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  • ‘Love is Blind’s’ Amy & Johnny on best date spots + the worst of Charlotte’s dating scene

    ‘Love is Blind’s’ Amy & Johnny on best date spots + the worst of Charlotte’s dating scene

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    In Charlotte, ‘Love is Blind’

    The newest season of “Love is Blind” set in Charlotte has been released. Here’s everything you need to know about the hometown singles.

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    The latest season of “Love is Blind” started out with 30 men and women from Charlotte — but only one couple tied the knot on Netflix’s hit reality dating show: Amy Cortés and Johnny McIntyre.

    From the start, the pair had one of the strongest connections in the pods, as the first couple to say “I love you” and the first to get engaged sight unseen.

    The two are still happily together, just a few months shy of their wedding anniversary.

    “Love is Blind” stars Johnny McIntyre and Amy Cortés in the season 6 reunion.
    “Love is Blind” stars Johnny McIntyre and Amy Cortés in the season 6 reunion. Courtesy of Greg Gayne/Netflix

    After the full season aired, the two sat down with CharlotteFive to talk about how their new life as newlyweds has been — and why they think they were the only couple to walk away from the show together.

    (Note: The conversation has been edited for clarity and brevity.)

    C5: Coming up on your first anniversary … how has it been so far?

    Amy: “It’s been so good. It’s been very busy for sure. We ended up moving together a couple months after we got married, around August, so getting situated there, and then we’ve also been traveling a lot. We have visited his family in Maine and then Austin. I think we went to Boston for a little bit, too … So we’ve kind of been everywhere to see his family, and then we also traveled with my family to France, as well, so definitely a lot of eventful stuff going on and just really enjoying the first year.”

    C5: From what was shown this season, were there any big parts of your relationship that didn’t air?

    Johnny: “Yeah … I feel like we had a relationship that was more so easy to kind of talk through. We did talk through a lot of things. Like it wasn’t any big blow up conversations. It wasn’t a lot of like intense fights. It was more along the lines of like, ‘What are the things you’re looking for out of this? What am I looking for out of this?’ — and then we just kind of talked through our relationship that way.”

    Amy: “I will say, I was putting a lot of pressure on Johnny in those pods ‘cause I wanted to lay everything out there, and I just wanted to make sure that if he was going to get down on a knee, it was for a reason, and he knew everything. So, I had told him about my brother, but I also come from like a big family and my dad is the main provider because my mom is not able to help out a lot because a language barrier and all of that, so we have a lot of elderly family members at home that I also have to help take care for, as well and that was a huge thing too …

    “Love is Blind” stars Johnny, Amy and her father at Rosie’s Coffee & Wine Garden.
    “Love is Blind” stars Johnny, Amy and her father at Rosie’s Coffee & Wine Garden. Courtesy of Netflix

    “I told him if like something happens to my dad, not only would I also be a legal guardian for my brother, but I would also have to help out heavily with my family, and I would want my husband to also lean in there, too. And that’s a lot to ask of somebody, and it’s something that he really had to think through, and I feel like it speaks a lot to his character because he still was like, ‘Yeah. I mean it’s worth it.’

    “But I feel like that was an ongoing conversation for sure, and just the different lifestyles that we came from. I’m more of like going out and having fun, and he’s more of an outside guy, like loves to hike and all that and I’m not about that life so it was really was just like meeting in the middle and doing a little bit of both but I felt like that wasn’t really that big a deal. I thought, if anything, it was a balance.”

    “Love is Blind” stars Johnny and Amy at New Life Farm in Lenoir, NC.
    “Love is Blind” stars Johnny and Amy at New Life Farm in Lenoir, NC. Courtesy of Netflix

    C5: “Looking back at the beginning of filming … did you ever expect to be where you are now as a couple?”

    Johnny: “Not even close … I was not expecting to be on the show at all … I was like, ‘Cool to be on this, but you know what … I’m really just gonna try to learn a lot about myself in the process and try to figure out why previous relationships weren’t amounting to something more …

    “By day four or five, that’s when we were like, ‘Hey, we’re just gonna date each other. Like, I don’t want to see anybody else. I’m not here for anybody else. Let’s see really how far we can take this,’ and that’s exactly what we did.”

