Netflix’s After the Altar special left fans with burning questions about Giannina Gibelli, Damian Powers, Mark Cuevas and more Love Is Blind season 1 cast members.
More than one year after filming the reality series in 2018, fans met Giannina, Damian, Mark, Jessica Batten, Lauren Speed, Cameron Hamilton, Amber Pike, Matthew Barnett, Kelly Chase, Kenny Barnes, Diamond Jack and Carlton Morton when Love Is Blind started streaming in February 2020. While the show originally featured 30 men and women, only six couples formed outside of the “pods” — a.k.a. got engaged after talking through a wall and without seeing each other in person.
Diamond and Carlton were the first pairing to implode, not making it past the couple’s trip to Playa del Carmen, Mexico. The remaining duos worked on their relationships until their respective wedding days, but only two couples — Lauren/Cameron and Amber/Barnett — exchanged vows.
During the first reunion special, which aired in March 2020, fans learned that Giannina and Damian got back together after he opted to leave her on their wedding day. When it came time to film the second reunion special, however, things were rocky as Damian was spotted out with Too Hot to Handle’s Francesca Farago in August 2020. He denied that there was anything romantic happening between the pair at the time.
“Over the past week, I have been in L.A. with my attorney, Alex Ion, pursuing new projects and business ventures. Francesca and I both share the same attorney,” Damian said in a statement, climbing that she “grabbed onto me in an attempt to shield herself from the paparazzi as our entire group entered the car.”
He added, ”Francesca and I are not dating or romantically involved but remain friends.”
Giannina stood by Damian at the time, preparing to celebrate their two-year dating anniversary in November 2020 at the party for Lauren and Cameron and Amber and Barnett captured for the After the Altar special. Things took a turn, however, when Damian brought Francesca to the bash.
“My blood boils just thinking about that. I also wasn’t expecting to be treated that way either. You know, if you’re going to bring someone as a friend, then why am I the one being treated like the stranger?” Giannina, who confirmed she and Damian were over for good, told Entertainment Tonight in August 2021 after the three-episode special dropped.
While Francesca has yet to react to the After the Altar drama, Giannina told Insider that she reached out to her in recent weeks.
“I did DM her and say like, ‘Hey, hope all is well.’ Like, ‘Hope all is well and good luck,’” she said. “To me, DMing her was really me accepting that I’ve moved on so much that it doesn’t even bother me.”
Scroll through for an update on the rest of the cast — including Mark, who skipped the second special: