelope and says that even if he dies, the information he collected needs to be preserved.

There's another surprise in the outside world: Mark's neighbor, Mrs. Selvig, is actually Harmony Cobel, his innie's boss.

Petey is involved with a group trying to end severance, and it's a big problem for Lumon.

When Mark visits Petey on the outside, he finds Petey ill from something he's calling "reintegration sickness," caused by the fusion of his two personalities. Mark takes him in, but Petey doesn't have many answers about their job at Lumon.

Before his dismissal, Petey's innie made a map of the severed floor, which Mark discovers and eventually shreds. On the outside, Petey was working with a group trying to end severance. His point of contact was a doctor named Raghabi, who reintegrated him. Eventually, Petey collapses and dies, presumably from the reintegration sickness.

In the aftermath, Harmony attends Petey's funeral, where she steals his severance chip directly from his skull. Lumon security officer Graner (Michael Cumpsty) tests the chip and confirms that Petey's memory was reintegrated.

Mark eventually makes contact with Raghabi, and she tells him that she was the one who did his severance procedure. When Graner turns up, however, Raghabi beats him to death with a baseball bat. She gives Mark Graner's security card and says that his innie will know what to do with it.

Irving strikes up a friendship with Burt from O&D, despite tension between their departments.

After falling asleep at his desk — and witnessing a horrifying vision of goopy black paint invading his workspace as a result — Irving gets sent to meet with Ms. Casey, who reads him a list of pleasing, supposed facts about his outie.

There, he runs into Burt (Christopher Walken), the Optics & Design department chief. Macrodata Refinement and O&D don't typically get along due to a rumor that O&D once tried to execute a coup.

Irving pursues a friendship with Burt, but later learns that O&D is a much larger department than Burt told him. Irving and Dylan corner Burt in a conference room, and he tells them that O&D doesn't trust MDR either. After speaking, they tentatively reconcile.

Irvin and Burt's relationship continues to deepen, and they nearly kiss. Unfortunately, Burt retires — effectively meaning that his innie ceases to exist, and Irving will likely never see him again.

MDR stages a revolution, with shocking consequences.

After Dylan takes a card from O&D, Milchick awakens his innie on the outside to confirm where he left the card. While awakened on the outside, Dylan sees his outie's son.

The incident inspires MDR to attempt to awaken themselves on the outside, using Graner's security card that Mark found in his pocket. After hitting their target for the quarter, Dylan earns a waffle party, meaning that he'll be at the office after hours.

Before they leave the office that day, Mark and Helly kiss. After sitting through his reward, which features a performance from lingerie-clad dancers wearing the masks of Kier's four tempers, Dylan initiates the "overtime contingency" (OTC), awakening his colleagues on the outside.

Irving awakens alone in his apartment, and attempts to locate Burt on the outside. When he does, however, he discovers that Burt has a husband.

Mark wakes up at his brother-in-law Ricken's book launch party, where he recognizes Harmony Cobel. Despite having been suspended by the Lumon board, Cobel runs back to the office when she realizes that Mark's innie is on the outside. At the party, however, Mark sees a photo of his wife Gemma and realizes she's still alive as Ms. Casey, the severed floor wellness counselor.

Unfortunately, Ms. Casey was forced to retire after a final wellness session with Mark. The circumstances of her severance were also different from his: during that session, she told him that she was mostly awakened in 30-minute increments and had only been "alive" for 107 total hours. After the session, and at Cobel's request, Milchick sent her down a dark hallway to the testing floor.

Helly's identity reveal is the biggest shock: she's Helena Eagan, heir to Lumon. She awakens at a company event where she's supposed to speak firsthand about the benefits of severance. While there, she meets her father, Jame Eagan, who tells her that the world will adopt severance chips and become "Kier's children."

Cobel tries to stop Helly from speaking at the event but is unsuccessful. When it's time to give her speech, Helly goes rogue and exposes herself as Helena's innie, telling the crowd gathered there that she and the other innies are "prisoners" of the company.

There are also some goats and a few other loose ends.

While wandering around the halls of the severed floor, Mark and Helly encounter a room full of goat kids. A man bottle-feeding one tells them that "they're not ready" and that "it isn't time." He rushes them out.