    Love is Blind stars Johnny and Amy during Season 6 of the Netflix reality dating show.
    Love is Blind stars Johnny and Amy during Season 6 of the Netflix reality dating show. Jackson Lee Davis Courtesy of Jackson Lee Davis/Netflix

    Amy: “I feel like we both kind of came from similar backgrounds where we weren’t going to do it, and we didn’t really have any heavy expectations, and then it just kind of like flowed seamlessly. But I feel like that was the beauty of it because we didn’t really like — obviously we wanted marriage — but we weren’t like, ‘I’m gonna end this with marriage,’ and it’s like if it didn’t end like that, I think like it would have been fine. We would’ve known it wasn’t meant to be, but I feel like we weren’t like firmly grasping on that. We didn’t force anything, and I think that’s why it all played out the way that it did.”

    Love is Blind stars Amy and Johnny in season 6 of Netflix reality dating show.
    Love is Blind stars Amy and Johnny in season 6 of Netflix reality dating show. Courtesy of Netflix

    C5: This season started out with 30 men and women, but you were the only ones who walked away with a marriage. Why do you think that is?

    Amy: “Honestly, I’m not sure. I feel like the odds were really in our favor … It really kind of depends up who ends up choosing who, and then like, the dynamics within like each individual because there might be some trauma that might be unhealed and they don’t realize it until they’re actually making something as serious as marriage work … I feel like there could have definitely been more of an outcome, but I feel like everybody took that — at least most people that I know — took that experience very serious, and they gave it their all and they just didn’t find their person. So maybe it was just that there was not a lot of compatibility there or if there was, it was just not enough to get to that next step.”

    Johnny: “I feel like for me a big thing was, you could tell just like when we were hanging out like in the lounge, the other 15 guys — I can’t speak for the girls now — is that a lot of them were very much, ‘This is like the way. This is my way of doing it this way, and no one can tell me otherwise’… kind of like in a one track mind.

    “I feel like the reason why me and Amy actually worked out well was because we wanted to change our mindset towards different things like … towards different people, seeing different things from viewpoints, having different perspectives on things that we really never thought too much about, and I think that’s really why it worked out well for us because we’re both able to really see each other kind of where we started as opposed to just being like stuck on one specific topic and not getting past that.”

    Love is Blind stars Johnny and Amy during Season 6 of the Netflix reality dating show.
    Love is Blind stars Johnny and Amy during Season 6 of the Netflix reality dating show. Courtesy of Netflix

    C5: “Based on everything that’s unfolded this season … do you think it is reflective of Charlotte’s dating scene?”

    Johny: “I think that people in Charlotte want to date so they don’t have to be by themselves and I think that’s probably the worst way to go about dating. I think dating shouldn’t be just, ‘Hey, I don’t want to be alone so I’m gonna try find somebody else to just not be alone with’ …. and I feel like going into like a relationship, you have to do the work internally to find out what you want out of a partner and become that person.”

    Amy: “And I feel like that’s not just a Charlotte thing. It’s unfortunately, like, our generation is very scared of commitment — and that’s because a lot of us saw how other generations within our family might have gone about relationships, and so I feel like we tread carefully but we also tread too carefully. And it’s just finding that middle ground of, ‘Hey, like, let go and actually let love come to you,’ rather than like force it or be too scared of it.”

    C5: “What are your go-to date night spots in Charlotte?”

    Johnny: “There’s a place called Thai House in the University area … and it is really good.”

    Amy: “We go to Pho NoDa …We just really love our Asian food … Another top place that we love to go to because we love our tacos is Tacos El Nevado on Central. It’s my favorite taco spot in Charlotte, and I put him on and he’s obsessed.”

    This story was originally published March 29, 2024, 5:30 AM.

    Related stories from Charlotte Observer

    Chyna Blackmon is a service journalism reporter for The Charlotte Observer. A native of the Carolinas, she grew up in Columbia, SC, and graduated from Queens University of Charlotte. She’s also worked in local television news in Charlotte, NC, and Richmond, VA.
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  • ‘Y’all were robbed of how we really ended’: The ‘Love is Blind’ scene Brittany says was cut

    ‘Y’all were robbed of how we really ended’: The ‘Love is Blind’ scene Brittany says was cut

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    In Charlotte, ‘Love is Blind’

    The newest season of “Love is Blind” set in Charlotte has been released. Here’s everything you need to know about the hometown singles.

