Love Is Blind: Iyanna Explains Moving Past Jarrett’s 'Awkward' Mallory Talk
Iyanna McNeely is opening up about how she moved past Jarrett Jones' seemingly "awkward" conversation with Mallory Zapata on Love Is Blind. Iyanna and Jarrett were one of only a few couples to make it down the altar and become a married couple in season 2. But Iyanna wasn't always Jarrett's first pick. After watching the show back and seeing Jarrett and Mallory's first in-person conversation outside the pods, Iyanna is ready to set the record straight about her husband.
Jarrett embarked on the dating experiment in hopes of finding love. With the support of his parents, Jarrett went to the pods focused on finding a wife. His initial emotional attraction to Mallory and Iyanna put Jarrett in a tough spot decision-wise. He wasn't sure which of the ladies he wanted to propose to and was leaning towards picking Mallory up until she let him know that she didn't share the same feelings. After Mallory turned down Jarrett, she went on to accept Salvador Perez's proposal. The move prompted Jarrett to propose to Iyanna instead.
Iyanna was unaware of what Jarrett and Mallory talked about when they finally met in person in Mexico. The newlywed wouldn't find out until she watched the show back and found out. Now that she knows the totality of their encounter, Iyanna is clearing the air. “For me, watching it was really awkward,” Iyanna told Us Weekly. She said Jarrett and Mallory had both told her about the conversation prior to the show airing but didn't tell her everything. "I knew about the conversation beforehand. They both told me about it, but I think they both kind of forgot the details of it,” Iyanna explained. “So when I watched, I was like, ‘Ah, god.’ Like, it was just so awkward."
But the genuine bond Iyanna had with Jarrett helped to reassure her that he was being truthful about his intentions with her despite his initial attraction to Mallory. "I was constantly reminding myself, ‘That’s not who he is.’ And he’s proven for almost nine months now who he actually is," Iyanna said in defense of Jarrett. Noting that she won't "make excuses" for Jarrett and Mallory's flirty past, "I think it was just how fresh everything was," she added. Ultimately, Mallory was left at the altar by Salvador, who said he wasn't ready to take such a big leap into marriage. With it being an experiment, the couple got to decide whether or not they wanted to through with getting married after a few weeks of being engaged after falling in love without seeing each other.
By the finale, Jarrett and Iyanna were one of two couples that tied the knot. The Love Is Blind couple joined Danielle Ruhl and Nick Thompson in exchanging their vows. With all the breakups, the couples that actually stayed together became standouts. Jarrett and Iyanna are still going strong, and Iyanna has no quarrels with Mallory. All is fair in a dating experiment, especially when you walk away with a new husband.
Source: Us Weekly