When Love is Blind premiered on Netflix in 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, it shot to the top of the charts. The reality show became a common binge watch during the lockdown, and viewers loved the premise of singles having to find their prospective spouse without seeing how they looked. It quickly became Netflix’s most watched show, and when season 2 came along in 2022, it too shot to the top of the charts.
Recommended VideosOne of the most interesting couples to watch in season 2 were Natalie Lee and Shayne Jansen. Natalie was a quirky 29-year-old consulting manager, who quickly became a fan favorite due to her sense of humor. When asked what her future mate needed to know about her, Natalie replied, “I would tell them I have IBS and I go to the bathroom five times a day, but hopefully he loves me for who I am and is still willing to get married to me.”
What was Natalie’s relationship with Shayne?
A romance blossomed between Natalie and 32-year-old Shayne, a broker. However, early on, a love triangle emerged between Shayne, Natalie, and cast member Shaina Hurley. In fact, Shayne even got his two paramours confused at one point while on a date in the pods! Audiences cringed from second-hand embarrassment, but the moment was also perhaps a red flag of things to come.
Despite being torn between the two women, Shayne chose Natalie in the end. When they saw each other for the first time, the pair were all smiles, and Shayne did propose. But the course of true love never did run smooth, and the weeks that followed saw plenty of ups and downs.
All the friction came to head on the eve of their wedding, when the pair had a monster fight culminating in Natalie confessing a bombshell. Allegedly, in the days prior, Shayne had told her that he hated her, and that she was “the worst thing that ever happened to him.” Yikes! Understandably, Natalie left him at the altar, and America breathed a collective sigh that a surely tumultuous marriage was avoided for both of them.
Did Natalie and Shayne get back together?
After filming ended, Natalie and Shayne shockingly did reunite, but only briefly. After the Love Is Blind reunion, they went on two dates, and actually were trying to work it out. Natalie said, “We rekindled the weekend we filmed the reunion episode but decided to keep the door closed. Recently we met up to discuss the possibility of reconciliation but ultimately agreed not to date until he changed some of his behaviors. A few days later, I fully closed the door for any type of reconciliation after discovering some lies he told me.” Whoa! Intrigue! What were those lies he told her?
Shortly after the reunion, Shayne went on to try and find love on yet another Netflix show, Perfect Match. But according to Natalie, the pair were actually together when he accepted a spot on the show!
In an Instagram Story, Natalie explained, “I knew about the new dating show back in Sept 2021 because Shayne and I were both approached to apply for it while we were in a relationship (casting didn’t know we were together at the time). We told each other we declined the opportunity, but I later found out he actually didn’t decline and started the casting process in Nov 2021 without my knowledge at the time, while we were still together.”
Natalie also claimed Shayne continued to try and contact her while filming Perfect Match, saying, “He texted me numerous times he wanted to leave midway through filming because he still had feelings for me after we saw each other for [the] first time since our breakup at the reunion show taping.”
Shayne claims it went down differently, saying on his own Instagram Story, “Obviously with the new show coming out I figured ‘someone’ would try to once again destroy my character for personal gain.” He also claims Natalie encouraged him to go on the show, and was supportive of the choice. But Shayne didn’t leave the show because of feelings for Natalie, and the pair never reconciled after that.
What is Natalie up to now that she and Shayne are over?
Since ending things permanently with Shayne, Natalie now lives in Chicago. She has quit her six-figure job and joined the influencer game, telling Fortune that she is now making three times her previous salary through brand deals and sponsorships.
She also hosts a podcast called “Out of the Pods” with fellow former contestant Deepti Vempati, where the two give a behind-the-scenes look at the show, and “share their unfiltered thoughts, hot takes, and insider tea on the latest episodes, along with never-been-told stories from across the seasons.” The show often features interviews with other former Love Is Blind stars. They discuss common dating and life issues, such as long distance relationships, dating icks, and what happens when friendships sour.
Natalie has more than 700,000 followers on Instagram, and often posts on social media sites like Tik Tok. She is also active on LTK, a social shopping app where influencers sell products. Natalie has a great sense of style, and frequently posts pictures and links of her outfits on the popular site, where she boasts more than 10,000 followers.
As for her dating life, Natalie quietly dated another reality star after leaving Love Is Blind. On the July 17 episode of “Out of the Pods,” her co-host asked if she had ever dated another reality star. Natalie replied, “I have. I can’t say his name out of respect for him, but I have privately dated another reality TV star. And it was interesting. I don’t know what to say, like, I did it.”
If her social media is any metric to judge by, Natalie seems to be living a happy life in the Midwest, full of good friends, good food, travel, and plenty of laughs!
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