The Love Is Blind season 3 cast members continue to gang up on Cole Barnett after the jarring reunion episode. Ex fiancée Zanab Jaffrey, Brennon Lemieux, his wife Alexa Alfia, and Colleen Reed all said more after the reunion. The “Cuties Story” scene from the reunion changed a lot of viewers opinions on Zanab and Cole’s relationship. A lot of fans joined #TeamCole and now believe Zanab was the abusive one in their relationship. However, Zanab, Colleen, Alexa and Brennon blast Cole still after the reunion because they maintain he’s lying about girls and causing Zanab’s alleged eating disorder.
Zanab Maintains Cole Constantly Commented On Her Weight & Looks While On Love Is Blind Season 3
Cole & Zanab talking about other cast members & attractiveness on Love Is Blind season 3 at the start of episode 5 (Netflix).
Despite getting relentlessly dragged by fans, Zanab still argues Cole said a lot of hurtful things about her looks and body. In an interview with Variety after the reunion aired, Zanab said, “The things he was saying to me did hurt. I was somehow trying to make myself desirable to him, whether it be skinnier, or… [pauses and takes a deep breath] I’ve never had someone speak to me that way about my body or eating. That was very real for me. I did change what I was eating. I was just eating a banana… It had nothing to do with fitting into my wedding dress.”
Love Is Blind fans forgot some of the rude things Cole said to Zanab. When they spent their first night together, Cole rudely said she looked very different without makeup. He also told her she was a nine, while co-stars were tens. He then proceeded to hit on Colleen in front of everyone at the pool party. At a dinner right before their wedding day, Cole repeatedly asked Zanab if she’s bipolar.
Most of the fanbase allowed the Cuties scene to dictate all of their opinion on Cole and Zanab’s relationship, forgetting all of the context that led up to Zanab being hyper sensitive about her weight and looks. Also, most fans didn’t think about how Cole overcompensated in telling Zanab she’s pretty after making her feel unattractive. Fans pushing against the Zanab villain narrative suggest he may have been overcompensating about her not needing to lose weight after repeatedly suggesting she was heavier than his usual type. There’s evidence from the show that he did suggest that early on in their relationship.
Love Is Blind Fan Points Out Cole Commented Rudely About Zanab’s Weight In Episode 5
Love Is Blind season 3 star Zanab eviscerates Cole on the altar for allegedly destroying her self-esteem (Netflix).
One fan pointed out how rude Cole was to Zanab in episode 5 about her appearance and weight.
“Physically you are different than anyone I’ve ever dated,” Cole told Zanab when they were on the beach after finally seeing each other. He also said “Colleen is happily with Matt”, evading answering if he was having second thoughts after seeing the other women. He started the conversation by asking Zanab if she had any second thoughts. When she asked him, he took a long pause, then answered sketchily by saying Colleen was happy with her choice, not saying he was happy with his choice.
“You’ve got to stop fattening me up,” Cole says out of the blue during the same conversation.
“Oh, you’re okay with fattening me up though?” Zanab responded.
“You’re fattening yourself up [bursts out laughing],” Cole responded insensitively after telling his fiancée she wasn’t his type.
Fans also need to remember that, just like the Cuties scene, there’s hours and hours of unaired footage and unfilmed time Zanab and Cole spent together. More of this body shaming language and insinuation could’ve happened a lot. Fans need to remember Love Is Blind is a scripted and staged reality TV show.
Zanab Claims Cole’s Comment Caused Her To Have An Eating Disorder
On the reunion, Zanab claimed she developed an eating disorder from Cole’s incessant body shaming comments.
“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 to Cole when he denied any bad behavior.
“I stopped eating,” Zanab added. “I was eating a banana and a teaspoon of peanut butter just so I wouldn’t pass out on the long days we were filming.”
Colleen Says She Saw Zanab’s Self-Esteem Fall Apart On Show
Love is Blind star Colleen Reed beaming after putting on her wedding dress (Netflix).
“It’s so hard, but I saw the transition that happened from the Zanab that we met in the pods to the Zanab that we saw toward the end of the experience, Colleen told Us Weekly in an exclusive interview. “She definitely became a shell of a human being.” Colleen said she first noticed Zanab upset after Cole told her he found the ballerina and Raven more attractive. She thinks those comments and others Cole made messed with Zanab’s head.
“Those comments do get to you. And if that was said to me constantly, I would definitely get in my head and I would pick apart situations that might not have been a big deal [otherwise],” Colleen explained.
Colleen doesn’t think Cole is a “bad human being” but thinks he isn’t thoughtful about his words and behavior, as well as being impulsive.
#LoveIsBlind taught me that an audience can switch on you QUICK. Everyone hated Raven and now she and SK are the season's faves. Everyone loved Alexa and Brennon but they've lost their fanbase. Cole was the dumb potentially racist idiot but now Zenab is the show's villain. Wow.
— ? jackson ? (@_JackPBrown) November 14, 2022
Brennon, Alexa & Zanab Suggest Cole Hit On Other Women Throughout Show
Colleen and Alexa have since claimed Cole said Zanab was the “biggest” girl he ever dated to the show’s production.
Alexa, on a podcast, also said she got involved in Cole’s business because he came up to her at the Malibu ranch and told her he didn’t find Zanab attractive. Alexa says that Cole would talk to anyone who would listen how unattracted he was to Zanab.
On a live TikTok, Brennon also clarified his claims from the reunion that they went out to bars afterwards. He said the guys were out until 4 AM which contradicts Cole’s claim. He said he didn’t go out after the rodeo and saloon. Cole claims Zanab is lying that he told her he tried to kiss a girl on his bachelor night and got her phone number. Brennon claimed Cole hit on a girl the day after getting engaged to Zanab, too.
Zanab also claims Cole was cheating on her by pursuing other women during their relationship. “I do believe it was during [our relationship he was making advances on women], from as early on as when we got engaged right up until the Bachelor’s party. So there was a lot that the world didn’t get to see.
Cole Denies New Claim He Hit On Girl Day After Getting Engaged to Zanab
Cole responded in an interview with Entertainment Weekly to Brennon’s claim he was hitting on a girl the day after proposing to Zanab.
“Brennon was claiming that I hit on a girl right after getting engaged. That really caught me off guard because I didn’t know what he was talking about.”
Cole continued with a long explanation of how he didn’t hit on any girls at the hotel.
“We weren’t really supposed to be telling people, but I was anyways because it was a ridiculous feeling to be going through. For Brennon to say that I hit on a girl is just not true because I was just talking to people about the fact that I had just gotten engaged to a girl I’d never seen. I was taking it very seriously, which is why I wanted to tell people … So I did approach the people that we would meet at the bars, and I would tell them that.
“I guess Brennon took that as me hitting on another girl. It’s not at all the case. That’d be so stupid. It just doesn’t make sense to me that I would try to hit on a girl right after getting engaged that day.”
Meanwhile, Cole, age 27, is trying to move on from all the drama. He appears to be dating a 25 year-old realtor now. However, in a recent interview he said he’s single and he’s getting hit on a lot from fans. Zanab and Cole haven’t spoken since their wedding day or brief interactions at the reunion. Zanab, age 32, is enjoying the single life.
