'Love Is Blind' Star Nick Thompson Starts Nonprofit to Help Reality Stars With Mental Health

Love Is Blind's Nick Thompson has announced he started a nonprofit to help reality TV stars in wake mistreatment allegations on the hit Netflix show.

Thompson, who appeared on season 2 of Love Is Blind and married co-star Danielle Ruhl, took to Instagram on Thursday and announced he's a founding board member and executive director of outreach for the UCAN Foundation, which aims to "provide mental health and legal support to past, current, and future reality TV contestants."

Thompson explained in a lengthy caption that, "no," he and his fellow reality TV stars didn't sign up to be food and water-deprived, allegations made by several of his co-stars, including his ex.  

"I signed up for a 'psychologically-based' love experiment sold as 'different from other reality shows,'" he wrote in his caption. "Love is Blind S1 made a believer out of me, and I thought the experience could work for me if I went with good intentions and stayed true to myself."

Thompson went on to say that the "vetting" process "included psych tests and evaluations, background checks, and assurances the cast members selected is 'ready for marriage.'" He also claimed being told that the psychologist that conducted his evaluation spoke to his therapist to verity the ethics and conditions of the show out of concern it would diminish his progress. He claimed none of that was true.

"I lost 15 pounds in the three weeks in the Pods and Mexico from limited access to food and water," he continued to claim in the caption. "Aside from the 'psyche evaluation,' there was no mental health support before, during, or after." 

He claimed that, in Mexico, producers "withheld" from him that his partner, Ruhl, "experienced a panic attack and sent me into the hotel room to film anyway."

Thompson also went on to claim that "the pay equates to roughly $7.14 per hour and the promise of a social media following. That's it."

He said that unless one's experienced reality TV firsthand, "you have no idea what you're signing up for." He added, "I did not sign up for this."

Ruhl, who filed for divorce from Thompson in August, exclusively spoke to ET's Kevin Frazier and shared more about her personal experience on Love Is Blind. She previously alleged to Business Insider having a panic attack and hiding in the closet. She went on to allege that she told producers she wasn't mentally stable to continue and that she was surprised she passed the show's psychological screening even though she disclosed a past suicide attempt.

"I kept telling them, 'I don’t trust myself. I’ve tried committing suicide before. I’m having suicidal thoughts. I don’t think I continue in this,'" she told the outlet.

She told ET that she was not offered medical or psychiatric assistance while filming the show.

"When I was experiencing some medical stuff in the pods, there were no doctors. When I was experiencing mental health issues, there were no therapists," she claimed. "You kind of just had to rely on your producers to make you feel better."

Ruhl said that though she received a call after filming wrapped inquiring about her well-being, there were no other follow-ups.

"There was absolutely no therapist on set. There was absolutely no support after filming, and I will take that to my grave," she insisted. 

She claimed that access to food and water was strictly limited in Mexico, alleging that her hotel room TV was disconnected for "three days," which was the only way they could order food.

ET reached out to Kinetic Content, the producer behind Love Is Blind, for comment regarding Ruhl's latest allegations and the production company referred ET to the statement it gave us earlier this week.

"The wellbeing of our participants is of paramount importance to Kinetic," the statement read. "We have rigorous protocols in place to care for each person before, during, and after filming."

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