Love Is Blind star Patrick sparks backlash after making a ‘gross’ gesture while speaking to Kacie in the pods, leaving viewers visibly uncomfortable.
The fan discussions surrounding Anna Yuan and Kacie McIntosh from Love Is Blind Season 9 highlight two of the most controversial departures in the show’s recent history.
Both contestants have faced intense scrutiny from viewers for their actions in the pods and immediately following the initial reveal.
The question of why Anna, a 28-year-old hairstylist, abruptly left the pods, seemingly ghosting her two strongest connections, Patrick Suzuki and Blake Anderson, shocked both the cast and the audience.
Anna later clarified that her exit was due to an overwhelming emotional toll and deep guilt related to her family. As the daughter of immigrant parents with a language barrier, Anna felt immense pressure and anxiety about being unreachable and having her vulnerable conversations broadcast to millions.
She admitted that the intimacy of the conversations—especially with Blake—had scared her, and she broke down, feeling like she had taken a spot from someone who was genuinely ready for marriage.
Producers offered Anna a chance to explain her decision to Patrick face-to-face, but she declined, wanting to leave without facing the cameras. While Patrick felt blindsided and hurt, Anna maintains that she made the right decision for her mental health, concluding that her connections were not strong enough to lead to a successful marriage.
Her departure prompted Blake Anderson to also leave, as he realized a proposal wasn’t in the cards for him either, although he later regretted the way he also ghosted his connection, Megan Walerius.
The viewer sentiment that Kacie’s breakup with Patrick was “so cringe” stems from her behavior immediately after the reveal. After Anna’s exit, Patrick proposed to Kacie. However, their first meeting was widely described as uncomfortable by fans.
The backlash intensified when Kacie initiated a bizarre and confusing breakup in the hotel lobby. She told Patrick that she “couldn’t do this anymore” and wanted to leave the experiment, yet she simultaneously denied breaking up with him and continually engaged in physical contact, repeatedly kissing him. This contradictory behavior left Patrick completely confused.
In a moment that sealed the fans’ negative perception, Kacie told producers privately that her attraction to Patrick would “unfortunately” not grow and that he deserved someone who was “obsessed with him,” directly contradicting her on-camera assertion to Patrick that his physical appearance had nothing to do with her decision.
Viewers saw her behavior—which some labeled as manipulative or a “fawn response” to discomfort—as a failure to be honest with Patrick, making the difficult scene intensely awkward and earning her the online criticism of being “cringe.”