The former VP of marketing blames the show in part for sullying his reputation and making him effectively unhireable.
Reality stars are beginning to speak up about fair labor practices amid the concurrent writers’ and actors’ strike.
Nick Thompson claims after his stint on Netflix’s dating show Love Is Blind, he lost his job as a VP of marketing and has applied “to over 400 jobs” to no avail. He also says he can only afford his mortgage for another two months.
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Thompson believes his appearance on the show may have prompted his firing from his original job.
“There were a number of layoffs, but it was a week after my name was not politely mentioned in the media, so I think that might have been a contributing factor when decisions were being made,” Thompson told Entertainment Tonight. “That’s speculation, of course, but after the show came out… I definitely felt like I wasn’t taken as seriously anymore… people would treat me a little bit differently and not take my ideas or my work as seriously.”
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He’s gotten feedback along the lines of companies not wanting his name associated with them. Though Thompson has found himself in a tricky situation, he’s trying to help other reality stars with his organization, the UCAN Foundation, the Unscripted Cast Advocacy Network.
“Our goal there is to take care of the immediate thing right now, which is that we have cast members that need legal and mental health support,” Thompson explained. “So we built the network. There are over 400 therapists, over 50 entertainment lawyers, that are in our network, that are there ready to help.”
Thompson also criticized Netflix for poor working conditions while filming, as well as the salary and the lack of residuals paid to talent. Real Housewives of New York City alum Bethenny Frankel recently sounded a similar bell in an Instagram video.
“Anyone shooting a Bravo show should not be shooting until they get paid residuals for all the other episodes that they’ve ever done or those episodes should be taken down,” she said, adding, “Reality stars should go on strike.”