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    Though five couples got engaged on the Charlotte season of “Love is Blind” on Netflix, only one pair got married, and arguably the most surprising breakups was Brittany Mills and Kenneth Gorham’s.

    If you watched the reality dating show, you know that the local principal and senior client partner broke up shortly after moving in together, which is why so many fans were shocked to hear at the cast reunion that the two talk nearly every day.

    Love is Blind stars Brittany and Kenneth in the season 6 reunion of Love is Blind
    Love is Blind stars Brittany and Kenneth in the season 6 reunion of Love is Blind Courtesy of Netflix

    After the finale, Brittany sat down with CharlotteFive to spill all the details on their relationship, from why they broke up to how they connected as close friends.

    (Note: The conversation has been edited for clarity and brevity.)

    C5: “How did you know Kenneth was the one you wanted to pursue in the pods?”

    Brittany: “So Kenneth and I had a wonderful connection. Honestly, it was unmatched. You know, everyone has connections and with multiple different people and it’s like, there’s no way that you can’t. But like Kenneth and I … he was just … the only way that I can describe it is secure. Everything, every action, every mindset, every decision, every word … it was just exuding security.

    Love is Blind. (L to R) Kenneth, Brittney in episode 604 of Love is Blind. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2024
    Love is Blind. (L to R) Kenneth, Brittney in episode 604 of Love is Blind. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2024 Courtesy of Netflix

    “Another thing that was like very, very important to me is my Christian faith, and that’s something that I knew that I — I told myself the whole entire time — I was like, ‘My intention here is to find a God-fearing man, whether that means that I end up with this person because you never know what’s gonna happen, like I want to know that a God-fearing man is still out in this world and is still available and is still proud of his Christian faith.’”

    C5: “You guys were one of the strongest, if not the strongest, couple coming out of the pods … so why do you think things were different for you guys outside of the pods versus inside?”

    Brittany: “So I think things were different for Kenneth and I outside of the pods because truthfully, as much as Kenneth and I were very connected and we have the same morals and we have the same values, we have the same views, we are two totally different people. You know, I think during the pods, I was able to bring out his more emotional side, and also his extroverted side.

    Love is Blind stars Kenneth and Brittney in the Dominican Republic during Season 6 of the Netflix reality dating show.
    Love is Blind stars Kenneth and Brittney in the Dominican Republic during Season 6 of the Netflix reality dating show. Courtesy of Netflix

    “Kenneth truly is a very introverted individual, and a lot of people don’t realize that because, you know, he’s a principal, he’s very active in the community, he’s like been on shows where he’s having cameras in his face and it’s like no one wants to believe he’s an introvert, but he truly is.

    “But I think with the show particularly … the filming and the cameras, it was a lot for him. Not the fact that he was unable to handle it, but it’s like if you don’t wanna do something, you don’t wanna do something. I think it was just a lot, the situation was a lot. We started to drift apart. You could tell from my emotions that I wasn’t physically attracted to him, and when someone’s not physically attracted, you’re not going to push, you know?”

    C5: “Could you walk me through that breakup and if you felt blindsided at all, or if you think it was an accurate portrayal of what was actually happening?”

    Brittany: “The way that it was actually filmed was the truth. … Honestly, I wanna make a PSA and just let it out there: We did not have a conversation prior to the kitchen whole debacle. A lot of people are like, ‘Oh well like, you know, PR or whatever made them like stage it.’ Nothing was staged.

    “In fact, Kenneth was actually so taken back by that conversation because Kenneth and I actually agreed like, ‘Hey, if anything ever goes wrong with us, like let’s make sure that we have a discussion first like off camera to make sure we’re on the same page,’ whereas I had had a long day at work, I had gotten woken up at 1:30 am the night before, like all of that…so while I did kind of mislead him of not having that conversation off camera before, I was feeling so much in that moment that I had to get it out, like it was just eating at me …

    “Love is Blind” Charlotte cast member Brittany in Season 6 of the Netflix reality dating show.
    “Love is Blind” Charlotte cast member Brittany in Season 6 of the Netflix reality dating show. Courtesy of Netflix COURTESY OF NETFLIX

    “A lot of people have thrown out like gaslighting, blindsided, all of that … people are gonna have their opinions. But the thing is, I told Kenneth, ‘Hey. I am not physically attracted to you and that crave that I’m feeling, or not feeling, is very taboo for me. I am a very affectionate person, like I love love and that’s just who I am, and I’m not experiencing that with you and so it is drawing concern for me.’

