Yahoo Movies 'Love Is Blind' 's Bliss Was 'Disappointed' by Irina's Actions — Including Saying She 'Dodged a Bullet' with Zack
"I hope for growth and healing for her, and I hope that she can move forward and improve," Bliss tells PEOPLE of her Love Is Blind costar Irina, who was previously engaged to her now-fiancé Zack
Warning: This post contains spoilers about season 4 of Netflix's Love Is Blind.
Love Is Blind's Bliss Poureetezadi has no bad blood with Irina Solomonova, though she does find some of her past behaviors disheartening.
Drama initially arose between Bliss, 33, and Irina, 26, in the pods as they both vied for Zack Goytowski's heart. Things intensified when Zack's birthday rolled around; as Bliss was making him cupcakes, Irina admitted to forgetting and then asked if she could have one of Bliss's candles (which Bliss politely declined.)
Zach ultimately chose Irina and proposed to her — but their honeymoon phase didn't last long. By the end of their trip to Mexico, both Zack and Irina mutually agreed to end their engagement. It turned out their attraction in the pods didn't hold up in person. Irina, and some of the other LIB stars, then encouraged Zack to chase after Bliss when he returned to Seattle.
Now that Bliss is happily engaged to Zack as of episode 8, she tells PEOPLE that she views everything with Irina as "one small little blip in my life."
"I really stand by that last conversation that Irina and I had in the pods," she says of their chat, which saw them agree to find peace with each other before Zack made his decision. "I wish the best for her. I hope for growth and healing for her, and I hope that she can move forward and improve."
Bliss also insists there was more to the story than viewers saw. "The whole cupcake thing... she actually had used the ingredients for the cupcakes that I was going to make, and it just was a whole build-up of things, and me trying to keep attempting to [say], 'This is not a competition. Let's just — you do your thing, and I'll do mine.' And it is, of course, editing does change things."
Despite having no hard feelings, Bliss recalls one exchange between her and Irina that left her feeling uncomfortable.
"She did text me actually when she got back from Mexico, [saying] that I dodged a bullet. And then she's like, 'Oh wait, that was mean.' And I just didn't respond. I just had no interest in [it]. I felt like I said what I had needed to say to her [in our final conversation]," Bliss recalls. "I will say that I had that conversation with her multiple times. And so, I think that was more the disappointing part."
The senior program manager adds, "She did reach out to me after these last episodes dropped and just apologizing and all of that. So we haven't talked in person or anything like that. But for me, this was a year ago. This is one small little blip in my life ... that was just one part of me and Zack's story. So it's something that I feel like I've really moved on from, and I just hope the best for everyone."
After the first batch of episodes were released, fans on the Internet attacked Irina and costar Micah Lussier for being "bullies" and "mean girls" after they appeared to ally against the other women and joke about other tearful contestants.
Related:Love Is Blind's Micah Apologizes for 'Emotional Immaturity' on Season 4: 'I Will Grow from It'
When asked her thoughts on the response from fans, Bliss acknowledges that Irina is facing consequences for her actions — whether that be right or wrong.
"I'm not going to say that we shouldn't take accountability for our actions. She definitely, I think, is going through that right now, where she's having to take accountability for things," she says. "No one is a wholly bad or a wholly good person. I think that people tend to try to put those people in those categories. And I think that she does have good qualities. And that's my take on it."
"I wish that people would be more gracious, and forgiving, and understanding this is a situation," she adds. "And instead of hoping that people are suffering and sending them hate comments, just pray for them, or send them good vibes, or whatever you believe. Because clearly, they need it."
Irina has previously spoken out about her behavior, telling PEOPLE that while she does think she was true to herself throughout filming, she recognizes that not all of her actions were the "best."
"From a communication [standpoint], I do feel like I was myself during the whole show. But I think there was moments where I wasn't my best self, and I am excited to watch it and see all the new perspectives and learn from whatever is not my character," Irina told PEOPLE. "Obviously, we're being recorded all day, and there's going to be moments where I'm not my best self. But I'm excited to see how everything came out and just to grow from everything and put my best foot forward."
She added, "I have truly no bad intentions for anybody at all. So I'm excited to clean things up if there is anything."
As for Irina's feelings about Zack and Bliss as a couple, she said: "Before me and Zack broke up, I told him, if he wanted to go to pursue something with Bliss that he should. I have no bad blood with her at all, but I could see how she could have some bad blood with me. Obviously, that's going to be uncomfortable or hard maybe to watch. But me and Zack weren't supposed to be together, and we are not together for a reason."
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The first eight episodes of Love Is Blind season 4 are now streaming on Netflix. New episodes will roll out Fridays through April 14.
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