Warning: This story contains spoilers for the Oct. 22 finale of “Love Is Blind” Season 9, streaming on Netflix.
The last remaining couple ended their relationship in the final episode of “Love Is Blind,” making Season 9 the first time in the show’s history that none of the cast members got married.
Three couples remained in the finale: Ali Lima and Anton Yarosh, Kalybria Haskin and Edmund Harvey, and Jordan Keltner and Megan Wallerius. Of the remaining couples, only the first two made it to the altar, where the two women said “no.”
As viewers braced themselves to watch a third wedding, the show instead cut to scenes at Jordan and Megan’s apartment. While they were sitting on the couch, Megan tearfully decided to call off the engagement, citing fundamental differences in their lifestyles and why she wasn’t ready for marriage at this time.
Of all the engaged couples, the duo seemed to be the strongest despite early issues with lifestyle and finances. Furthermore, Jordan is a single father of a 5-year-old boy, and parent-child relationships have become a hot topic between the couple.
In an interview with Variety, Jordan admitted that he ultimately wasn’t “blindsided” by the pair’s conversation, as they had previously made a pact not to go to the altar if they weren’t sure.
“We wanted to be open, honest and transparent with each other,” he says. “My son was scheduled to attend the wedding and I didn’t want him to go through that. We tried until the last moment. She made the best decision for both us and our family.”
Below, he details his final confession, viewer reaction to Season 9, rewatching the show over a year later, and where he stands now with Megan.
What was it like reliving this experience over a year later?
It’s strange to see yourself falling so hard in love with someone. We were compatible on many levels. We finished filming almost a year and a half ago and I haven’t seen her since then. I’ve spent a lot of time processing it, going to therapy, and improving myself. It was hard for me to watch it again because I don’t remember much of it. But I can see why we fell in love. I was very disappointed, but at the same time, a very long time had passed. I loved my life before I was on the show, and I still love it now.
What did you think of everyone’s reaction to the show?
I’ve been trying to avoid comments and almost never read them. But what I saw was humbling. I didn’t expect something like this to happen. I never thought it would impact the type 1 diabetes community on this scale. I’m just telling my story, and in a way, I’m telling the story of a lot of people. I never thought about how interconnected all of our situations were. I didn’t expect anything like this and I feel like I don’t deserve the love and attention. I’m so happy to be your advocate.
From a viewer’s perspective, the two seemed to have a strong connection, but there were clear differences when it came to lifestyle, finances, and parenting. Did you feel the relationship was accurately portrayed on screen?
i will do it. We spent hundreds of hours together. We had all the conversations we needed. We understood each other’s intentions. We live two different lives. I’m a single father. I didn’t want her to have direct responsibility for my son. It was never a conversation. I was like, “Okay, okay.” All I need from you is to love that person. that’s it. ‘I have a very healthy relationship with his mother and stepfather. We work as a unit. The expectation of her involvement was to spend time with us and love him. That was everything I wanted. Everything else was just a bonus.
Looking back on the show, what new insights did you gain about relationships?
I observed myself in Mexico. As a single father, I work a lot and go to the gym. I rarely go out. We are with these people in this crazy and unique situation. We were a little pent up and then went to Mexico and got super drunk. Do I regret doing so? surely. It was frustrating, but I was able to quickly get over it. By meeting her expectations, I have grown even more as a person. Most of my past girlfriends let me do whatever I wanted. It was refreshing to be held accountable. It helped me reflect on myself. My ultimate goal was to be a good example for my son. I know he’s going to see it someday. I probably could have handled the situation a little differently, but I was just excited.
Did you have any inkling at any point in the relationship that she would break off the engagement?
yes. I’m a regular blue collar guy. I was making some decent money at the time, but she was completely crushing it. She seemed to come back every time she played with her friends and I could hear the hesitation in her voice. That was uncomfortable for me because I want to marry the person I want to marry. I don’t want anyone to hesitate. It’s unfair to her. We discussed that we did not want the marriage to be annulled. We didn’t want to get divorced. We wanted this to be forever. In the end, she decided it wasn’t for her forever. she made the right choice.
In your post-breakup confessional, Megan said they broke up because their lifestyles weren’t compatible, suggesting that money played a role. Do you think that’s why she broke off the engagement?
She says so herself. I don’t want to say too much about her, but she said the lifestyle simply didn’t suit her. She’s not lying because we live completely different lifestyles. That was the fact at the time.
What do you think caused the relationship to ultimately fail?
