Netflix dropped the final episode of Love Is Blind Season 8 yesterday, and it was full of surprises. While a few couples seemed like shoo-ins, there were some surprising "no's" at the altar.

This was the case for Sara Carton and Ben Mezzenga. The reality TV cast members faced a dramatic moment when Sara turned him down at the last second — and now she's revealed the truth behind her decision that you didn't see onscreen.

Ben And Sara
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Via: Netflix

Sara Said Ben Struggled With Communication

In an exclusive conversation with Us Weekly, Sara revealed that her issues with Ben started pretty early on in their relationship. For one, there was a TikTok made by an ex of his talking about how he treated women poorly, already making her suspicious. Though Sara said she was able to move past the video at the time, it made her realize she had to dig deeper to understand who Ben really was.

Sara explained how learning things about Ben through the internet or from other people made her start to doubt his sincerity:

That was just one more thing [that] made me feel like, ‘OK, he may not be as genuine as he is saying or seems to be.’ And it all made sense after the wedding.

She also noted that Ben was unwilling or unable to have deep conversations about topics that mattered to her. "I felt like we never progressed,” she explained. “I was constantly asking and talking to him about these values way more than I ever would... I wasn't getting anything in return."

Ben's Faith Came Between Them

Sara also divulged that Ben was likely much more religious than he let on. Some of this, she admitted, she only realized after the show came out and she watched the episodes for herself. Moments like seeing Ben pray throughout the day with friends and family made her "confused," as it wasn't consistent with the behavior she knew from him.

She went on to explain how the realization slowly dawned on her:

I realize watching it back how important religion really is for him. I never heard that from him. You would think someone religious or with that spirituality — that they would want their partner to have the same level. But I never got that from him.

Ever since the show aired, it seems that Sara was still trying to figure out who the man she nearly married really is. "I'm still learning about him," she admitted.

When it came time to walk down the aisle, then, Sara knew that they weren't aligned enough to become husband and wife. She pointed out that there was a discrepancy between how there seemed to be a distance between them and how much Ben told her that he loved her. "Every time he talked to me, he told me how much he loved me. And so it’s like, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m being so harsh,'" she explained. "But it just felt off. I knew something was off."

In the end, this meant that Sara knew she'd have to be the one to say no at the altar. While she worried that she was being too mean at times, since they'd never technically had a major fight in their relationship, ultimately she decided to trust her gut feeling.

Love Is Blind Season 8
Why Filming Love Is Blind In Minneapolis Made It "Harder" For Couples To Connect In Season 8
Netflix

"It was more just the emotional, mental piece that just didn’t sit right with me," Sara said. "Like, nothing he said ever made me question his integrity with me, but he did always seem to say the right thing. And whenever I would leave a conversation, I’d sometimes ask myself, like, ‘Is there any weight to these words?’"

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Your Rating

Love Is Blind
TV-MA
Reality TV
Romance
9 / 10
Release Date
February 13, 2020
Showrunner
Chris Coelen
Directors
Chris Coelen

Cast

  • shutterstock_89876560.jpg
    Nick Lachey
  • instar51400987.jpg
    Vanessa Lachey

WHERE TO WATCH

Streaming

Fifteen men and women from the same city come together to compete in Love is Blind, a reality dating show created for Netflix. The show sees couples meet and fall in love with a twist - they'll only meet face to face if one of the two accepts a marriage proposal. If they accept, they'll move in with their partner, meet their families, and ultimately decide if they want to say "I do."

Writers
Chris Coelen
Main Genre
Reality
Seasons
8
Story By
Chris Coelen
Streaming Service(s)
Netflix