Love Is Blind Star Deepti’s Brother Says Her Ex-Fiancé Is A Clout-Chasing “Loser”

Love Is Blind is back, and the Netflix reality dating show’s drama is more intense than ever. The series depicts lovelorn singles dating each other virtually while secluded in pods, only allowed to meet face to face if they get engaged within one week. Once the contestants accept the proposal, Love Is Blind follows them all the way to the altar — if they make it there. Season 2 saw contestant Deepti Vempati form a romantic bond with Abhishek “Shake” Chatterjee, though she left him mid-vows due to their struggles with physical intimacy. After the new episodes revealed Shake’s actual feelings in February 2021, Deepti’s brother took to social media and slammed him for being a clout-chasing “loser.”

Throughout Season 2, Deepti expressed desire for Shake to show affection in their relationship but ultimately felt their intimacy was disingenuous and decided to call off their marriage. What she didn’t see, but viewers did, was Shake’s behind-the-scenes comments about preferring fit women and not feeling “physically attracted” to Deepti while preparing for their nuptials. “It feels like I’m with my aunt or something,” he told a fellow contestant. At one point, Shake even told his mother about his lack of romantic feelings for Deepti.

Following backlash from fans, Shake posted a video to his Instagram account on Feb. 26 claiming his Love Is Blind experience was inaccurately edited. “I know I made some mistakes for sure,” he said in the clip. “The way it kind of played out on TV was way worse than it even was, but I know I messed up in a lot of ways, and I’m not perfect... Maybe there’s a reason I’ve been single so far.”

In a written statement shared via Instagram on Feb. 27, Deepti’s brother Sunny Vempati and his partner, Hina Merchant Vempati, praised Deepti and aired their frustrations with her ex-fiancé. “We wish you didn’t pick that [clown] but despite his childishness, you carried yourself with grace and continued to see the good in people,” they wrote. “We’re so damn proud to call you our baby sister, and know we’re there for you always.”

“Now normally I don’t get involved in drama but I’mma defend my sister here: ‘Shake’, bruh, you’re a loser. You minimized my sister’s life by making some awful and cringeworthy comments about her,” continued the open letter. “Despite your comments on and off camera about her body, she continued to only ever be supportive of you, despite our best efforts to convince her to see through your BS. THATS the kind of person she is.”

At the end of the statement, Sunny and Hina called out Shake’s comment about the way his actions rolled out on screen. “In spite of your best efforts to pretend this was all fictional and it was because of the ‘edit’, no one forced you to say those words,” they stated. “We welcomed you into our home, and you saw it as an opportunity for clout; so forgive me if I’m not sympathetic towards you and the hate you’re receiving. Good luck with the rest of your life; and stay the f*ck away from my sister.”

In an interview with BuzzFeed published Feb. 25, Deepti opened up about seeing Shake’s true colors alongside fans when she watched Love Is Blind Season 2 on Netflix. “Shake and I had conversations about how physical intimacy and that chemistry was lacking between us,” she told the publication. “But to watch it back and see how he did it — it was kind of like, ‘Oh, look at me, I’m this cool dude that’s just gonna talk sh*t about you to my friends.’ You don’t talk about somebody who is your fiancée, let alone a best friend — or even just a real friend — that way.”

“It was kind of disappointing and hard to watch, especially because my parents were so impacted by it,” Deepti continued. “We welcomed him into our home.”