The Pods
A Full Breakdown of ‘Love Is Blind’ Star Ben Mezzenga’s TikTok Controversy
In an unsurprising twist of events, Love Is Blind Season 8 has its own bout of controversy. Set in Minnesota, the contestants belong to a rather small community.
When the casting was announced, plenty of Minnesota mutuals headed to social media to warn the contestants and fans. One person who received a lot of flack on social media was Ben Mezzenga. The former college baseball player became one of the more talked about contestants because of his disinterested position in politics and important causes.
Episode 9 showcased an even bigger scandal lurking behind the scenes — and it involves TikTok videos. Here’s what we know so far.
What was the TikTok about Ben?
The original TikTok (which was brought up on the show) about Ben was posted in March 2024 and never explicitly said his name, but at the time, people were tagging his name in the comments. Since then, the creator, Andra Berghoff, has disabled the comments section of her videos surrounding her alleged experience with the 29-year-old real estate developer. In later videos, she gives away more identifying information that the person she’s talking about is Ben. She also revealed that she met him when she was a student at the University of Minnesota.
She alleged that he often disrespects women and even thinks his behavior is funny. “I saw him go around for years treating woman on that campus like they were objects and completely disposable,” she claimed in a video. “He’s one of the first men who taught me not to trust men when they tell you who they are.”
Throughout the roll-out of the season, more women who claim to have dated him have come forward about their alleged experiences with Ben. Many mentioned that he gave his YouTube business cards to his past hookups. The women believe he didn’t go on Love Is Blind for the right reasons but rather to get his “big break.”
How did Ben react to the TikTok video?
Ben talked about the TikToks with fiancée Sara Carton in Episode 9 of Love Is Blind.
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He confirmed that he recognized the woman as someone he had met on Tinder in the past. Ben added that they did, in fact, date but they had never “hooked up,” and he hadn’t seen her in over four years. Ben’s version of the story began to differ from that point forward. He claimed the woman was “making up stuff” and emphasized that he hadn’t “manipulated her” and said that she’s overreacting. Then, he followed his statement by confessing that he doesn’t exactly remember what happened with her.
What has Sara said about Ben’s TikTok drama?
Sitting down with Ben to discuss the TikTok controversy, Sara wasn’t sure what to believe.
Opening up to Us Weekly, she divulged, “That day when we were at the brewery, that’s when I saw the TikTok for the first time. I left him and his friends to have their chat together, I go outside and I’m with my assistant producer, I am on my phone, I’m scrolling, I see a TikTok come through on a Love Is Blind girls group chat.” She continued, “At this point, it’s been posted for a couple hours, and there were hundreds of comments tagging Ben specifically. I was really confused because she never specifically said his name, but I’m like, ‘How are all these people pinpointing that it’s him? And how do all these people know who he is?’ I was really trying to understand.”
After being separated by the producers, the two sat down together at the apartment they lived in during the experiment. “We watched [the second TikTok] for the first time [in front of the cameras] and that is when she said that he blocked her. … That told me it is about him,” Sara recalled.
Not knowing exactly what to do because of the “pretty broad” extent of the allegations, the 29-year-old divulged, “She didn’t say anything specific other than him treating girls sh*tty — and that can be taken in so many ways.”
Sara continued, “I was like, ‘OK, what extent are we talking here? Should I be concerned for my safety?’ I didn’t feel unsafe by any means, but [I] don’t want to take this lightly if it’s something serious. But I also, like, I don’t want to take this super seriously if he was just a d-bag or something.” She added, “I didn’t have enough [information], and I didn’t have enough context. I only knew Ben for, like, a month. I couldn’t gauge it.”
Sara was torn. She didn’t want to sweep it under the rug but also wanted Ben to explain his point of view. Sara concluded, “He was protecting himself, and I felt bad that he was in this situation.”
“I thought, ‘I’m not going to dismiss her with what she says, but I fell in love with you today — not four years ago.’ And I believe people can change and evolve. That’s who we are. We’re growing people. I didn’t want to discredit him and our relationship.”
Are Ben and Sara still together?
As of Episode 9, they are still engaged. The latest installment left off with the couple discussing the social media situation.
Not completely happy about what’s going on, Sara seems to be doubting her connection with Ben. The couple, however, doesn’t make a permanent decision about their future. The preview includes Ben saying, “It’s not easy, but I love you.” Sara had a worried look on her face, and it’s unclear how she responded. Viewers will find out in the next batch of episodes.
Love Is Blind, Season 8, Episodes 1-6, Now Streaming, Netflix
Love Is Blind, Season 8 (Episodes 7-9), Now Streaming, Netflix
Love Is Blind, Season 8 (Episodes 10-11), February 28, Netflix
Love Is Blind, Season 8 Finale, March 7, Netflix