    “Kenneth was ‘pulled back,’ so someone would say … It’s like how do you convince someone to be physically attracted to you? So what could he have done in that moment? … Coming from many situations where I have not always been respected, like, I appreciate it. So that was the kitchen conversation.”

    Love is Blind stars Brittany and Kenneth in Season 6 of the Netflix reality dating show.
    Love is Blind stars Brittany and Kenneth in Season 6 of the Netflix reality dating show. Courtesy of Netflix

    “We had a conversation for like an hour and a half the day after we broke up on camera that they chose not to put out there. Why? I have no idea. That’s not … I mean, it is my business, but I’m not worried about it.”

    “It was such a beautiful conversation that like, honestly, America and the viewers missed out on. Like the most positive, mature, emotionally intelligent conversation that I think out of any of the couples could’ve had on the show.” So we were watching it and like, ‘Dang. They really missed out on like such a good conversation,’ so I think that’s why people were so shocked seeing my TikTok that ENews! called ‘cryptic’ apparently, that like everyone was like, ‘Wait. How are y’all still friends? How did y’all end up here?,’ and I’m like, well baby, y’all were robbed of how we really ended.”

    C5: “So what was that follow-up conversation like?”

    Brittany: “The follow up conversation that Kenneth and I had like the day after our breakup — I think it was two days after our breakup, actually — truthfully, it was just like a moment to really decompress …

    “‘We only want the best for one another. Like, you’re gonna find your person.’ I’ve been through a lot, where like I said, I haven’t been very much so respected. Like he said, ‘I see that in you, and like you deserve so much.’ I mean, honestly, like a wonderful conversation of just like tying our loose ends and being like, ‘Hey. You’re always gonna be an important part of my life.’

    C5: “Would you say that love is blind?”

    Brittany: “Honestly, it is, and I really want the world to know that and people to know that. Like, love is actually blind.

    Love is Blind stars Kenneth and Brittney in Season 6 of the Netflix reality dating show.
    Love is Blind stars Kenneth and Brittney in Season 6 of the Netflix reality dating show. Courtesy of Netflix

    “While yes, I know that personally I was not physically attracted to Kenneth, and that is a large part of this … you go on the show and it’s like, ‘Okay, you fall in love with someone sight unseen and still continue to be in love with them.’ That was something that I struggled with so much… But the thing is, is that I still shared so much love with Kenneth sight unseen, and so just because we didn’t end in a marriage … I think that the love that we shared, we did it sight unseen … so absolutely, love is blind for sure.”

    C5: “Looking ahead, are you dating anyone now? Are you single? What’s going on with your love life now that the show has finished?”

    Brittany: “So, I am currently single. You know, this is like I said, a large process. It’s a huge experience and you’re still going through it. I am, like I said, a very type A personality and I’m trying to get everything taken care of. I wanna be sure to take advantage of all opportunities, and I don’t know if I have the time to be like, ‘Let me introduce myself to someone’ … I’m not on the dating apps. I don’t just like to go out to bars just looking for someone and so it’s like, I think right now, I’m just letting what comes in my life come in my life and be comfortable with that and know that when I’m ready for a marriage, it’s gonna happen.”

    C5: “So knowing what you know now, would you do the experiment again?”

    Brittany: “I would one thousand and 10 percent do the experiment again. You know, it was a journey but I felt so free and confident in myself …

    “Even if I had the same outcome, I would still do it over again. That’s how much I thoroughly enjoyed being there and, like, the process.”

    Love is Blind star Brittany in Season 6 of the Netflix reality dating show.
    Love is Blind star Brittany in Season 6 of the Netflix reality dating show. Courtesy of Netflix

    This story was originally published March 28, 2024, 5:30 AM.

    Related stories from Charlotte Observer

    Chyna Blackmon is a service journalism reporter for The Charlotte Observer. A native of the Carolinas, she grew up in Columbia, SC, and graduated from Queens University of Charlotte. She’s also worked in local television news in Charlotte, NC, and Richmond, VA.
    Support my work with a digital subscription

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  • All of the Charlotte restaurants, bars and date spots featured in ‘Love is Blind’

    All of the Charlotte restaurants, bars and date spots featured in ‘Love is Blind’

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    The outdoor bar at Goodyear House boasts a sign saying “Life is Good”, and nearby string lights blend with treetops at this restaurant’s back patio.

