Fans have accused Netflix of “bullying” a Love is blind Season 6 contestant Chelsea Blackwell with her latest joke on social media.
The streaming company took to Instagram on February 28 to share an edit of a billboard that included a reference to Love is blind season six, which follows contestants from Charlotte, North Carolina. The sign in question poked fun at a viral scene from the season in which Blackwell was still dating her now-fiancé, Jimmy Presnell, on the pods, and she told him that people told her she looks like Megan Fox. .
“'People say I look like the Hollywood sign' – Me in Love is blind”the sign said. The caption also joked about the comparison between the poster and the Hollywood sign, saying, “I'm flattered.”
In the comments, many people criticized Netflix for the joke, with some claiming that the company is making fun of Blackwell.
“As much as this may be fun, it's also low key bullying, just saying,” one wrote, while another commented: “Wow! As much as I don't like her on the show, it's so bad that a company would post this…just wow!”
“An entire corporation targeting a woman…because of her looks,” a third added.
Other people defended Blackwell from the joke, as his comment on the show sparked an immense debate online about whether he looks like Fox or not.
“Wowza… I'm feeling pretty bad for Chelsea these days. “She is being dragged through the mud for that comment,” one wrote.
“Let's call this what it is: rude, disrespectful, mean girl activity. Regardless of whether @chelseadblackwell laughs, it's not a good post,” another added.
During one of Blackwell's dates with Presnell in the capsules of the Love is blind, she told him that she was told “all the time” that she looked like a certain celebrity during flights. “It's just because I have dark hair and blue eyes,” she said. “But I don't see it, so don't get excited.”
She then revealed to Presnell who she's being compared to, without mentioning Fox's name. “I don't even know if it's [Machine Gun Kelly’s] wife or his fiancée,” she said before he responded: “Megan Fox? “You’re saying you look like Megan Fox.”
Blackwell once again clarified why she made the comparison, continuing, “It's just because I have light eyes and dark hair.” However, Presnell seemed excited by this comment and jokingly asked Blackwell, “Can we get married?”
When the couple got engaged and officially met in person, Presnell claimed Blackwell wasn't entirely honest about her appearance, including comparing her to Megan Fox.
“He definitely lied to me about some [of] how it see. Chelsea told me she looked like Megan Fox. At the end of the day, it doesn't really matter. I feel very attracted to her. I can work with that,” she told the camera.
After fans took to social media to respond to Blackwell's claim, the reality star responded. In a video posted to TikTok earlier this month, she acknowledged that viewers took issue with comparisons of her to the Jennifer's body star, as the text above the footage says: “POV: Watching Love is blind and waiting for THAT scene.”
Blackwell's video continued with her applying her lipstick, while lip-syncing to a viral sound on TikTok, which read: “Nothing scares me. Do you see my hand? Do you think they are shaking? No. “Addressing viewers' responses about how they have compared her to Fox, she captioned the video of her with: “Truly honored by the Internet.”
Following the backlash, Blackwell also spoke to Access Hollywood about her decision to tell Presnell she looks like Fox, before her partner met her and told her he didn't agree with the comparison. “I have a long face and she has a long face,” she said of the actor. “She has light eyes. They're dragging me through the trenches right now. Because of Jimmy.”
However, he also expressed regret for having that conversation with Presnell, as the goal of the show is to find a relationship that isn't based on appearance. “Why would we do that?” she said.
The independent has contacted Netflix for comment.
