Love is Blind contestants Marshall and Jackie accused of homophobia and transphobia in ongoing feud
Marshall addresses accusations of transphobia from Jackie. (Netflix)
Love is Blind contestant Marshall has claimed accusations he used a “transphobic slur” during a heated argument with ex-fiancée Jackie are false.
Marshall Glaze and Jackelina Bonds met during season four of Neflix’s hit dating reality series, in which contestants get engaged before seeing one another and then decide whether to say yes at the alter.
The latest season aired its highly anticipated reunion episode on Monday (17 April).
Fans got to see the unpleasant fallout of Jackie and Marshall’s doomed relationship, which has been plagued by accusations of transphobia and homophobia on both sides.
Jackie, who is now in a long term relationship with another Love is Blind contestant, Josh, did not attend the reunion but instead took to her Instagram stories to share text messages accusing Marshall of using a transphobic slur during an off-screen argument.
What has Jackie accused Marshall of saying?
Jackie first posted screenshots of text messages with fellow contestant, Tiffany, in which she told her: “Marshall told me I looked like a [transphobic slur] that he viewed me as a project that he could mould into something. I would have never thought he would say those to me.”
Jackie continued: “It caught me so off guard. I was stunned.”
Shen then shared a separate message exchange with contestant Micah, in which she explained the story of the “altercation”.
Jackie alleged that while filling out marriage forms, Marshall told her “you kinda look like a [transphobic slur]”.
According to the messages Jackie shared, Marshall then apologised and said he was “joking” and “went into damage control”.
However, Marshall told a different story in the bombshell reunion. The 27-year-old admitted that a heated argument took place after Jackie “started calling me out for my sexual preferences”.
“I felt like it was my turn to make a jab,” Marshall said.
“I said, ‘You know, you got a strong jawline. You could have been a man for all I know.’ She took very clear offence to it. We were just learning each other. We don’t really know what each other’s triggers are.
“I thought it was a safe space because she’s coming at me, calling me out for my sexual preferences… I did not say a specific term. I did not use a derogatory word, no.”
Marshall is referring to leaked Instagram DMs from Jackie to her friends in which Jackie allegedly used phrases with homophobic connotations, such as “sugar in his tank” and “twerking on his bed”.
Marshall responded to the viral messages by simply tweeting: “The only ‘sugar’ I got goes on those f**king pancakes.”
He also addressed the comments about him being “soft” in an interview with Variety.
Marshall said: “I’ve heard that I’m soft my entire life, and that’s OK. It took me a long time to get to the point of acceptance.
“I accept myself for exactly who I am. I’m unapologetic about my sensitivity, my emotions, and the fact that I wear my heart on my sleeve. I love myself, and I put myself out there.”
Addressing the reunion, he added: “I’m not looking for an apology. I’m not looking to reconcile. I’m not looking to be friends after this. Whatever happens, happens. I don’t think that this show is about drama.”
What are Love is Blind fans saying?
Many viewers have taken Marshall’s side, with fans questioning why Marshall has been pulled up on his comments, but not Jackie on hers. Some have accused host Vanessa Lachey of bias.
“Jackie was behind the scenes making allegations about Marshall being gay – why the hell wasn’t she called out for that,” one person wrote.
Across social media, fans have defended Marshall and praised him for showing his vulnerability throughout the season.
Viewers also questioned how fair the reunion was considering that Jackie and Josh did not attend and were able to send in their accusations beforehand.
“If they can’t be there with everyone else, they shouldn’t get air time,” one tweet read.
However, others are calling Marshall out for his comments and criticising both Jackie and Marshall for punching down at the LGBTQ+ community during their dating show feud.
Love is Blind‘s LGBTQ+ track record
Although Love is Blind has never centred LGBTQ+ couples in any of its four seasons, it has featured one queer contestant.
In season one, Love is Blind contestant Carlton Morton came out as bisexual to his girlfriend during the show, to which she reacted “aggressively”. Morton later slammed the media for their biphobic line of questioning, posting on Instagram: “Black lives matter until it’s an LGBT+ Black life.”
Back in 2020, producer Chris Coelen told Metro that including LGBTQ+ pairings would be too “logistically difficult” in the current setup.
Love is Blind season one to four are available to stream on Netflix now