Irving's outie is also an artist, but when we meet him on the outside, it turns out that he keeps painting the same black hallway, using paint that resembles the goop his innie sometimes hallucinates. This hallway resembles the one that Ms. Casey walks down on her way to the testing floor.

Mark's brother-in-law, Ricken, also accidentally wrote a religious text for the innies. After Ricken dropped it off on outie Mark's front porch, Cobel stole it and brought it to the Lumon office. There, innie Mark and Dylan both begin to read from the book, and internalize some of its worker-specific messages.

"Severance" season two premieres on Apple TV+ on January 17.

• "Severance" season two measures up to its ambitious, impressive first season.
• The Apple TV+ series premiered in 2022, but the three-year gap between seasons was worth it.
• The show continues to pursue deeper mysteries while probing what it means to be human.

When "Severance" premiered in 2022, it felt like a revelation. Darkly funny, sharply stylish, and frequently inscrutable, Dan Erickson's workplace satire was unlike anything else on television.

The Apple TV+ series' second season, in the six episodes I've seen, is just as befuddling, compelling, and immersive as its predecessor. Despite the three-year gap between seasons one and two, "Severance" doesn't miss a beat, nor does it stumble as it prods at the mysteries behind Lumon Industries. It also dives deeper into the ethical and ontological questions behind Lumon's severance procedure: When the body is split between two minds, to whom does it belong?

In season one, "innie" Mark S. (Adam Scott) and his colleagues Dylan (Zach Cherry), Helly (Britt Lower), and Irving (John Turturro) temporarily busted out of their corporate prison into the real world, invading their "outie" counterparts to spread the word about what their lives were actually like at Lumon. In the process, Mark learned that his wife, Gemma, was still alive, sucked into the Lumon machine. And Helly, after fighting tooth and nail to escape her corporate prison, learned that she was one of its stewards on the outside: Helena Eagan, the daughter of Lumon's CEO.

Despite those bombshells, season two follows a similar, if more immediately unnerving, rhythm. Lumon is keen to get Mark back to work, even if it means motivating him by bringing back his fellow seditious macrodata refiners and praising their actions as a righteous uprising. The innies haven't forgotten what they saw on the outside, but despite a new quest to find Mark's wife and a marginally clearer understanding of the outside world, they're just as lost as they were before.

Without divulging any spoilers — trust me, you should be tuning in each week — I can say "Severance" is in no rush to give Mark, or any of us, answers. This is a show that rewards rewatching and keen eyes, though neither is necessary to have a good time. What makes the show still feel exceptional is that it doesn't get too bogged down in its lore.

At its core, "Severance" is a series about what it means to be, and it doesn't forget that. While the innies claw at any hint of agency, their outies grapple with the notion that their severed consciousness has desires of its own. In season one, before Mark realizes that Ms. Casey is actually his outie's wife, he tells her that they're "people, not parts of people." In season two, all parties involved put that notion to the test.

As with season one, "Severance" season two is astoundingly well designed, scored, and shot from the jump, opening with a delightfully frenetic sequence of innie Mark rushing through the empty white halls of the severed floor. While the stakes are more apparent now, the show doesn't lose its absurdist sense of humor or play, tossing in new characters like the puzzling Miss Huang (Sarah Bock), a child working alongside Mr. Milchick (Tramell Tillman). Scott's impressive performance as two facets of the same man continues to anchor the ensemble, but everyone — Lower, Turturro, Cherry, and Tillman in particular — is at the top of their game.

Ultimately, season two iterates on what made its first season so spectacular while continuing to complicate the thorny world it's created. Like its characters, it's multifaceted: You can read "Severance" as a doggedly literal commentary on the hell of capitalism, as a theory-crafting show in the tradition of "Lost," or as an ambitious character drama trying to get to the core of what it means to be human. Regardless of how you experience it, one thing is true: "Severance" is still one of the best shows on television.

"Severance" season two premieres on January 17 on Apple TV+, with new episodes dropping weekly on Fridays.