    The outdoor bar at Goodyear House boasts a sign saying “Life is Good”, and nearby string lights blend with treetops at this restaurant’s back patio.

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    In Charlotte, ‘Love is Blind’

    The newest season of “Love is Blind” set in Charlotte has been released. Here’s everything you need to know about the hometown singles.

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    Charlotte is once again in the national spotlight in the newest season of “Love is Blind” on Netflix, and so are its date night hot spots.

    In the hit reality dating show, 30 men and women from around the Queen City took part in the dating experiment of getting engaged all before meeting in person.

    Their four-week journey started out in the infamous pods, but a few couples made connections that lasted behind closed doors back to their real lives in Charlotte.

    [READ NEXT: TikToker goes viral after claiming ‘Love is Blind’ contestant is her boyfriend.]

    So where were some of the dating spots where they navigated new relationships around the city? Here’s a list of the local places you may recognize in the new season of the show. Some of the places shown in the show are still under embargo, so check back next week to see more Charlotte restaurants and bars that were featured.

    (We want to warn you, there are a few spoilers ahead if you haven’t caught up on the latest episodes.)

    Margaux’s Wine, Pizza & Market

    Location: 316 Main St, Pineville, NC 28134

    Episode 8: Jess and Laura meet up for the first time after the experiment to catch up on how things have been with other contestants.

    Margaux’s Wine, Pizza & Market, which opened in 2021, is located right in the heart of downtown Pineville. The local restaurant offers old world wines, St-Louis-style pizza, specialty foods, gifts items and more.

    Kevin Devanney and his team were keen on keeping and restoring the original hardwood floors and the original bookshelf at Margaux’s Wine, Pizza & Market.
    Kevin Devanney and his team were keen on keeping and restoring the original hardwood floors and the original bookshelf at Margaux’s Wine, Pizza & Market. Sara Douglass

    [HUNGRY FOR MORE? The Charlotte restaurants where Netflix’s ‘The Ultimatum’ cast flirted, fought and ate.]

    QC Dance Studio

    Location: 8514 Park Rd, Charlotte, NC 28210

    Episode 9: Amy and Johnny took private dance lessons to learn bachata ahead of their wedding.

    QC Dance Studio doesn’t just specialize in bachata lessons. The all-inclusive dance studio offers classes focused on a variety of dance styles for all ages, including ballroom, ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop and more.

    The Goodyear House

    Location: 3032 N Davidson St, Charlotte, NC 28205

    Episode 9: Clay introduces AD to his mom and sister for the first time.

    The Goodyear House is a mill house-turned-restaurant nestled in NoDa. Made with locally sourced ingredients, the local restaurant’s menu is a bit casual but upscale with some “cheffy touches” the team previously told CharlotteFive. Dishes include smoked cashew mac, charred broccolini, and shrimp and grits with chorizo and salsa.

    The outdoor bar at Goodyear House boasts a sign saying “Life is Good”, and nearby string lights blend with treetops at this restaurant’s back patio.
    The outdoor bar at Goodyear House boasts a sign saying “Life is Good”, and nearby string lights blend with treetops at this restaurant’s back patio. Goodyear House

    Queen Park Social

    Location: 4125 Yancey Rd, Charlotte, NC 28217

    Episode 9: Chelsea and Jimmy meet up with two of his close friends.

    Queen Park Social is a popular social club in South End where you can eat, drink and play games. The local hot spot also has bowling, arcade games and life-sized board games around the bar and outdoor patio.

    How to watch ‘Love is Blind’

    The first nine episodes of this season of “Love is Blind” are out now on Netflix. Look out for new episodes released each Wednesday.

    What do you think of the new Charlotte season of “Love is Blind” so far? Let me know your thoughts on how the local group of singles is navigating Netflix’s dating experiment at charlottefive@charlottefive.com.

    Related stories from Charlotte Observer

    Chyna Blackmon is a service journalism reporter for The Charlotte Observer. A native of the Carolinas, she grew up in Columbia, SC, and graduated from Queens University of Charlotte. She’s also worked in local television news in Charlotte, NC, and Richmond, VA.
    Support my work with a digital subscription

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    Chyna Blackmon

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