"I normalized name calling": Love Is Blind’s John has more to confess than his texts to a stripper
"I normalized name calling": Love Is Blind’s John has more to confess than his texts to a stripper
Priyadarshini Kaul M Sat, November 14, 2026 at 5:26 AM UTC
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John in Love Is Blind season 11 ©Instagram/@loveisblindnetflix
Love Is Blind's John Shannon addressed some of the issues Sarah raised during the reunion on Instagram. John stated that he wanted to talk about his tendency to name-call and "viping" during a conflict and has now realized their damaging effects.
John said in the video posted on his personal Instagram:
"The way that I would handle conflict with the name calling and the viping, as it was referred to. I think for a long time I normalized name calling as just part of conflict and I didn't appreciate how damaging that could be. And the lasting effects of it, especially when it's coming from someone who's supposed to be your biggest supporter."
Sarah's revelations during the Love Is Blind reunion sparked significant backlash against John. Sarah shared that during their time together, John name-called and hurled insults at her.
She said during the Love Is Blind reunion:
"I've never been spoken to by a man like that ever. I was constantly hearing negative things about myself, which is hard to hear from the person who's supposed to love you."
Love Is Blind's John shared that he had been in therapy
John further said that he should have realized at his age that name calling or "viping" was "damaging" and revealed that he had been in therapy since spring.
John added:
"And recently I started seeing a counselor who specializes in DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy) who helps specifically with managing your emotions and dealing with conflict. I thought I needed somebody who had more of a specific, focused approach on my issues."
He admitted that he had not known how to "contribute" to a healthy marriage, which led him to bring some "unhealthy" issues to his relationship with Sarah. John shared that he wanted to get married but was not ready, which he wished he realized earlier.
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John said in the video that he had learned a lot of things from his marriage to Sarah and wanted to make changes in himself before getting into another relationship. He thanked anyone who had reached out to him with encouragement.
John promised at the end of the video:
"I don't expect one video to change anyone's opinion about me, but I just did want to, you know, I just wanted to call the fact that I do have a lot of work to do and I am committed to doing it."
John opened up about his divorce, stripper controversy, and being on Tinder
Apart from addressing the "viping" backlash, John also opened up about the rumors circulating about his divorce to Sarah. In the caption to the aforementioned video on Instagram, John wrote that he was not withholding the divorce papers and that the restraining order that had been discussed was "standard in Massachusetts divorce proceedings."
John also addressed the stripper controversy and the speculation that he backed out because he did not want to pay, writing:
"I knew who I was texting, and what it meant. I was looking for attention, just like when I downloaded Tinder that same weekend. When we started talking about actually meeting up, I stopped."
The Love Is Blind star ended the post by acknowledging all his mistakes and said he was committed to ensuring these mistakes wouldn't be repeated in the future.
Love Is Blind season 11 is streaming on Netflix.
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Source: “AOL Entertainment”