• Myka Stauffer was a family YouTuber who chronicled her adoption of a child with medical needs from China.
• She and her husband faced backlash in 2020 when they said they were placing their son with a new family.
• Now, Myka is the subject of a new docuseries. Here's where she is today.

In May 2020, parenting YouTubers Myka and James Stauffer posted a video that would change their life.

In the since-deleted video titled "an update on our family," the Stauffers said that their son Huxley, whom they had adopted from China in 2017, had "a lot more special needs" than they had initially been aware of. After pursuing treatment and consulting medical professionals, the Stauffers said that they had made the decision to place Huxley with a "new forever family" who would be better able to care for him. Before deleting their channel, it had over 700,000 subscribers.

The Stauffers faced backlash online for their decision, as well as criticism that they had profited from content about Huxley's adoption before placing him with a new family. Fabletics, Kate Hudson's athletic wear brand, as well as other brands including Chili's and Big Lots cut ties with Myka.

Now, the Stauffers — and the family vlogging ecosystem at large — are the subject of the documentary series "An Update on Our Family." The series, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2024, will air on HBO and Max starting January 15. It examines Huxley and the Stauffer family's story and the family vlogging ecosystem in which they existed.

Here's what we know about where Myka Stauffer is today.

Myka Stauffer left social media and hasn't posted since 2020

On June 24, 2020, Myka posted a statement to her Instagram account addressing the controversy around Huxley. In it, she said that she was "naive, foolish, and arrogant," and wished that she had been more prepared when she and her husband adopted him.

"I wanted to help so bad I was willing to bring home any child that needed me," she wrote.

Myka also said in the statement that she and James did not "adopt a child to gain wealth," writing that revenue from their videos featuring Huxley was put back into his care.

"We love Huxley and know that this was the right decision for him and his future," she said. "Praying that Huxley only has the best future in the entire world."

Since then, Myka has not publicly posted on her main Instagram account. Her personal YouTube channel and the family's channel, The Stauffer Life, have been deleted.

While Myka no longer posts online, James maintains his car detailing channel Stauffer Garage.

Myka and James' lawyers, Thomas Taneff and Taylor Sayers, told People in 2020 that the Stauffers had consulted medical and education professionals while caring for Huxley.

"Over time, the team of medical professionals advised our clients it might be best for Huxley to be placed with another family," they said.

The Stauffer family did not participate in 'An Update on Our Family'

The Stauffer family, who The Columbus Dispatch reported lives in Columbus, Ohio, did not participate in "An Update on Our Family."

Executive producers Rachel Mason and Rachel Knudsen told Business Insider that they attempted to reach the Stauffers multiple times while making the docuseries.

"We wanted them to participate, and also understand them not reaching back out to us," Knudsen told BI.

"We trust that their decision is their decision, and what's best for their family," she continued.

Email addresses that appeared to be associated with Myka Stauffer and the email address associated with James Stauffer's YouTube channel did not immediately respond to BI's request for comment.

"An Update On Our Family" premieres on HBO and Max on January 15 at 9 p.m. ET/PT and will air for three weeks.

• "The Curious Case of Natalia Grace" follows Natalia Grace Mans' life.
• Michael and Kristine Barnett adopted her and petitioned a court to re-age her.
• Natalia no longer lives with the Barnetts, who have divorced. Here's what we know about them today.

"The Curious Case of Natalia Grace" explores the complex story of Natalia Grace Mans and the legal saga involving Natalia and her former adoptive parents, Michael and Kristine Barnett.

Natalia, a Ukrainian orphan with spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia, was adopted by the Barnetts, who later abandoned Natalia after claiming she was actually an adult pretending to be a child. The now-divorced couple, who said they believed Natalia to be six years old when they first adopted her in 2010, claimed that Natalia made violent threats against family members — including trying to poison Kristine — and that she had pubic hair and menstrual cycles. Natalia has consistently denied all of the Barnetts' claims regarding her violent behavior and faking her age.

