When Jessica Batten and Amber Pike signed up for Netflix's Love is Blind’s debut season, they had no idea they’d leave the show as bitter rivals. However, this outcome was rendered inevitable when they both fell for engineer Matt Barnett during their time in the pods. Though initially besotted with both women, Barnett ultimately settled on Pike, a decision that sparked a vicious feud between Batten and Pike.
So intense was their feud that Jessica ended up receiving heavy backlash from viewers after the show aired. With the show already on its third season, one can safely presume that sufficient time has passed for the two to let bygones be bygones. So, are Amber and Jessica still feuding four years after appearing on Love is Blind?
8 When Did Amber Pike And Jessica Batten’s Feud Begin?
Amber Pike and Jessica Batten’s feud was one of the most prominent storylines in Love is Blind’s debut season. During their time on the pods, the two fell in love with Georgia native Matt Barnett.
When Barnett chose to propose to Pike, Batten resorted to making passive-aggressive comments and carrying on a flirtatious relationship with Barnett, despite being engaged to Mark Cuevas. By the time the show wrapped, Pike and Batten had become such bitter rivals that Pike couldn't even acknowledge Jessica’s existence.
7 Jessica Batten Tried To Patch Things Up With Amber Pike
Amber Pike and Jessica Batten’s feud showed signs of abating back in 2020, when Love is Blind’s After the Altar special aired on Netflix. Jessica, who’d endured severe backlash after her time on the show, tried to make amends with Barnett and Pike by offering them an anniversary gift.
However, not only did Barnett refuse to accept the gift, he also seemed unable to acknowledge Batten’s existence, creating one of the most awkward situations in Love is Blind history.
6 Jessica Batten Is Now Married To Benjamin McGrath
Following her tumultuous journey on Love is Blind, Jessica Batten met and fell in love with the drop-dead gorgeous California foot and ankle surgeon, Benjamin McGrath. The two tied the knot in September 2022, and have been enjoying a blissful marriage ever since.
"Both of us have had a broken road that led us to each other," Jessica told People of her husband in 2021. "And I know that's a really cliché, sappy love song, but it's very true for us."
5 Amber Pike Doesn’t Believe Jessica Batten Has Moved On From Barnett
Despite her recent nuptials, Amber Pike believes that Jessica Batten is yet to move on from Barnett. The 30-year-old even accused Batten’s husband, Benjamin McGrath, of messaging Barnett on social media in a 2021 interview with ET.
In a later interview with ET, Batten confirmed Pike’s claims, adding, “Ben gets very protective over me. Him knowing the truth ... he was very involved in that. He was like, 'Babe, how can we fix this?' He's just always wanted people to see me for the me that he sees."
4 Does Jessica Batten Still Have Feelings For Matt Barnett?
Jessica Batten’s feelings for Matt Barnett have waned considerably since the duo’s time in the Love is Blind pods
"It's kind of like when you're on Bumble and you think for a fleeting moment that you have something with someone, that's kind of how I feel like the relationship was with [Amber PIke's] husband,” she told E! News in 2021. “And two years later, I feel like several ships have sailed since then. It's such water under the bridge for me.”
3 Amber Pike Wants Nothing To Do With Jessica Batten
Though Batten no longer poses a threat to her marriage, Amber Pike has been reluctant to mend bridges with her former co-star.
"I'm not angry, I just don't want to have anything to do with her," she told ET in 2021. "There are just some people that when they show you their character, you should believe them.”
2 How Does Jessica Feel About Amber Pike Today?
Astoundingly, Jessica Batten, whom the Barnetts casually referred to as ‘Voldemort’ during Love is Blind’s After the Altar special, wishes Amber Pike and Barnett nothing but the best.
"I'm the person that doesn't exist and can't be spoken of," she told E! News in 2021. "I want [Amber and Barnett's] marriage to work and if it's with thinking that I don't exist in this world, hey, that's OK. It's most important for me that they work out."
1 Will Amber Pike Ever Change Her Mind About Jessica Batten?
Unfortunately, Amber Pike is unlikely to change her stance on Jessica Batten in the near future.
“The rest of the world might've seen something, and they can form their opinions, but I experienced something, and I've got my opinion, and it's not gonna change,” Pike confessed to ET in 2021. “So why would I want anything to do with [Jessica Batten]?"
