Dave Bettenburg, a contestant from Love Is Blind season 8, has addressed the backlash he received following his jokes in the show’s pods.
In a February 18 appearance on The Viall Files podcast, the 33-year-old explained that his humor was meant to be lighthearted. “If you understand the humor, people can tell it was a joke,” he said. “Lauren [O’Brien], my eventual fiancée, handled it really well, and we connected after that.”
Dave quickly became a divisive figure on Love Is Blind, which released its first six episodes on February 14. From the start, he used the pick-up line “What’s wrong with you?” on his potential partners. While some fans, like comedian Cazzie David, called his humor “perfect,” others did not find it amusing. Despite mixed reactions, Dave is pleased with his approach. “I’m happy I approached it the way I did because it landed with a lot of women,” he said. “It helped me connect with the right people and move things along quicker.”
When host Nick Viall asked if he could “take it as well as you give it,” Dave admitted, “It’s harder than I think.” He explained, “You’re in the pods for hours, and there’s a lot of conversation. It’s important for me to have fun with my partner, so I wanted to show my true personality.”
During the podcast, Dave also addressed comments he made on the show about Botox. “I was in that industry at the time, and there’s nothing wrong with Botox. I’m a fan,” he said. “I’ve been shallow in the past, and I’m working on that. I want to love someone for the right reasons, and that’s what I focused on when I was on the show.”
He also shared his sister’s reaction to his appearance on Love Is Blind. She had expressed concerns about him seeking love in the pods, but Dave reassured listeners that she is handling it well. “The internet is crazy. Apparently, having a good relationship with your sister is a bad thing. But she’s fine,” he said. “If she were struggling with it, she would’ve reached out to me. She’s doing okay.”
After navigating a love triangle with Molly Mulaney and Lauren, Dave chose Lauren, and the two got engaged.
Following the season premiere, Love Is Blind hosts Nick and Vanessa Lachey commented on Dave’s behavior. Nick, 51, told Us Weekly, “He admitted that some women didn’t take his jokes well. For him, it was just his way of breaking the ice.”
The first six episodes of Love Is Blind are now streaming on Netflix. New episodes, including episodes 7-9, will be available on February 21, with episodes 10-11 premiering on February 28.
