Warning: This article contains spoilers about theLove Is Blindseason 3 finale and reunion.
“Watching it back, watching our reveal, I was yelling at the television.
How did I not leave with that man as my husband?'”
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“I did give a shot to get back to that every day we were engaged.
I did fight for our relationship.
I do think it’s a serious thing.
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There’s a lot of weight on it.
I was trying to double-check we were making the best call for both of us.”
ZANAB JAFFREY:I feel very deeply, and I was very much in love at the time.
But I knew that this would of course come out.
That was the whole premise of this, that I would have to relive it at some point.
This is what’s happened.
Therapy sounds like the perfect way to deal with the aftermath of everything you went through.
Yeah, couldn’t agree more.
Huge advocate for therapy.
I’ve been in therapy several times in my life.
Everyone could benefit from it.
You and Cole had the most tumultuous relationship out of all the couples this season.
How did the reality of your experience compare to the way it was portrayed in the episodes?
It’s thousands of hours of footage all condensed into 10 episodes.
We definitely laughed and and I very much loved him.
And I wish him well, but I stand by everything I said on the wedding day.
I didn’t just say no to the Cole that the world saw.
I said no to Cole that I was living with and I got 24 hours a day.
I really was torn.
Cole and I had really high highs and quite low lows.
When I looked up at him when I walked down the aisle, he just looked terrified.
Nothing in my heart told me that’s what your groom is meant to look at you like.
Have you watched the reunion yet?
I’ve not seen the reunion, no.
When you filmed the reunion, how did you feel it went for you and Cole?
How did it feel having a lot of the other cast members supporting you during the reunion?
Their support means everything.
People saw how it was affecting me, and people were worried.
Having them speak up and support me, I love them for that.
You revealed that you developed an eating disorder throughout filming.
I’m so sorry you were going through that.
How are you doing now?
I’m doing really well.
I definitely reintroduced food as soon as I could, and my metabolism and body hated me for that.
I was 100 percent trying to do everything I could to make my fiance crazy about me physically.
I didn’t seek out help for an eating disorder.
I just spent some time with family.
I’ve always been a good eater.
I very much enjoy food.
I’m not the girl that turns down desserts.
I’m not the girl that cuts bread out.
I’ve never been that person.
So it was very shocking to my system.
Had you spoken about your eating disorder with Cole before you talked about it during the reunion?
Speaking of the cuties/tangerine clip, they do show that footage in the reunion before the credits.
It’s exactly how you described it.
Well, I’m glad that it was shown.
I’m not crazy.
[Laughs] So I’m glad they used it.
It’s in there.
That is information Cole offered to me.
That is not third-party information, that is not through telephone.
He said, “I’m about to get married.
I want to kiss one more girl.
Can I kiss you?”
Apparently, she said, “No, I don’t do cheaters.”
I was like, “Oh, how nice.
There’s good women out in the world.”
Something inside me made me ask, “Cole, did you get her phone number?”
So yes, I did say there would be no drama at the wedding.
But 20 minutes later he shared with me that he tried to kiss [another woman].
I don’t need to make up anything.
I do not need to fabricate.
He shared that information with me.
He denied it on the reunion.
He can call me a liar.
That would be false.
It’s just not consistent behavior of someone that would want to be married.
I’m so thankful for the experience.
It did teach me a lot about myself.
I would hope my next relationship is my forever relationship.
I have this experience to thank for that.
So I’m overwhelmingly thankful.
What has the response been like so far now that the whole season is out?
It’s a lot of women supporting me, which I love.
Then, of course, there’s the part of the internet that … [pauses].
I would stop to ask viewers why do you think that is.
The people that have not done those things will not.
What do you hope Cole learned from the reunion?
I hope he looks inward, maybe some self-awareness and accountability.
He is someone I loved once and I cared about deeply.
I hope he does self-work too.
Across genders, you don’t treat people like that.
You don’t treat people like that that you love, that you’re meant to respect.
It’s not healthy otherwise.
I hope he breaks the pattern with it.
This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.
