‘Love Is Blind’ Season 7 Star Accused of Hiding His 3 Kids

The latest season of Netflix‘s popular reality dating show Love Is Blind caught audiences’ attention with an unexpected twist. As singles in Washington, D.C., deal with the struggles of finding a spouse sight unseen, one contestant has found himself wrapped up in controversy.

Tyler Francis, a 34-year-old account manager, quickly became a fan favorite after opening up about his challenging upbringing. In emotional conversations with his pod partner, Ashley Adionser, Tyler shared the story of his Siberian mother who faced familial rejection for having children with a Black man. This vulnerability seemingly strengthened his connection with Ashley, leading to their engagement.

However, the couple’s journey has become more complicated following allegations that Tyler may have concealed a significant part of his life from both Ashley and the show’s producers. Lovetta Thomas, an individual claiming to know Tyler, took to Instagram with a revealing video montage. The post featured images of Tyler with a woman and three children, including one who bears a striking resemblance to him. The caption provocatively stated, “Love is Blind Season 7…. Tyler,” with a hashtag reading, “They love their daddy.”

This revelation has shaken the Love Is Blind community, raising questions about the vetting process for contestants and the potential impact on Ashley and Tyler’s relationship. The allegation is particularly jarring given that no contestants in the first episodes of Season 7 mentioned having children, a departure from previous seasons, which have included single parents.

Adding fuel to the fire, a preview for upcoming episodes shows Ashley in tears, lamenting, “Two weeks before our wedding. This is something I should’ve known.” While the exact context of her distress remains unclear, the timing aligns suspiciously with the circulating rumors about Tyler’s alleged secret family.

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A post shared by Lovetta Thomas (@love2geaux)

Interestingly, Tyler seemed to foreshadow potential revelations about his past during the couple’s post-engagement trip to Mexico. He warned Ashley that people from his history might paint him in an unflattering light, stating, “It’s a great point to meet me [now] cause you would’ve hated me. I was just like, ‘Oh, you’re cute, wanna go on a date?’ Just prepare [for] people [to] be like, ‘He is not that nice.’ Like, nah, I just wasn’t nice to y’all. I didn’t give them a reason to be nice.”

In a subsequent interview with PEOPLE, Tyler elaborated on his warning to Ashley. “Just because I was in a bubble before her. So anyone that I dated, the slightest interest of not being serious, I was OK with cutting people off,” he explained. “I am at a point in my age where I didn’t want to waste anyone’s time, so it could come off as mean or cold.”

Tyler further clarified his intentions, stating, “I just wanted to let her know that’s the person I was but I came here to find love and prior to, I was trying to. But of course dating is hard in itself, so I just wasn’t into wasting people’s time. And I may have come off cold and I just want to let her know, ‘Hey, there are people that may be like, ah, he’s an a—.’ No, I’m just honest, honestly.”

For her part, Ashley, 32, initially appeared unfazed by Tyler’s warnings. She told PEOPLE, “The whole point of coming into this experiment is to jump in with both feet and accept someone for who they are. So when Tyler did say something like, ‘Oh, some people may not say that I’m nice,’ I’m like, ‘You are amazing to me. You’re the sweetest person. How could someone not think that you’re nice?’ I was shocked by that.”

Ashley went on to praise Tyler’s self-awareness, saying, “He did go into detail where he said he used to work long hours and he wouldn’t be the most pleasant person after that and things like that. That’s self-aware to me. I think everyone comes with something and I think the good part is recognizing it and realizing the person you want to evolve to be. So no red flags.”

As viewers eagerly await the next batch of episodes, set to release on Wednesday, the controversy surrounding Tyler has added another level of drama to the season. The allegations, if proven true, could have significant implications not only for Tyler and Ashley’s relationship but also for the integrity of the show’s premise.