After sending their adopted daughter to a psychiatric hospital, Michael and Kristine became convinced that Natalia was secretly an adult and successfully petitioned in court to change Natalia's age from eight to 22, altering her birth year from 2003 to 1989. The Barnetts then moved Natalia into an independent apartment, first in Westfield, Indiana, in 2012, and then in Lafayette, Indiana, in 2013 and left the country, moving to Canada to support their eldest son's graduate education. In 2019, they faced neglect charges in connection to Natalia's case. Michael was acquitted of the charges in October 2022, and the charges against Kristine were dismissed in March 2023.

"The Curious Case of Natalia Grace" first aired on Investigation Discovery in May 2023 and focused on the Barnett family's perspective. In the second part of the documentary series titled "Natalia Speaks," which aired in January 2024, Natalia told her side of the story. The third installment, titled "The Final Chapter," premiered in January 2025 and focuses on her departure from the Mans family.

In "Natalia Speaks," Natalia alleged that her adoptive mother, Kristine Barnett, abused her as a child and coached her to say that she was older than she actually was. Michael said in a conversation with Natalia featured in the documentary that his ex-wife also manipulated him, and said that Kristine, who didn't participate in the docuseries, was cruel to Natalia.

When reached for comment, Kristine Barnett said in an email to Business Insider that allegations that she "abandoned" or "abused" Natalia were false, maintaining that Natalia was determined to be an adult by parties other than herself and Michael. She said that she had declined to participate in the ID docuseries.

"The 'evidence' presented on the TV show did not go through the courts or any legal standards to be verified as true," she said.

Here's everything we know about where Michael and Kristine Barnett are now.

Michael and Kristine split in 2014

The Barnetts split up long before they made their claims against Natalia public in 2019.

The Lafayette Journal & Courier reported that Michael Barnett left Canada in late 2013 and moved back to Indianapolis. Per court documents accessed by USA Today, Kristine said Michael moved back to Indiana after an unspecified "incident impacting the children" in fall 2013 before filing for divorce from her in February 2014. Their divorce was finalized four years later.

Michael later remarried, he says in the docuseries.

In 2019, the former couple were charged with neglecting Natalia

While Natalia was legally an adult due to the Barnetts re-aging her in court, she was still classified as a dependent of the Barnetts as a result of her disability.

In 2019, Michael and Kristine were charged with neglect of a dependent, Fox 59 reported citing court documents filed in Tippecanoe County in Indiana. According to the Lafayette Journal & Courier in 2022, the couple were specifically charged with neglect of a dependent, neglect of a dependent causing bodily injury, neglect of a dependent causing serious bodily injury, and conspiracy to neglect a dependent.

Testifying in court against Michael during his trial, Natalia explained how her rare kind of dwarfism can cause skeletal abnormalities and issues with vision and hearing. According to Natalia, she was unable to bathe herself or use a washing machine due to her mobility issues and subsisted mostly on instant noodles, pizza, and peanut butter sandwiches while living on her own in Indiana.

Michael Barnett was acquitted of neglect charges after a jury trial

Per the Journal & Courier, Michael turned himself in to authorities in September 2019, and bonded out. At the time, records indicated that he lived in Indianapolis.

Per the same publication, an October 2019 gag order meant that anyone involved in the case was forbidden from making public comments about the case.

Michael was acquitted of the charges in October 2022. In the documentary series, Natalia says that Michael reached out to her to speak after the gag order was lifted. During the conversation, he said that he and Natalia had "the same monster" in Kristine, but ultimately stormed out of the encounter after Natalia's guardian, Bishop Antwon Mans, asked him to stop swearing.

A lawyer for Michael Barnett declined to comment when reached by Business Insider.

Michael Barnett also appeared in "The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: The Final Chapter," which premiered in January 2025. He said that he hoped Natalia would be able to "find happiness."

"I'm just trying to move on. I'm gonna do everything I can to not think about it," Michael said in episode one of "The Final Chapter."

Kristine Barnett's neglect charges were dismissed

Kristine turned herself in shortly after Michael in September 2019, according to the Journal & Courier. At the time, her jail records showed that she lived in Bradenton, Florida, though the charges listed an Indianapolis address.

In March 2023, a Tippecanoe County judge signed the order to dismiss the charges against Kristine, per the Journal & Courier, citing "insufficient evidence" at trial to prove the charges in this case beyond a reasonable doubt."

