Love Is Blind’s Renee Poche.Photo:Monty Brinton/Netflix
Monty Brinton/Netflix
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Bruce G. Iwasaki denied a request for Poche and her lawyers, Bryan Freedman and Mark Geragos, to avoid arbitration in the lawsuit, according to a press release from the production company.
In the ruling, Judge Iwasaki noted Ms. Poche and her lawyers engaged in “heated rhetoric” but had “absolutely no evidence” that participating in arbitration — as required under Poche’s agreement with Delirium — would cause her harm, per the press release.
Courtesy of Netflix
Judge Iwasaki also noted the court had “grave doubts” about Poche’s request to avoid arbitration and ruled that she “must defend Delirium’s claims in the arbitration, and, should she choose to continue to pursue them, litigate her claims against Delirium and Netflix in arbitration.”
Delirium’s attorneys, Larry Iser and Allen Secretov of Kinsella Holley Iser Kump Steinsapir LLP, shared a statement reacting to the ruling.
“We are very pleased with the results of today’s hearing, which confirms that Delirium acted properly in filing its arbitration against Ms. Poche in response to her violations of her confidentiality and publicity obligations,” Iser and Secretov stated.
“Arbitration is the procedure that is spelled out in the agreement Ms. Poche signed when she applied to participate inLove is Blind,” the statement continued. “But, rather than defend against Delirium’s claims in arbitration, Ms. Poche and her lawyers chose to file a headline-grabbing Complaint in Court against Delirium and Netflix with a morass of arguments challenging the enforceability of the agreement she signed.”
Uche Okoroha, Izzy Zapata, Christopher Fox, Johnie Maraist, Maris Prakonekham, Miriam Amah, Renee Poche, Stacy Snyder on “Love Is Blind”.Courtesy of Netflix
The statement concluded: “Ms. Poche and her lawyers twice sought—unsuccessfully—to enjoin Delirium from pursuing its arbitration against Ms. Poche, and also sought—unsuccessfully—to enjoin all of Delirium and Netflix’s employment and participant agreements.”
Renee Poche and Carter Wall.Monty Brinton/Netflix
“Production was insistent that all participants had been vetted and were ‘marriage material,'” the complaint stated.
Once inside the pods, Poche said she “hit it off” with Wall, who she “later found out had lied about almost everything,” according to the complaint. Per the complaint, Wall was allegedly “unemployed with a negative balance in his bank account, homeless, violent, estranged from his family, and actively addicted to drugs and alcohol” at the time of filming.
“Wall regularly berated Poche, stole from the set or places they visited, and solicited others to buy painkillers and amphetamines for him,” the complaint alleged. “Wall was emotionally abusive on and off camera, lied malignantly, and heavily abused drugs and alcohol.”
“In Houston, production staff warned Poche to ensure Wall had no access to firearms or other weapons because they were concerned he would hurt himself, her, or others,” the complaint alleged.
Poche stated in the complaint that she became “utterly terrified to be around him and made her misgivings clear to production.” Despite that, the vet alleged she was “forced to spend long stretches of time alone with him” and was told she “would subject herself to legal action if she were to discontinue her participation in the Program or otherwise refuse to move forward with the engagement.”
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After ending her relationship with Wall once filming wrapped, Poche learned their storyline would not be featured on the show. She then began making “some limited public remarks about her distressing time” on the show.
Poche believed the agreement was “illegal and unenforceable” and sought “relief” from the court for “any and all forms of liability.”
source: people.com
