Love Is Blind season 3 viewers went from defending Zanab Jaffrey from Cole Barnett‘s rude behavior to labeling her a vicious villain overnight. LIB fans can’t stop dragging Zanab after she obliterated Cole’s self-confidence during their wedding and in the reunion episode.
Love Is Blind season 3 star Cole Barnett crying on the reunion episode after Zanab bashed him and slandered his name (Netflix).
After the couple fell in love in the pods in California, the Malibu Ranch getaway was a disaster. Sure, Cole and Zanab hooked up a bunch, but the steamy romance was abruptly halted by an immature Cole. His superficial attraction to ballerina Colleen Reed led him to hit on her at a pool party and disrespect his fiancée. He also told Zanab he thought she was a “a nine” while co-stars Raven Ross and Colleen were “tens”.
Fans were totally on Zanab’s side, and thought Cole was a complete and utter jerk. But as the Love Is Blind season 3 progressed, it became clear Cole was immature, not necessarily malicious or mean. He also tried to work on their relationship and mend the hurtful things he said. Meanwhile, Zanab’s scorn and disdain for Cole only grew and festered inside.
LIB Fans Call Out Zanab’s Two-Faced Attacks On Cole
Love Is Blind season 3 fans aren’t letting Cole entirely off the hook for the boneheaded things he said to Zanab. However, they find Zanab’s attacks and apparent lies about Cole to be far worse behavior. Thankfully fans got to see the “Cuties” scene where Zanab alleged Cole was fat-shaming her for eating a couple of small oranges. It turned out he did nothing of the sort and was just affectionately worried she’d spoil her appetite for the big dinner they were going to have.
The deluge of criticism for Zanab’s deceitfulness and nastiness poured out on Twitter.
zanab is actually the villain of this season!! you need therapy not marriage. it’s actually painful to watch how she plays the victim and her little monologue at the wedding was cringe after watching the clip #LoveIsBlind #LoveIsBlind3 pic.twitter.com/NF8TUA3YsP
— bored (@ljhgfchiud) November 9, 2022
The producers to Zanab after they played the cuties scene #LoveIsBlind pic.twitter.com/TC7T1vx6sq
— Kay (@QuietGurllll) November 10, 2022
The producers leaving in the Zanab and Cole cuties story at the end of the reunion #LoveIsBlind pic.twitter.com/L4HtdRcmyg
— April Garza (@aprlgarza) November 9, 2022
Cole was broken down by the end of that reunion. This is what happens when you are constantly gaslit to the point where you question your own sanity. He was genuinely confused by Zanab’s recount of their interactions. Hard to watch #LoveIsBlind
— NovaGova (@nova_gova) November 9, 2022
All the girlies helping Zanab destroy Cole at the reunion vs them watching the cuties clip at home #LoveIsBlind #LoveIsBlindS3 #LoveIsBlindReunion pic.twitter.com/4cdmgoGQlQ
— Heidi Van (@HeidiVan6) November 10, 2022
the way zanab did that whole big fake prayer about loving cole before tearing him down and making him out to be a monster seconds after, in front of everyone… ??? #LoveIsBlind #teamcole #LOVEISBLINDreunion pic.twitter.com/ABf5ov1QfW
— Debi ? (@DawnoftheDeb_) November 10, 2022
Cole was an immature prick but now having watched everything, Zanab wasn’t that innocent at all. No wonder that wedding speech felt so performative. She knew she wasn’t going to say yes to this man so she decided to play victim all the way to the altar and after. #LoveIsBlind pic.twitter.com/KM1dvHhVi3
— Scarlet C (@ricksnemesis) November 9, 2022
Idc. Cole didn’t deserve the lashing that he got from Zanab. A lot of her issues with him were rooted in her own insecurities. That was nasty behavior. #LoveIsBlind
— missjazmine (@jaaazminne) November 9, 2022
The DIFFERENCE between what Deepti & Zanab did was DEEPTI said “I CHOOSE ME” whereas Zanab said “YOU DESTROYED ME.” Shake was worse to Deepti throughout the show and she still didn’t make it about him, it was about HER. That’s the difference between a true queen? #LoveIsBlind pic.twitter.com/RUHfswy0Aj
— zanaduxx (@zanaduxx) November 10, 2022
Love Is Blind Zanab Posts Phony Non-Apology On Instagram
After fans were outraged by Zanab’s mischaracterizing the cuties scene, she posted a phony non-apology addressing the controversy (Instagram).
The transformation of Zanab into a villain in the eyes of fans started on her and Cole’s wedding day. Zanab led Cole to believe she was going to say yes when they were on the altar together. He even whispered how he wanted to kiss her as soon as he saw her in her wedding dress. However, Zanab turned on a dime and had the daggers out as soon as the sweet vows were over.