In 2013, Kristine published the book "The Spark: A Mother's Story of Nurturing, Genius, and Autism" about raising her son Jacob. In a January 10 audio space on X, which Kristine sent to BI via email, she said that the allegations against her interfered with her career as a parenting author and consultant.

"I don't know when I'll be back to work. I want to be back to work," Kristine said in the space around the 2:06:00 mark. "I've been waking up every day for the past five years mourning the fact that my work is gone. I hope I get it back."

All four episodes of "The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: The Final Chapter" are streaming on Max.

• Natalia Grace Mans spoke about being diagnosed with reactive attachment disorder.
• RAD is a rare condition in which children fail to form healthy relationships with their caregivers.
• Natalia said in "The Curious Case of Natalia Grace" that she felt her diagnosis was "understandable."

In "The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: The Final Chapter," Natalia Grace Mans speaks about being diagnosed with reactive detachment disorder.

Reactive attachment disorder (RAD) is a condition in which children do not form healthy relationships with their caregivers. Legal analyst Beth Karas said in episode six of "Natalia Speaks," the second installment of the series, that Natalia was diagnosed with RAD in 2010, while she was living with her then-adoptive parents Michael and Kristine Barnett.

Since then, Natalia — who was first adopted from a Ukrainian orphanage to the United States in 2008 — has lived with multiple families. In 2010, she was adopted by the Barnetts, who came to believe she was an adult and petitioned in court to change her birth year from 2003 to 1989. The Barnetts moved Natalia into an independent apartment in 2012, and in 2013, she met Cynthia Mans and moved in with her family. Antwon and Cynthia Mans adopted Natalia in 2023, but later that year, she left their home to live with Nicole and Vince DePaul, who attempted to adopt her when she was a child, in upstate New York.

In "Natalia Speaks," Natalia said that her diagnosis was "understandable."

"I still don't know the full length of reactive attachment disorder, but I know one thing for me is that I don't like being left," she said in episode four of "The Final Chapter." "I constantly feel like people are just going to walk out of my life."

RAD makes it very hard to connect with others

In episode four of "The Final Chapter," Nicole DePaul speaks to rehabilitation psychologist Melissa Misegadis about Grace's former RAD diagnosis.

"Reactive attachment disorder is what happens when children don't bond to their caregivers," Misegadis said in the show. It's recognized in the DSM-5, the standard classification of mental disorders in the US.

Symptoms include a failure to play with other kids, lack of eye contact, and unexplained fear.

While RAD can resemble a disorganized attachment style, attachment styles are more fluid and describe differences in how people connect in relationships. RAD qualifies as a disorder because of the severity of its symptoms, such as behavior problems.

Childhood abandonment is a huge risk factor

Misegadis wasn't surprised that Grace has RAD. "Individuals with unaddressed trauma like Natalia has, these are behaviors that are coming from years of rejection and trauma," she said in the show.

According to the Mayo Clinic, risk factors for developing RAD include losing a parent early in life (or having a severely neglectful parental figure), spending time in orphanages with no loving adult figures, and cycling through foster homes.

"I constantly feel like people are just going to walk out of my life," Grace said in the show. "I personally can't handle someone leaving me anymore. I can't handle caring about somebody and then they walk away."

Rita Soronen, president and CEO of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, previously told Business Insider that international adoptions like Grace's often don't provide much background. As a result, parents who adopt or foster kids can be shocked by RAD symptoms, rehoming their kids in the end.

RAD treatment usually requires therapy

Left untreated, RAD can lead to long-term consequences, like substance abuse disorder, depression, and difficulty forming relationships.

Treatment usually involves therapy, social skills classes, or parenting classes to help caretakers effectively manage their kids' behaviors. Though Natalia declined mental health services during production, producer Shannon Evangelista told The Hollywood Reporter, she told People that started seeing a therapist after she had a panic attack in 2024.

So far, Natalia said she feels "free" living with the DePauls, who initially tried to adopt her in 2003. She says in episode four of "The Final Chapter" that she's "not really talking" to the Mans.

"Did she probably do weird things in the past? Yeah," Nicole DePaul told People. "[But] when you take in a child, you take that child as your own. You don't just get rid of them when they don't fit into your puzzle."

