‘Love Is Blind’ Alum Danielle Ruhl Calls Nick Viall’s Recent Suicide Comments “Disgusting” and “Judgmental”

Love Is Blind alum Danielle Ruhl slammed fellow reality star Nick Viall for his recent comments about suicide. 

The former Bachelor contestant took to his podcast, The Viall Files, to address the recent allegations made against Love Is Blind by former contestants; he seemingly took issue with Ruhl’s reveal, specifically.

In a report, Ruhl claimed she experienced panic attacks and suicidal thoughts while filming, but says she was dissuaded from leaving early. Her ex-husband, Nick Thompson, whom she married in Season 2, supported these complaints and added that he lost 15 pounds while filming and received no mental health support from the production team. 

He wrote on TikTok, “In Mexico, producers withheld my partner experienced a panic attack and sent me into the hotel room to film anyway. If there were mental health professionals on set, as Kinetic claims, wouldn’t a person suffering from a panic attack be an appropriate time to utilize them?”

Viall took issue with the recent talk about mental health and offered a “blanket statement.” He said on his podcast, “It’s crazy for any of these production companies to cast someone who has ever said that they thought about or considered suicide. I would take that stand.”

He continued, “If anyone has come forward and said, ‘Hey, I once was suicidal. I struggle with some pretty dark mental health,’ I don’t think they’re fit for reality TV.”

The Bachelor Nation star also said nobody is forcing people to participate in reality television shows. “There’s literally nothing special about you when it comes to why you’re on the show other than your willingness to show up and be recorded and be vulnerable and do something as insane as get married in a few weeks,” he said.

Viall continued, “I just think this is pathetic. I think these people are incredibly entitled and they are weaponizing words like mental health and things like that.”

According to Entertainment Tonight, Ruhl criticized Viall for his comments in a since-deleted post. “@nickviall did u think twice about anyone else who has been suicidal before using it in a disgusting, judgmental joke? It isn’t funny,” she wrote.

She accused Viall of “continuing the stigma that we are trying to eliminate.”

In a follow-up post, Ruhl wrote, “Please let @nickviall [know] that making fun of people those who have experienced suicidal thoughts, attempts, is not okay. I am open about my mental health to connect with others not to have someone from Bachelor try to make me (or others) feel less than bc of their mental health. Make fun of anything else. Not this.”

She issued another statement, which is currently on her Instagram story and mentions the suicide of Bachelor alum Clint Arlis. “It’s so sad. A cast member from Nick Viall’s own season died by suicide but he doesn’t believe that reality stars deserve any level of empathy because of the opportunities they get?”

Later, Ruhl called out mental health organization BetterHelp for hiring Viall as a brand ambassador. She wondered, “He wants to be a therapist? What if a client of his was a reality star? Had money? Had opportunities?”

Ruhl added, “He literally gets paid to promote a mental health app. It’s all so hypocritical.”

Thompson also commented on Viall’s comments on his Instagram story, writing, “@nickviall is doubling down on his horrific take. This is pathetic. Keep defending reality TV productions for their inhumane cast treatment from your studio and I’ll keep doing the right thing.”

Ruhl shared a statement on Instagram after the initial report came out, writing, “Everyone’s experience is different, so I am only speaking for myself. In my season, people’s experiences were very different based on how ethical their producers were. My producer in the pods was ethical and way better than my producer in Mexico which is when things went downhill.”

If you or someone you know are experiencing suicidal thoughts, call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 988.