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A participant in the latest season of Love Is Blind has been slammed by fans over her decision to dump her groom-to-be because his views on Black Lives Matter and LGBTQ issues were not liberal enough.
Sara Carlton, an oncology nurse, left Ben Mezzenga at the altar in the Season 8 finale because of their different viewpoints on issues including BLM, gay marriage and “the vaccine.”
Both were dressed for a wedding — her in a lacy gown, him in a tan suit — that didn’t end up happening. The 29-year-old called it off because, as she told him, she “always wanted a partner to be on the same wavelength” as her.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t want that to be misunderstood. I still love you and everything about you is amazing. And I care about you so much,” Carlson added to Mezzenga, who could only smile awkwardly in response.
Despite the ‘diss, Mezzenga tried to salvage the relationship.
“I care about you, too. And I love you so much, and I know I want to stay with you and keep growing our relationship if you’ll let me,” he begged.
“We’ll see,” Carlton responded.
Those in attendance were shocked by the last-minute decision, as were the show’s fans, who took to the internet to blast the nurse.
“Let’s find him a nice, conservative 20-something girl. He’ll look back and laugh at this,” Fox News anchor Laura Ingraham wrote in an X post, sharing the uncomfortable scene.
Ingraham’s colleague Tomi Lahren agreed, adding, “He dodged a bullet.”
One user noted: “Her BS virtue signalling is so transparent. She doesn’t care about any of the stupid stuff she brought up, she just wants to be the centre of attention.”
After the awkward scene, when the near-bride was in a car with her mother and sister, she revealed to them how Mezzenga’s failure to conform ended up being a dealbreaker.
“I remember I asked him about Black Lives Matter, and I’m no expert, but when I asked him about it, he was like, ‘I guess I never really thought too much about it,” she said.
Their season was filmed in Minneapolis, where the BLM movement began following the murder of George Floyd.
Carlton was particularly miffed that Mezzenga didn’t have a strong opinion on it because it happened in their hometown.
“That affected me,” she explained to her family.
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She also brought up the church Mezzenga attended as not having progressive enough views on “gender identity,” saying she asked him what his church’s views are and he “didn’t know.”
“So then I watched a sermon online about sexual identity, and it was traditional,” she said.
“I told that to Ben … he doesn’t really have that much to say about it, you know? I want someone to think about that stuff.”
Aside from religion, Carlton added a few more social issues Mezzenga didn’t have enough of an opinion on including “equality” and “the vaccine,” an apparent reference to the COVID-19 shot.
The reality show follows people as they date each other in “pods,” where they can talk to each other by speaker but not see each other as they fall in love. Once a proposal takes place, the newly engaged couple lay eyes on each other for the first time, testing if love is truly blind.