Danielle Ruhl Counters Vanessa Lachey’s Comments
Danielle Ruhl and Vanessa Lachey Ser Baffo/Netflix (2)
Sharing her thoughts. Love Is Blind alum Danielle Ruhl reacted to Vanessa Lachey’s theory on why fuller-figured contestants haven’t made it past the talking stages of the Netflix dating show.
“There were certainly more confident women than myself who participated in this experience, regardless of body type,” Ruhl, 29, told E! News on Wednesday, July 27.
The Illinois native, who talked about her struggles with body dysmorphia on the show, added, “I can attest that many individuals with different body types, etc. were confident, enthusiastic and optimistic about finding love. Weight doesn’t and shouldn’t define someone’s confidence and after getting to know each woman, their confidence all shined and I admired them for it.”
Ruhl’s comments came after Lachey, 41, gave Insider her theory on why there isn’t more body diversity among the contestants who make it past the Love Is Blind pods.
“Their whole life they’ve been so insecure about being themselves because of this crazy swipe generation that we are in and this catfishing world that we’re in, that they’re so afraid to be themselves,” the Entertainment Tonight correspondent told the outlet on Monday, July 25.
She continued, “I wonder if they truly don’t have enough time in those two weeks to find themselves, A, and then be themselves to then find that spouse.”
The former Miss Teen USA cohosts Love Is Blind with her husband, Nick Lachey. The duo also heads the Netflix reality series The Ultimatum, where couples must decide either to get married or walk away from their relationships at the end of the experiment. The married hosts were honest with the season 1 contestants about their own experience with an ultimatum.
“We dated for five years. So, I finally said, ‘What are we doing?’ I have now moved in with him, I renovated his entire bachelor pad, there was a bar in the pool. I’m like, ‘Whatever you want!’ Now I’m like, ‘OK, well, I want to put kids in the pool,’” the NCIS: Hawai’i star revealed on the show.
Season 1 of The Ultimatum, which premiered on April 6, ended with contestants Colby Kissinger and Madlyn Ballatori exchanging vows. The couple welcomed their daughter, Josephine, in May.
“Baby girl is healthy and perfect and we will be bringing her home tomorrow,” Ballatori shared via her Instagram Story at the time. “We’ve been snuggling in the hospital bed trying to rest as much as possible and reflect on this incredible gift.”
Both Love Is Blind and The Ultimatum have been renewed for additional seasons.