"The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: The Final Chapter" is now streaming on Max.

• The Front Man in "Squid Game" is Hwang In-ho, detective Hwang Jun-ho's brother.
• One fan theory suggests that In-ho could be related to another character in the series.
• It's not impossible, but the evidence isn't overwhelming.

In season two of "Squid Game," the game's steward — known as the Front Man, or Hwang In-ho under the mask — enters the game himself. Though he's already related to one other character in the show, a new theory suggests he could be further tied to the games.

In season one, detective Hwang Jun-ho (Wi Ha-jun) infiltrated the games in search of his older brother In-ho (Lee Byung-hun). In-ho wasn't a player in the games with Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), however — he was the one running them. But in season two, In-ho infiltrates the games as player 001 using the name Oh Young-il.

In-ho mostly seems to be there to break Gi-hun's spirit, treating him like a comrade until he sabotages Gi-hun's rebellion in the season finale. He's not the first player 001 to betray Gi-hun's trust: In season one, the game's creator Oh Il-nam plays alongside Gi-hun as well before revealing his true identity in the outside world.

One moment in season two has fans thinking that In-ho and Il-nam may be further connected — but it's far from conclusive.

Fans speculate that Il-nam is In-ho's father — because of two lines about milk

In season one, episode three, Gi-hun asks one of the guards distributing snacks to players if he could trade his regular milk for chocolate milk, saying that he's never been able to digest plain milk. The guard refuses, but Il-nam remarks on Gi-hun's preferences.

"I bet your father spanked you a lot when you were young," Il-nam says.

"How did you know?" Gi-hun asks.

"My son was just like you," Il-nam replies.

In season two, episode five, In-ho doesn't drink his plain milk either. After the guards serve the players a similar bread and milk snack, In-ho passes his milk to the pregnant Jun-hee instead of drinking it.

"I don't drink plain milk," he tells her.

The "milk theory" has proliferated on social media platforms like Reddit and X. However, one image in support of the theory being circulated online includes inaccurate dialogue.

The above screenshot, which was also posted to the r/squidgame subreddit, simplifies the dialogue in both scenes. Il-nam never tells Gi-hun, "you are just like my son he couldn't drink milk too," and In-ho never says, "here, I can't drink it anyway."

To be fair, the original dialogue in each respective scene isn't that different — but it is slightly more nuanced.

The 'milk theory' raises some other questions

A twist like this would feel a bit out of character for "Squid Game," particularly given that the show has already pulled a secret-family-member twist with the Front Man already. That doesn't necessarily mean it couldn't happen, but the evidence isn't overwhelming.

First, Il-nam says several times in season one that he has a son, singular. In the season finale, he tells Gi-hun on his deathbed that "long ago, I once lived in a house in an alley just like that one with my wife and son."

However, in season two, we learn that In-ho and Jun-ho are half brothers who share a father because Jun-ho's mother refers to In-ho as her stepson. If Il-nam was In-ho's father, he should be Jun-ho's as well.

That doesn't fully rule out the theory: it's possible that Il-nam abandoned In-ho with Jun-ho's mother, and that he didn't raise Jun-ho or consider him a son. Still, there's not much to go on.

If In-ho were Il-nam's son, the implications would be severe depending on the strength of their relationship as adults and if they knew of the others' existence before In-ho entered the games. At worst, it would mean that Il-nam didn't provide his son the money to save his wife's life, and knowingly let him participate in the games. At best, it would mean that they reunited after In-ho joined, and won, the games in 2015.

Furthermore, Il-nam and In-ho give the same surname, Oh, in the games, but they don't share one in real life. Il-nam tells Gi-hun in the season one finale that he didn't lie about his name in the games, but as far as we know, In-ho is lying about his: In-ho's true last name, which he shares with his brother, is Hwang.

Ultimately, it's not impossible that In-ho is Il-nam's son, but the evidence is far from conclusive. The milk thing is weird, sure — but lactose intolerance does not a paternal relationship make. After that cliffhanger ending, we'll have to wait for season three to see if the show goes any further with this particular thread.

"Squid Game" is streaming on Netflix.