Who is Madison Maidenberg from Love Is Blind? Age, job and more explored

Madison Maidenberg emerges on Season 9 of Love Is Blind not only as a contestant seeking connection in the pods, but also as someone navigating a significant health diagnosis and a well-established career path.

From her career in design to her advocacy for the visually impaired, Madison’s story has become one of the most talked-about arcs of the new season.

Love is Blind’s Madison Maidenberg: Early life, age and background

Madison Maidenberg is 28 years old at the time of her appearance on Love Is Blind. According to her contestant bio, she is based in Denver, Colorado.

She graduated high school at 16. She later bought her first home at 26. Her Instagram profile identifies her as “Love is Blind, S9 Denver (ish), President, Foundation Fighting Blindness — CO.”

Madison’s professional title is UX/UI Designer. She told an outlet she “went on 40 first dates last year but never found ‘The One,’” so she opted in to Love Is Blind.

A major aspect of Madison’s story on Love Is Blind is her diagnosis of a rare eye disease. She was diagnosed at age 21 with a recessive form of Retinitis Pigmentosa, which gradually affects the light-sensing cells of the retina.

During the initial episode she said,

“I have a blinding-eye condition, and there's a good chance that I’m going to go blind. This experiment is so much more to me because it simulates what my life could be like when I do lose my vision. I know what I need in a partner with my diagnosis. So, it’s so important that I find that correct person and that somebody is so empathetic and understanding.”

She explained the effects of her condition: in dim lighting or bars she struggles with peripheral vision:

“If you can imagine your field of vision as a spotlight … in bright light situations I have a pretty good field of vision, although far peripherals are a little bit hard to see. When the lights go down, I have a very, very hard time seeing peripherally.”

Madison also serves in a leadership role with the Foundation Fighting Blindness (Colorado chapter), having held roles such as Vice President and Auction Chair, raising funds and awareness around retinitis pigmentosa.

Madison’s journey on Love Is Blind 

On Love Is Blind Season 9, Madison’s emphasis on her diagnosis and what she needed in a partner was front and centre.

Her contestant bio describes that she entered the show hoping for: “a man with gentle energy, good banter, and last, but not least, thick thighs.”

In her own words:

“Love is blind and I might be too, so I need to find someone that can stimulate my brain outside of physicality.”

She also told an outlet:

“I would love to be able to experience that and kind of get a taste of what my life could be if I lost my vision.”

In the pods, she connected with several male contestants; one profile noted that Blake was her “number one” on day one, while Joe was “number five” initially, but climbed.

She got engaged to Joe Ferrucci. The series’ summary of Season 9 notes that Madison and Joe ultimately did not marry as Joe ended the relationship before the wedding day.

Post-engagement, events in Mexico (the cast's vacation) showed significant tension: Joe reportedly over-indulged at a pool party and left Madison behind. Madison later said:

“He was still very drunk … it was confusing. He seemed like he was still pretty drunk, and then I’m trying to engage with him … We’re not really having a whole lot of dialogue.”

Joe’s comments about Madison’s body and his prior preferences created new issues: Madison described these remarks as “really hurtful,” noting that he told her he usually dated “more petite women.” 

She said:

“The things that he said kind of carelessly really did impact me, you know? Honestly, from that comment, I kind of developed an eating disorder moving forward.”

Current status

As of late 2025, Love Is Blind Season 9 is still airing and the reunion is expected later in October.

While Madison’s journey on the show did not end with a wedding, she remains visible publicly: she continues her advocacy with the Foundation Fighting Blindness, and shares updates on social media under the handle @madisonvm.

Madison has used her platform to speak openly about body image, disordered eating and the intersection of dating with a degenerative visual condition.

With her professional career in UX/UI design and leadership in vision-loss advocacy, her post-show path seems to combine personal growth, professional work and public outreach.

On Love Is Blind Season 9, Madison Maidenberg‘s storyline includes emotional highs in the pods, an engagement to Joe Ferrucci, public conflict around body image and vision loss, and a breakup before the wedding day.

As Love Is Blind continues, viewers will be watching how Madison leverages her experience on the show into her next chapter.

Stay tuned for more updates.