“Love is blindfirecracker Jackie Bonds is ready to look past the drama!
The 27-year-old dental assistant set out to find her happily ever after story in the fourth season of Netflix’s hit reality dating series. Bonds was originally supposed to walk down the aisle with Marshall Glaze, but her gut instinct led her to end their engagement and re-explore her connection to Josh Demas.
Navigating the waters of the show’s innovative premise would eventually land Bonds in hot water following the release of season four in late March; When fans learned that Bonds apparently decided to skip trying on her wedding dress and go for coffee with Demas instead, the reality star was reportedly bombarded with negative comments on social media.
As the season progressed, Bonds would shamelessly offer his side of the story on his social media, regardless of the reception.
Weeks after the controversial reunion aired live on Netflix, Bonds continues to do the same; In her latest Instagram post, the reality star tries to highlight the positive, drama-free aspects of her unconventional “Love Is Blind” journey!
Bonds says Netflix allegedly gave him a day’s notice of the meeting before advising him not to attend
Bonds and Demas, who revealed they had been dating for a year, were absent from the season four live reunion. Vanessa Lachey instead interviewed the couple via a Zoom call.
The absence of the duo struck a chord with viewers, who did not hesitate to make their feelings known on social networks; several fans were unhappy with Bonds’ absence, calling him out for what they believed to be cowardly behavior. Others weren’t happy with how Lachey seemed to ‘take it easy’ with the duo, opting not to address the controversies Bonds faced over the course of the season, including the coffee date above . Bonds took to Instagram and revealed that she broke up with Glaze before dating Demas.
She would later speak to The Wrap, telling the publication that not only did Netflix advise her to speak to a psychologist before the reunion was filmed, but the psychologist allegedly advised the couple not to attend the reunion.
“They called in three [conference call]and they were kind of, ‘Oh, because of your sanity, we don’t think you should come to the meeting.’
Bonds describes the notice as being a “two-day turnaround. They told us the day before [the reunion].” (by The Wrap, via Us Weekly)
Bonds promised fans she would ‘take responsibility’ for her comments made at the reunion
The reality star was aware of the lukewarm reception of his actions on social media during the meeting. After the special, Bonds wrote a lengthy post on her Instagram Stories where she promised her followers that she would “take responsibility” for her actions and comments throughout the season.
She also thanked her ex-fiancé for denying speculation that she cheated on him with his current partner.
“I would like to start by taking responsibility for my actions and my words in my relationship between Marshall and me,” she said. “I also want to take the time to express my gratitude and appreciation for Marshall clearing up what I did, ending the relationship before I met Josh at the coffee shop. I understand it was a quick transition from one relationship to another, but that relationship didn’t start the way most do in the real world. For some, it may seem like a quick transition. However, there’s only a small percentage of what can be shown on television, and my connection to Josh was much deeper than it appears from a viewer’s perspective…” she continued on the subject.
‘LIB’ star says she’s ‘growing and learning’ every day
Bonds showed social media a more positive side of her experience in an Instagram post on Saturday.
Captioning a collage of Polaroid photographs, she wrote: “22′ summer of love. The summer of memories. This “Love Is Blind” experience has been one of my most arduous journeys but the greatest blessing. My mother always told me that you find out who your real soldiers are when your boat sinks. God gives his toughest battles to his strongest soldiers. I grow and learn every day, give myself time and grace, and enjoy life with my family and friends. I’m excited about what my future holds [heart emoji]concludes Bonds’ post.
Bonds and Demas went public with their relationship; the duo both posted photos of each other on their respective Instagram accounts.