It was time. I’m a single father. At the time, I had a very demanding job. When we were in the pod, I was able to give 100% of my time to Megan. Then I go back to Denver and half of it gets stolen for work. During the shoot, there wasn’t much time to relax. Luca and Megan are the two people I should have devoted most of my time and energy to, but I have a family to support. During that time, they both felt short on stick. I asked Megan to wait, knowing that the burden would eventually lighten. However, her decision was not wrong.
If you had walked down the aisle together, would you have said “I do”?
Megan is a very strategic thinker. it’s not. She checked all my boxes and I was fine. She was determined not to get divorced. I am a chronic thinker. So I thought, “Well, if we don’t like each other, we can divorce.” She made the right choice for herself, and it was the right choice for everyone.
How would you describe where you are today?
We’ve been talking almost every day since the casting announcement, and it’s been a lot of fun chatting. I have no interest in pursuing or trying to get back. We are friends because we went through this unique experiment together. But it’s very casual. We didn’t talk to each other for a whole year. But once everything started to go down, we ended up just checking in on each other. We think memes are funny. There’s no bad blood between us.
In your final confession, you mention that you regret introducing her to your son Luca. What was going through your mind when you said that?
I was experiencing every emotion known to man. I was very tired. I couldn’t communicate the way I needed to. My son is at this young and tender age where stability is so important. I felt bad for bringing Megan in and taking her out of his life, like, “Oh, this is your stepmother.” That’s not fair to a 5-year-old. It was on me. No one else enrolled in the experiment except me. It was unfair that Luka and the son’s mother were involved in such a dramatic way. He doesn’t want a stepmother anymore. It wasn’t healthy for him. All I can do is live and learn. I can’t introduce Luca to anyone else unless I’m 100% sure we’ll be together forever.
Do you still regret introducing her?
It was never about Megan. It could have been anyone. Megan is an amazing person. She and Luka became very close. More importantly, it’s not healthy to bring a young child into that situation and say, “Oh, Luke, this person is going to be your stepmother. We’re getting married.” Then two weeks later we weren’t. It’s not Megan or Luca’s fault. All participants were invited to participate in the experiment. That’s what I meant when I said that I regret introducing her because Luka is a wonderful person. He needs a stable environment, and what I was doing wasn’t necessarily stable.
What was it like meeting Megan and Luca’s mother?
we went to dinner together. That was important to me because I had known her (Megan) for three or four weeks. Out of respect for her, I needed her approval. It was wonderful. Everyone has become good friends.
What did she think about you appearing on the show?
She didn’t care that I kept doing it. She was worried that I would be demonized because of my tattoos. But I thought, “Everything will be fine. There’s a reason I’m continuing here.” And everything became cool.
What is your dating life like now?
It’s now casual. I haven’t introduced Luke to anyone. I haven’t even met anyone I can introduce to my son. I don’t want to be in a serious relationship right now. It’s nice to go out and have a casual date once in a while. I don’t plan on doing anything serious anytime soon. But never say never.
Your season made Love Is Blind history as the first season without a couple getting married. Why do you think the experiment was not successful in your group?
This is a condensed experiment. He was so realistic that everyone thought, “This is my life, I don’t need to get married to satisfy a lot of fans.” It’s a real marriage. Get a real marriage certificate. Everyone made the right choice because we don’t get married just because it’s often shown on TV. We don’t care what our fans think because this is our life. we are normal people.
Provided by Netflix
What surprised you most about his experience?
Megan and her cast mates are some of the greatest people I’ve ever met. It’s difficult to meet people as an adult. Megan has taught me a lot about how to approach and talk to women. We brought out the best in each other. For future dates, I’m looking for someone who brings out the best in me, not the worst.
I would like to ask you about Crystal Light and Chicken Protein Shake, which are currently being talked about. How did you come up with that combination?
I was on TikTok. I’ve been trying to build my life around convenience, and I saw this bodybuilder put that exact recipe into practice. And I thought, “You know what? Damn it. I’ll try it.” I’m sorry, but I don’t hate it and I still do it every day. I don’t think I’m going to stop doing that. I don’t think it’s that bad. It’s not as bad as chugging 13 raw eggs.
How did it feel to see viewers glued to your recipes?
Many people do not follow instructions. You should drink it in one gulp, not through a straw. If you don’t want to do it, don’t do it. This is a free country. I’ve seen both good and bad reactions. No one is making you do that. It’s mine!
This interview has been edited and condensed.
