Facing some unexpected obstacles. Danielle Ruhl opened up about how appearing on Love Is Blind has affected her personal life since her split from Nick Thompson.
“I’ve been good. It was a little tough at first, but I’m loving single life,” the reality star, 29, exclusively told Us Weekly at the iHeartRadio Music Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Monday, March 27. “I’ve been dating a little bit [so I’m] back on the scene.”
Ruhl, who appeared on season 2 of the hit Netflix dating series, broke down the “weird” part about dating due to her time on screen.
“After being on a show [like Love Is Blind], there’s like three types of people. One, there’s people who don’t know about the show but don’t like the publicity. So, I’ve gotten dumped because of that,” she explained. “And then there’s other people who you can see there’s a glow in their eye when people do want to take pictures of you. So, I dumped [them] because of that.”
The associate marketing director added: “There was a guy who said he never watched or heard of Love Is Blind. We go to his apartment [and he apparently] watched the full season on Netflix. I’m like, ‘Why would you put Netflix on if you watched the whole thing?’ And I fell for that guy hard. He knew exactly how to [get me] because he watched the show.”
For Ruhl, it has been difficult to watch new seasons of Love Is Blind following her own experience.
“I am still so triggered from mine that I have not watched season 3 or 4 yet,” she shared with Us. “I hear it’s nuts. I don’t watch it but I called Natalie [Lee] and Deepti [Vempati] to be like, ‘OK, gimme the low down.’ I can’t watch it, but I’m still very nosy. I need to know what the drama is.”
Viewers watched Ruhl and Thompson, 37, find love while filming the second season, which aired in 2022. The former couple, who were the first to get engaged during their season walked down the aisle while cameras were rolling in 2021.
After their onscreen nuptials, Ruhl reflected on how her anxiety influenced her behavior. “I understand that I have things to work on, and I was in a great mental space before going on the show. However, the stressful environment brought me back to a place that I never expected,” she wrote via Instagram in February 2022. “I hope that in the future everyone will get to know the real me — as a human being — and not a character on a reality TV show.”
At the time, the Illinois native said she wanted to offer context on how mental health played a role in her rocky romance with Thompson.
“I am not looking for sympathy or saying that I did not make mistakes throughout my experience,” she added. “I am looking for understanding for every single person who may have demons they are facing behind closed doors, for everyone who feels misrepresented, or for anyone who is triggered by those who attack others for having feelings that others may not understand.”
The pair ultimately called it quits in August 2022. (Us confirmed three months later that Ruhl filed to end her marriage to Thompson.)
“What a whirlwind of a year, with countless life changing events, experiences and memories made,” Ruhl captioned an Instagram post in September 2022. “It has taken some time to publicly speak about my marriage ending, as emotions are still raw. However, I will always appreciate those who have followed my journey and continue to support me throughout this entire experience.”
She continued: “I’ve also learned to love myself and to prioritize surrounding myself with those who love me for who I am. The future is bright and I’m hopeful my next chapter will be the best one yet. Excited to have the opportunity to continue to connect with all of you, shed light on topics I hold close to home, and show you some new projects I have been working on. Love y’all so much.”
Thompson, for his part, broke his silence by discussing the “challenging” life update.
“Like many of us going through a loss or life-altering event, we experience cycles of grief while we navigate our emotions,” the Netflix personality wrote via Instagram. “Everyone perceives and experiences grief differently when a relationship ends, let alone the loss of a marriage in the public eye. I’m working through my own mental and emotional challenges to overcome feelings of anxiety and depression. … I am heartbroken my marriage ended. I know in my heart that I did the best I could and gave it everything I had.”
With reporting by Jessica Stopper
