Stacy & Izzy Clarify Their Love Is Blind Reunion Drama With Johnie

At the Love Is Blind Season 5 reunion, you could cut the tension between certain cast members with a knife.

Such was the case with Izzy Zapata, Stacy Snyder, and Johnie Maraist, who were at the center of some explosive Season 5 drama. To recap, Izzy courted both Stacy and Johnie in the pods, but wound up choosing Stacy. Heartbroken, Johnie “talked sh*t” about Stacy, saying her relationship with Izzy would never last. All of this culminated in a huge blow-up at a now-infamous barbecue.

Hosts Nick and Vanessa Lachey attempted to make sense of what went down between the three of them at the reunion, but viewers never got the full picture.

So, Bustle spoke to Izzy and Stacy to clarify why Johnie triggered such an emotional reaction.

What Exactly Did Johnie Say?

Stacy and Izzy say that Johnie crossed the line when she made unprovoked comments “gunning on” Stacy’s physical appearance.

In separate interviews with Bustle, they both recalled finding out from castmates Lydia Velez Gonzalez, Aaliyah Cosby, Taylor Rue, and Miriam Amah that, after Izzy chose Stacy, Johnie went around saying Stacy was “not even hot” and that Izzy was going to be “disappointed” by his new fiancée’s looks.

During the reunion, Johnie admitted to making some “kind of petty” comments post-breakup, but maintained that she “didn’t think [Izzy and Stacy] were compatible.”

Stacy says that, after the comments about her appearance, Johnie continued to antagonize her with “mean girl” behavior. She points out how Johnie and Chris Fox whispered and laughed while she was speaking during the reunion, adding that Johnie did the same thing at the barbecue. Stacy also overheard an “uncool” conversation Johnie had with Milton Johnson, in which Johnie called her “not memorable.”

Stacy explains, “It was probably the 50th button of mine that she had pressed that night, beyond my boundaries. I think it’s unfortunate.” Regardless, she says she’s now “over it.”

Izzy Defends His Kiss With Johnie

Izzy says he can see why Stacy was upset about Johnie’s comments. Even so, he says he apologized to Johnie in person shortly after filming wrapped — and tried to see if there was still a romantic spark between them after they ran into each other and “kind of bonded again” at a Houston bar.

“We did try to explore it, and we ended up making out in my Jeep at the end of the night. But we could just tell that we weren’t each other’s person,” he tells Bustle. “It was clear that I wasn’t over Stacy, and she wasn’t over the fact I told her no in the pods.”

Stacy found out about Izzy and Johnie’s kiss “probably the day after” when Renee Poche sent her a photo of them together. Naturally, she had “a lot of thoughts” at the time. “For how hurt Izzy was at the wedding and the commentary he had about me after, to turn around and do that, I wasn’t impressed,” she admits. For a moment, she wondered if he’d hooked up with Johnie “purposely to hurt” her.

Still, Stacy reminded herself that she and Izzy were no longer together: “I always try to be fair, so as many questions and WTF’s I had going through my head... it’s not my business anymore. He’s a grown adult; he can figure that out.”

Stacy & Izzy Are Still Solid — As Friends

Earlier this year, another chance meeting at a Houston bar brought Stacy and Izzy back together. Now, the exes check in with each other daily.

“It’s definitely complicated, but it’s good. And I really cannot imagine going through this and not having that friendship with him,” Stacy explains, adding that if they “had animosity and never talked to each other again,” she probably would have skipped the reunion altogether.

As Izzy — who’s also “cordial” with Johnie now — puts it, “After the wedding, we didn’t talk, but we reunited, and now we’re closer than ever.”

There still seems to be no love lost between Stacy and Johnie, though.