This ‘Love Is Blind’ Season 7 Contestant’s Lewd Comments Give Me the Ick

Love Is Blind Season 7 is doing a wonderful job of proving that perceptions can be deceptive. While the popular Netflix reality dating show is typically laced with post-engagement drama and gradual revelations of red flags, Stephen Richardson has taken it one step further with his wolf in sheep’s clothing behavior. Early revelations in the pods should’ve served as the first warning signals that the man was problematic, but Monica Davis overlooked them at the time. During the face reveal, things seemed smooth sailing, and the couple appeared to be really into each other.

The bumps in their relationship started arising when they were on the getaway to Cabo San Lucas in Mexico. The scenes show Richardson making the most out-of-pocket statements, irking Davis as she continually snaps at him. Once back in DC, their relationship further deteriorated as Richardson’s misogynistic views and uncomfortable sexual views began coming to light. What tipped the iceberg for me in their relationship was when Davis caught Richardson cheating on her while away on a sleep test, which put the pieces of the puzzle in place as to why he was giving me the ick from the get-go.

There Were Early Signs of Red Flags in the Pods

While Monica Davis and Stephen Richarrdson’s relationship seemed healthy, with open lines of communication, even in the pods, there were clear signs of red flags that couldn’t be ignored. Starting with how Richardson opened up to her about how he’d emotionally cheated on his long-time partner in the past by sliding into another woman’s dm’s with “intentions” of cheating. There was also the moment when he admitted to voting for Donald Trump during the 2016 elections but tried to sugarcoat that information by revealing how he voted for Joe Biden the following elections. Eventually, one can sense that Richardson was very talented at stating his messed-up actions from the past and taking away from the gravity of those decisions by remarking how he recognized that those weren’t his proudest moments.

But cheating and questionable political views aside, what I found the most problematic about his behavior in the pods was when he referred to Davis as a “mutt” while she was talking about her mixed ethnicity. While Davis and the screenplay didn’t project how that was not an acceptable thing to say, most viewers spotted this derogatory comment and instantly caught the ick. What’s worse is that Ricardson clearly doesn’t see the problem with using the slur, as he’d even used it nonchalantly while talking about how his mother constantly referred to him as a mutt in an exclusive interview with PEOPLE.

Richardson’s Behavior in Mexico Was Uncomfortable

During the couple’s time in Mexico, things between the duo only got worse. For starters, Richardson’s conversations began to circle the topic of sex, and he even engaged in a conversation with Taylor Krause and Davis in Episode 7, “Truth Bombs,” where he spoke about women unfavorably. The whole discussion was uncomfortable to me as he stated that there are women out there who don’t care if a man is married or not and will offer to perform oral sex on them.

In a later episode, Krause also revealed to Davis how Richardson had remarked in the same conversation that a year from now, women would be in his dm’s “wanting to suck my dick.” Richardson also expressed doubts about getting married during the couple’s time in Mexico, which was the exact moment I started to question his intentions. His revelation did not sit well with Davis, who then pulled the break on their sex life.

Richardson Made Polarizing Statements About Childbirth

Episode 8,” Dirty Laundry,” has been aptly named. Richardson’s words coax one to cleanse one’s aura from the sheer audacity of his statements during a conversation with Davis. Richardson mansplained that women don’t know what gets them going, while all it takes for men is for the wind to blow a certain way. He also remarked how a vagina is the main focus during sex and even made out-of-pocket statements about how interesting it would be for a man to have a vagina.

His statements get incredibly tone-deaf and appalling when he compares the pain of getting kicked in the nuts to the same pain during childbirth. That’s not all. He takes it one ill-informed step further by making the following statement: “Giving birth is the only time a woman comes close to understanding what it’s like when a man has a common cold.” The sheer audacity of this man is truly unmatched. I’m not even going to get into the instance when he’d spoken about dipping his member into a pineapple or a bowl of mac and cheese!

Richardson Was Caught Cheating, Leading to Questions on His Intentions

I was the least surprised when Stephen Richardson was caught cheating toward the end of Episode 8. The electrician had been caught exchanging X-rated messages with another woman while away on a sleep test. While the whole event wasn’t caught on camera, Davis exclusively shared with Entertainment Weekly how she saw the texts by accident when checking Richardson’s phone for an update from fellow Love Is Blind Season 7 couple, who were on their way to drop off some baked goods. Throughout the season, Richardson has been gradually giving me the ick with his underhanded misogynistic statements.

His perception of a relationship being centered around doing nice things for one’s partner, not out of love but to get rewarded with sex, was cringeworthy. What further reaffirmed that Richardson’s intentions weren’t in the right place was how quickly he dismissed his being on the show, their entire relationship, and Davis’ feelings when he got caught cheating. Considering his misogynistic beliefs, cheating tendencies, and lack of control over his tongue — literally and figuratively — Monica Davise saved herself from being in a marriage with a villainous man.

New episodes of Love Is Blind Season 7 are released in batches each Wednesday. You can stream the show’s previous seasons on the same platform.

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