Love Is Blind star Joe Ferrucci opens up about split from Madison and regrets over hurtful remark

Love Is Blind season 9 continues to reveal new details after the show’s emotional moments aired on Netflix.

In an exclusive interview with US Weekly on October 15, 2025, Joe Ferrucci discussed his split from ex-fiancée Madison Maidenberg and shared his side of what viewers did not see on television.

The couple’s connection began strongly in the pods, where Joe said they had “a lot of butterflies” and deep conversations.

However, once the experiment moved into the real world, their relationship began to change.

Madison later revealed she developed an eating disorder after Joe commented that he usually dated “more petite women.”

Joe shared that hearing her admission was “a horrible feeling,” adding that he never intended to hurt her.

Their relationship was also affected by alcohol use and growing emotional distance.

Joe explained that he reached a breaking point before the wedding, realizing he could not continue if he were unsure about their future.

“It felt disingenuous on my part to even be there,” he said.

Inside the split and what went wrong between Joe and Madison in Love Is Blind

Joe explained that his connection with Madison was strong in the pods but changed after they left.

He described the early conversations as meaningful and said they both believed the relationship could last.

However, he began to notice differences once they started spending time together.

During their trip to Mexico, tensions surfaced after his comment about body type. Madison later spoke about the emotional impact of that moment, saying it affected her self-image. Joe responded,

“Obviously, kind of a horrible feeling on my end if that’s something that affected her long-term.”

The pair also struggled during a night when alcohol caused an argument that left Madison upset. Joe admitted,

“I was using alcohol as the worst coping mechanism,” and added that he has since reduced his drinking.

Despite appearing to recover in later episodes, Joe said he felt uncertain about marriage. “I had these emotions that I was aware of, and I was trying to mask them with other things,” he explained.

He described the experiment as high-pressure and emotional, leading him to realize he could not continue if he were unsure about saying yes on their wedding day.

Moving on and reflecting on the Love Is Blind experience

Joe said the turning point came while he was tux shopping.

“At that certain point, I’m thinking, ‘Why am I going through these motions if I have in my head that, ultimately, I’m not going to be able to say yes on that wedding day?’” he said in the interview.

He said it would have been unfair to continue pretending the relationship could work. When he decided to end things, he told Madison that they were not a fit outside the pods. “She was not my person, and I think that’s OK,” he said.

Joe also responded to Madison’s claim that his decision came soon after seeing other singles from the experiment.

He said there was no one else he wanted to pursue and that his choice was about honesty with himself. He reflected that while they had a strong physical connection, it wasn’t a solid foundation.

“I think that and fighting were the only two things we did,” he admitted.

Looking back, Joe said he would have approached the process differently. “I would have sat in the moment, felt what I was feeling, and not tried to run away from some of the emotions,” he said.

The season finale of Love Is Blind premieres on October 22 on Netflix.
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