“Love Is Blind”’s Emma Admits She ‘Felt So Isolated’ Going into the Pods Due to Her 'Unique Story' (Exclusive)
- - “Love Is Blind”’s Emma Admits She ‘Felt So Isolated’ Going into the Pods Due to Her 'Unique Story' (Exclusive)
Liza EsquibiasFebruary 18, 2026 at 9:36 AM
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Emma Betsinger on 'Love Is Blind' season 10
Netflix
In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, Emma Betsinger reflects on her emotional journey in the pods on Love Is Blind
She reveals that she was "nervous to share" her story, which included being adopted as a toddler, medical struggles and her hesitancy about having children
She also shares how fans have been reacting to the first six episodes of the season
Emma Betsinger is opening up about her nerves ahead of joining Love Is Blind season 10.
In the first six episodes of the hit Netflix series, viewers watched the 28-year-old retail merchandiser navigate bringing up her layered past while dating in the pods. She tells PEOPLE that she is a fan of Love Is Blind — and was even watching it when she received a message about joining — but that didn’t mean it was an easy journey
“I felt so isolated going into this experiment,” Emma admits. “I had such a unique story that I was nervous to share, and I felt vulnerable.”
There are several elements to her story, which began in China, where Emma was born. When she was 3 years old, she was adopted by an American family and moved to the United States.
By the age of 7, she revealed she had undergone 10 surgeries to remove precancerous birthmarks on her body, which left one of her arms heavily scarred. These parts of her life have contributed to her doubts about having children of her own.
Emma Betsinger in 'Love Is Blind' season 10
Netflix
“What I really valued about Love Is Blind and the experiment for someone like me is, a lot of my surgeries, my medical history, my adoption, they're all physical aspects of myself,” Emma explains. “So my ex-boyfriend, he could see my scars, or he could meet my family and put two and two together that I’m adopted. I think for me going in, I talked with my parents a lot about this, but there was so much tied to that [in terms] of self-growth and identity and recognition. I wanted to be seen because of that.”
Throughout the early days of dating in the pods, Emma says she held off on broaching these topics until she found men who made her feel comfortable and with whom she could picture a future. By the end of the first week, her three strongest connections were with Steven, Connor and Mike.
“As we got closer to engagements, I still had these three guys, so I wanted to share my story and see where that conversation led,” she notes. “Ultimately, I wanted to feel seen. I wanted to feel comforted. I wanted to feel warm. I'm telling my future husband all of these things about me, and I wanted to feel accepted and welcomed and not for someone to run away. I wanted someone to ask questions, and I wanted someone to make it a conversation."
Emma Betsinger (left); Steven Sunday
Adam Rose/Netflix
In episode 1, Emma’s date with Steven ended in tears when she shared her story and the challenges that came with it, which he followed up with asking her about her first kiss and losing her virginity.
“That was a really telling moment for Steven,” she says. “I was like, ‘This was not a safe space.’ I did not feel warm opening up.”
After breaking up with him, Emma continued to build connections with the other two men, who had more positive responses.
“Once I told them, I became whole," she reveals. “It was like a weight lifted, and I was like, ‘This is me,’ and that was really special.”
Despite the bad experience with Steven and her anxiety going into the show, Emma adds that the reaction from fans has been extremely rewarding.
“I've been getting a lot of Instagram messages and comments from Asian adoptees, people that are unsure of having kids,” she says, noting that she was “getting emotional” thinking about it. “Being able to share that and then having people reach out and being like, ‘Thank you for speaking out.’ Some people had scars, and they're like, ‘This is my story about my scars.’ I think it's just so beautiful, and it made the vulnerability worth it. I'm proud of myself, but I'm so happy that people can resonate and connect.”
Emma Betsinger and Mike Gibney in 'Love Is Blind' season 10
Netflix
Ultimately, Emma got engaged to Mike, and she says she never doubted that she made the right decision.
“In Cabo, we were so unified,” she says of the cast trip to Mexico. “I love Mike, and he was so great. He's a great partner.”
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New episodes of Love Is Blind drop Wednesdays at 3 a.m. ET/12 a.m. PT on Netflix, with episodes 7-9 on Feb. 18, episodes 10-11 on Feb. 25 and episode 12 on March 4. Episodes 1-6 are currently available to stream.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
