Love Is Blind’s Jarrette Jones and Iyanna McNeely’s Relationship Timeline: From the Pods to Newlywed Bliss

Love really is blind! After Jarrette Jones and Iyanna McNeely connected in the Love Is Blind season 2 pods, their romance continued to flourish — until their unexpected split.

“I feel so understood with you,” Iyanna tearfully began in her wedding vows during the Love Is Blind finale, which started streaming in February 2022. “I feel so loved by you and that has never happened. I just feel like I’m supposed to be with you. You were made for me and I was made for you.”

The Chicago residents initially connected in the pods, quickly forging a strong bond after sharing their vulnerabilities. However, Jarrette also had strong feelings for fellow contestant Mallory Zapata.

“Earlier this week, I was going back and forth between Mallory and Iyanna but other the past couple days, I’ve gained clarity,” the health care consultant opened up in a confessional interview via the third episode. “I can definitely see myself proposing and having a life with Iyanna, but I want to propose to Mallory and it’s gonna feel crazy, you know. I’m gonna feel a whirlwind of emotions.”

Mallory eventually turned Jarrette down, later accepting a proposal from Salvador “Sal” Perez. (The pair broke off their engagement during the finale.) Following his rejection from Mallory, Jarrette went back to Iyanna, citing her consistent love and support before he popped the question.

“Some things are better left unsaid…But seeing her for the first time truly left me speechless…,” Jarette gushed via Instagram in February 2022, sharing footage from their first in-person meeting.

Since their final decision, the twosome have continued to work on their marriage and exclusively opened up about where things stand with Us Weekly.

“My logic was telling me, ‘I don't know this man and I don't know if I can trust him when he says that he's gonna make me the priority,’” the program coordinator recalled to Us of her relationship. “But right after Mexico, it was no longer an issue for us. We were kind of just focused on us.”

Iyanna continued at the time: “And then, thankfully, with the ex-girlfriend thing, we were able to come to a conclusion and he heard me out. He heard my concerns and he ultimately showed me that I was a priority. So by the time we got to wedding day, I was really just in the feels. I was just really excited and really just ready to get it done.”

Things changed, however, in August 2022, when the pair announced they had “separated and will begin the progress of divorcing.”

Scroll below to check out the pair’s complete relationship timeline:

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Jarrette and Iyanna forged a strong connection during season 2 of the reality TV dating series, which premiered in February 2022 and taped in spring 2021.

Jarrette was equally drawn to both Mallory and Iyanna, which led Iyanna to question whether she was her man’s top pick throughout the experiment.

Jarrette shocked the Kennesaw State alum with his episode 3 proposal. However, after learning he had no hesitations about their connection, Iyanna joyfully accepted.

“She just fits like a glove when I hug her,” Jarrette told the cameras after the pair met face-to-face. “I didn’t expect her to look like that. Her voice does not match what she looks like but I’m happy as hell. Wow.”

The pair’s romance quickly transitioned into a physical bond amid their Mexican vacation.

“I’m waking up next to my fiancée and it’s the first time I’ve actually been able to hold her while she was sleeping,” Jarrette revealed during an episode 4 confessional. “I was sitting there looking at her like, ‘Man this girl is so beautiful.’ That physical connection we have is just as strong as our emotional connection and it’s only been one day.”

After the duo returned home to Chicago, they struggled to adapt to one another’s routines when they learned that Jarrette was a night owl who enjoyed going out and Iyanna preferred quiet nights at home.

The Netflix personalities both said “I do” during their wedding, which was filmed in summer 2021, on the season 2 finale before celebrating their reception with their families and friends.

Iyanna admitted to Us in March 2022 that it was “awkward” to watch Jarrette and Mal interact on the show.

“I knew about the conversation beforehand. They both told me about it, but I think they both kind of forgot the details of it,” she told Us. “So when I watched, I was like, ‘Ah, God.’ Like, it was just so awkward. But at the same time, while the feelings felt fresh, I was constantly reminding myself, ‘That’s not who he is.’ And he’s proven for almost nine months now who he actually is. I’m not gonna make excuses for him, but I think it was just how fresh everything was.”

Jarrette agreed, telling Us, “It definitely was a little cringey, also, like she said, [I] just have to remind myself that this was something that happened months ago. We’ve moved past that. We’ve grown past. I’ve done everything that I needed to do every day to just reassure [Iyanna] that, you’re the only one and I made the right choice, and I made the choice for a reason.”

When asked why Iyanna was a better fit for him in the end, he gushed about his wife. “She’s a better fit for me because she’s everything that I needed,” he said. “On paper, me and Mal would’ve worked out. … I think with Iyanna — she was vastly different and I think those differences are things that I needed in my life to help me grow and be a better person and be a better husband.”

She marked their first wedding anniversary, writing in part via Instagram, “Thank you for being my mirror. Thank you for being patient. Thank you for putting in the effort to make this machine work. You are my husband and I am your wife. Now I can honestly say, I choose you wholeheartedly.”

The twosome split after one year of marriage.

“After much thought, we’re saddened to share that we have separated and will begin the progress of divorcing. While we have love for each other, our lives are going in different directions, and that’s OK,” they noted in a joint statement. “Coming to this decision was far from easy and we will always wish each other the absolute best. … We don’t regret a single thing!”