Stephen Richardson and Monica Davis were one of seven couples to get engaged during this season of “Love Is Blind.”Netlfix
Following a whirlwind romance in the “Love Is Blind” dating pods, Monica Davis and Stephen Richardson’s relationship ended on a sour note in Season 7 of the Netflix show.
After taking their relationship into the real world and moving in together, the duo navigated the ups and downs of coupledom together.
When Stephen, an electrician, returned home to find that he no longer had a job, Monica, a sales executive, supported him, joking that she would gladly be his “sugar mama.”
But the pair imploded in Episode 8 in an event that Monica called “shocking.”
What happened between Monica and Stephen in ‘Love Is Blind’?
The couple bonded in the pods, overcoming both ideological differences and difficulties from past relationships.
In the pods, Stephen said he had been previously unfaithful.
“I will divulge something that I am not very proud of it all, but I wear this brand, and I think it’s very important to be honest about it,” Stephen said. “So we’re going to talk about cheating. I technically hold the title of being a cheater. I’ve been cheated on multiple times as well.”
He said he “slid into a girl’s DMs like a dumb–” and was flirting “with intention.” After the situation, Stephen said he went to therapy.
Responding, Monica said she previously had “very bad” experiences related to cheating but always found a “path to forgiveness.”
They got engaged. But things between them began to shift subtly in Mexico, like when Monica felt she couldn’t get a word into their conversations and was frustrated that he hadn’t gotten her presents or flowers.
The big fracture came in Episode 8 when the couple started talking about their sex life. Monica said that she and Stephen previously “great sex” but said she had been shutting down his advances ever since he expressed concerns about getting married.
What, exactly, did Stephen do?
At the end of Episode 8, a distraught Monica spoke with her co-star and friend Taylor Krause and said she was “shocked” by something Stephen had done.
Monica said Stephen was away for a sleep test the night before but she wasn’t confident that he was telling the truth. “Did he do a sleep test? I don’t know. He didn’t sleep here. It’s really unbelievable,” she said, crying. Taylor called the actions “evil.”
Meanwhile, Stephen appeared to be in the room throughout the conversation. Taylor then left so the couple could talk.
Once alone, Monica confronted him about text messages he’d sent to another woman that were “filled with fetishes.”
“It’s disgusting, Stephen,” she said.
“You’re right,” he said, seemingly resigned.
Monica wanted answers rather than apologies. “Why did you do this? Why did you propose? Why did you come here? Who are you? Were you at a sleep test last night?” she asked.
Stephen maintained he was at a sleep test, but Monica said she still didn’t believe him. She suggested that Stephen “pretended to want to get married.”
“I wasn’t pretending. I did make a completely stupid mistake while being drunk at a sleep test with somebody who texted me,” he said.
“You were doing it today, Stephen. You texted her today. And the really gross ones were today. So don’t f—— lie to my face,” she said.
Stephen then said that he “deleted” the message Monica was referring to because he “didn’t want to look at it either.”
“I know it was a stupid decision and it was coupled with the conversation that we had had last night,” he said, seemingly referring to the conversation they had about sex.
“Don’t you f—— blame me at all for you being gross,” Monica retorted.
Stephen then elaborated about what he meant. He seemed to imply that Monica’s pulling back from intimacy led to him seeking it out with someone else.
“I’m not blaming you. I’m blaming my actions on myself based on how I took our conversation. I’m taking full responsibility for this, which is why I’m getting my stuff and I’m leaving you alone,” he said.
Before Stephen left the apartment, Monica asked him to Venmo her the money he owed her for “carrying your weight the last couple days” and he did so.
“I’m almost embarrassed about how much of my heart I’ve given you. You were going to, what, shake my dad’s hand this weekend while you were planning on cheating? I don’t understand,” she said. “You were laying in a sleep test bed texting a girl while you are engaged that you want to do dirty things. It was disgusting.”
Stephen apologized once again before leaving.
“You’re right, I can’t do anything to change this. I will live with this. I truly am sorry for hurting you, for wasting your time, for coming on the show and doing this to you. I shouldn’t have come on the show,” he said.
“What a selfish thing to say. What a selfish piece of s—. You f—— put a ring on my finger and now you shouldn’t have been on the show?” Davis replied.
“I definitely don’t deserve much. I am sorry. I will leave you alone now,” Stephen said.
Monica went into further detail about Stephen’s texts
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Monica gave more detail as to what happened.
She said she had his phone to read a text from fellow cast member Garrett.
Then, she saw a “bunch of texts” from someone else. She said they started “before he left to do” the reality show.
“I do remember they were really very sexual. I remember one specifically said, ‘No one’s ever been able to satisfy my kinks the way you do.’ And they were just going back and forth,” she said.
She described her reaction.
“I was so devastated. I was completely caught off guard. One thing that you don’t get to see a lot of is how much Stephen and I talked about my past with infidelity, and how it’s been very brutal, and he promised… I felt so safe in knowing that that would never be an issue because of how open and honest I was about it,” she said.
Monica also said it was her decision to make sure the breakup was filmed.
How has Stephen responded?
TODAY.com has reached out to Stephen for comment and has not heard back by the time of publication.
He did post on his Instagram Story, however. In one message, he said, in part, “I hope I didn’t ruin anyone’s day by existing … and if I did I’m sorry you had to wake up this morning. I wish you didn’t have to either. But I’ll love you all the same.”
He also reshared a message from a “Love Is Blind” viewer who called him a “dirty dog.”
Stephen wrote, “I am whatever the fans of ‘Love Is Blind’ want me to be.”
