Exclusive: National Labor Relations Board Slams Love is Blind Producers for Misclassifying Contestants as “Non-Employee Participants”
In a sweeping complaint, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has slammed the producers of Netflix’s Love is Blind for misclassifying contestants as “non-employee participants,” thereby inhibiting them from engaging in Section 7 activity and depriving them of the protections of the Act. The complaint, filed on December 11, comes as the producers’ $4 million claims against former contestant Renee Poche continue behind the closed doors of arbitration.
The NLRB’s complaint alleges that the producers intentionally misclassified Poche and other contestants as non-employees, restricting their ability to engage in activities protected by federal labor law. The board is seeking a hearing on the issues raised in the complaint, set for April 22, 2025.
Poche, who is still fighting the $4 million lawsuit, expressed excitement over the NLRB’s involvement, saying it’s “like someone’s really listening” and could have a significant impact on the industry as a whole. Her lawyers, Bryan Freedman and Mark Geragos, also weighed in, saying the NLRB’s action is a “game-changer” that could lead to unscripted unionization.
The complaint has significant implications for the unscripted industry, as it challenges the traditional practices of producers and networks. Freedman and Geragos, who have been representing a growing number of reality TV performers in their battle over NDAs and on-show treatment, believe that the NLRB’s action could lead to a reckoning for the industry.
“We’re not going to let you restrict people’s livelihood,” Geragos said. “I mean, it’s unbelievable. We’re not going to let you silence people… Payback is a bitch.”
The NLRB’s complaint also raises questions about the use of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) in the reality TV industry. Poche and her lawyers believe that NDAs should be stripped away, allowing contestants to speak freely about their experiences on the show.
“If anything, making the NDA practical, in that you don’t give away spoilers or the very specific things that it would make sense to have an NDA for, having it, where you’re just free to talk about your life, and it doesn’t matter what happened on a TV show,” Poche said.
The NLRB’s action has already had a significant impact, with Freedman and Geragos reporting that they have confidentially settled a number of cases with studios that are afraid of the pending legislation and rule changes. The lawyers believe that this is just the beginning of a larger movement towards unscripted unionization.
“It’s all going to work together because you have the NLRB, which is dealing with federal law, you have what we’re bringing, which is dealing with California law, which is and should be more restrictive even than federal law,” Freedman said. “So, whatever the NLRB is doing, trust me, they’re going to do more in California, as they always do, to help employees and overall. Ultimately, this is going to lead to people like Renee being treated like human beings.”