Love is blind: Former contestant Jeremy Hartwell sues Netflix over claims of ‘inhumane treatment’ on the show

Jeremy Hartwell filed a lawsuit against Netflix and the producers of the dating reality show after claiming that working conditions were "inhumane."

So who is Jeremy Hartwell, and why is he suing Netflix?

Here’s what you need to know.

Who is Jeremy Hartwell?

Hartwell appeared in the second season of the Netflix show but was eliminated and not featured in the second half of the season after he failed to get engaged.

The 36-year-old who resides in Chicago works as an entrepreneur.

Why is Jeremy Hartwell suing Netflix?

According to a statement by Hartwell’s lawyer, Chantal Payton, the show’s producers “intentionally underpaid the cast members, deprived them of food, water and sleep, plied them with booze and cut off their access to personal contacts and most of the outside world.”

This apparently made cast members “hungry for social connections” and altered their emotions and decision-making.

The lawsuit serves as ‘a proposed class action on behalf of all participants in Love Is Blind and other non-scripted productions’.

It is alleged that contestants were encouraged to drink alcohol throughout the day and were regularly provided alcoholic beverages, soft drinks, energy drinks and mixers.

Hartwell said that hydrating drinks such as water were ‘strictly limited’ to the cast during the day.

He went on to claim that contestants were not allowed to contact friends or family for hours at a time.

The lawsuit also states that producers paid cast members $1,000 per week, even though they were often forced to work up to 20 hours a day, seven days a week.

The documents read: “Defendants failed and continue to fail to compensate Class Members and Aggrieved Employees for all hours worked, including minimum wage and overtime hours, as a result of maintaining a practice of requiring Class Members and Aggrieved Employees to work up to twenty (20) hour days, seven days per week, while paying them a flat amount of $1,000.00 per filming week.”

What is Love is Blind about?

The hit Netflix series sees couples go on ‘pod dates’ on specially constructed sets where they can interact with one another but not see each other.

Once couples are engaged, they are allowed to see each other for the first time and head off for a romantic trip where they spend time getting to know their partners.

In the end, the couples are expected to get married and must choose at the altar whether or not to say "I do."