“You have disrespected me. You have insulted me. [Cole], you have critiqued me. And for what it is worth you have singlehandedly shattered my self-confidence,” Zanab told Cole in front of their friends and family. “I hate that you have had that kind of effect on me. And the messed up thing is that I know I love you. But everything in me and the logical part of my brain tells me that love shouldn’t feel this way. Love shouldn’t hurt like this. I can’t marry you and I don’t.”
For a moment you could’ve heard a pin and Cole’s heart drop.
“You are a good man, and I know that about you. And I wish I could’ve had more of that, I really do.
Then Zanab’s squad of girl friends cheered her on for her takedown of the supposed abusive jerk. The whole thing felt like part of the scripted aspect of Love Is Blind. (However, Zanab denies she knew what she was going to do until at the altar… right.)
Zanab Continued to Character Assassinate Cole On Love Is Blind Season 3 Reunion
“I didn’t want to be ugly, but he also needed to be … told some things. I hope he doesn’t do this to another woman because it’s not fair,” Zanab said self-righteously in the reunion.
“Why has she never said that to my face, and she chose now because she knew it would hurt more in front of all of my friends and family,” Cole explained at the reunion in response, seeing Zanab as trying to hurt him. “This whole time I’ve been talking about how mature, and how respectful, and how loyal Zay is. She had me fooled, big time.”
“I knew we weren’t perfect, but that?!” Cole added. “It’s one of the worst experiences in my life.”
“I think that you’re lying to say that I didn’t apologize for two weeks,” Cole said when Zanab claimed he never apologized about what he did in Malibu. Apparently Cole spent the entire night apologizing to Zanab after the issues happened.
“Cole, Cole, it’s great. I’m a liar. I’m bipolar. Like your words to me do not do anything for or to me anymore,” Zanab said, trying to flip the script. She then accused Cole of getting a girl’s number at his bachelor’s party and trying to kiss her. None of the other guys could corroborate her claim, despite being with Cole that night.
“Zay, I’m not the one trying to hurt you right now. You’re making up a story. There weren’t even girls there at the saloon we were at.”
Then Zanab claimed Cole fat-shamed her and tried to control what she ate.
“The pushing food away from me. Asking me if I’m going to eat that. Trying to get me to order a salad. The daily comments about my face and my body were not used. And that’s great for you because it really did protect you. And you’re now denying it, and calling me a liar in front of all these people,” Zanab said, making a bunch of accusations not backed up by the footage aired on Love Is Blind season 3.
“That’s typically what it is when you make up stories Zay,” Cole responded and begged for production to show the cuties scene to exonerate him.
“I could’ve dragged you. I could’ve dragged you. For everything, but I stood up there and I very much tried to say I love you — I still don’t think you’re a bad guy — you treated me badly, but I do not think you are a bad guy.”
Many fans found that Zanab was bullying and gaslighting Cole by lying. She claims he’s a “nice guy” that she “loves” while also completely eviscerating him.
“I stopped eating, I was eating like a banana and a teaspoon of peanut butter just so I wouldn’t pass out on the long days we we’re filming,” Zanab claimed.
Cole then broke down crying and apologized because the female cast ganged up on him.
“I said some things that I would never say. And watching it destroyed me,” Cole concluded.
Fans Call Zanab Liar For Doubling Down On Blaming Cole & Her Fake Apology
Fans doubled down on dragging Zanab after she posted on Instagram a faux apology to Love Is Blind season 3 fans. She also continued to claim Cole was a monster to her self-esteem daily, which production didn’t show apparently. Love Is Blind Reddit fans were having none of it.
“She’s gaslighting the internet now. Is she seriously in her 30s? The lack of accountability is so sad,” said Reddit user Inner_Caterpillar_44.
“Imagine someone punches you and then says ‘I’m sorry that you feel pain.’ What’s more disappointing is the mean girls club is backing her up, including Brennan ‘pick me.’ I worry about Cole’s mental health and can’t even imagine dealing with this kind of public humiliation. I don’t think I’ll watch this show again,” the fan continued.
“What we witnessed in the last 2 episodes is likely to give Cole permanent psychological damage. It’s narcissistic abuse, clear as day. It gave me PTSD,” wrote bubster15. “Narcissists misinterpret people’s intentions and believe their doubts about people and impress their doubts upon them, their egos are fragile and they rally people to their side by only sharing the parts that are compelling to their case and prove their perfection. They never acknowledge their own wrongdoing. They don’t believe they are capable of hurting people, cause they seem themselves as the ultimate victim. The facts fall by the wayside and they engross friends and strangers into their manipulations and bring them down to their standards.”
Since the Love Is Blind season 3 finale and reunion aired, Zanab continues to share stories bashing Cole as a liar and abusive. Meanwhile, Cole appears to have moved on from the controversy, posting some TikTok videos having fun with friends. Fans also think Cole has a new girlfriend.
