Photo: Ser Baffo/Netflix
“Even at the hotel living quarters, food was restricted to the point of severe hunger,” the lawsuit reads. “Defendants, having knowledge of the fact that Cast member at times would be starving, instructed the hotel staff to not provide food to any Cast member that asked them for food because of hunger, in a clear effort to ensure that the Cast would continue to be deprived of food outside of the presence of the production team.”
Hartwell’s lawsuit claims the only drinks the companies “regularly provided to the Cast were alcoholic beverages, soft drinks, energy drinks, and mixers.” Allegedly, beverages like water were “strictly limited to the Cast during the day.”
The document also alleges that the companies “encouraged” the cast members to “consume alcohol throughout the entire day,” and that they “were plied with an unlimited amount of alcohol without meaningful or regular access to appropriate food and water to moderate their inevitable drunkenness.”
TheLove Is Blindteam was accused of doing the alleged wrongdoings “purposely,” with the lawsuit additionally claiming that this was done to “maintain a heightened degree of control and direct the conduct of the Cast into making manipulated decisions for the benefit of the shows' entertainment value.”
Ser Baffo/Netflix
“Mr. Hartwell’s involvement in Season 2 of Love is Blind lasted less than one week. Unfortunately, for Mr. Hartwell, his journey ended early after he failed to develop a significant connection with any other participant. While we will not speculate as to his motives for filing the lawsuit, there is absolutely no merit to Mr. Hartwell’s allegations, and we will vigorously defend against his claims,” a rep for Kinetic Content told PEOPLE in a statement.
However, Hartwell’s attorney addressed the matter in a statement shared with PEOPLE.
Payton continued: “With that being 50 times what some of the cast members would earn during the entire time that they worked, this certainly had the potential to instill fear in the cast and enable production to exert even further control.”
Hartwell also spoke out in a statement to PEOPLE: “Being on the show left me sleep-deprived, socially isolated and mentally drained and I had what I can only describe as an out-of-body experience. I would hear myself saying things that were contrary to what I was thinking at the time. After the production, I felt and looked like a zombie for a few days.”
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Hartwell was featured inLove Is Blind’s second season, which premiered earlier this year. He has worked in the mortgage industry and hails from Chicago.
Earlier this year, Hartwellsaidon Instagram he saw the show “as a chance to challenge myself and explore an opportunity that was unfamiliar, uncomfortable even, while changing my approach to dating when traditional methods had failed.”
The popular reality series has become a hit for Netflix following its 2020 premiere. It’s also spawned multiple successful couples:Lauren Speed-HamiltonandCameron Hamilton,Amber PikeandMatt Barnett,Iyanna McNeelyandJarrette Jonesas well asDanielle RuhlandNick Thompson.
The first two seasons ofLove Is Blindare now available on Netflix.
source: people.com
