Season 8 of Love Is Blind finished airing several weeks ago, but the drama hasn’t slowed down.
The latest? Allegations that Joey Leveille is dating Sara Carton after his split from Monica Danús took a messy turn. After Monica insisted to Elite Daily that there is truth behind the speculation about Joey and Sara, Us Weekly caught up with Joey to address all the rumors.
Below, Joey does just that — he swears they’ve only kissed once — and explains the timeline and unaired reasons behind his split from Monica.
Us: How would you describe your relationship with Monica after you guys said “no” at the altar?
JL: After the wedding, Monica and I had some sort of relationship. We were deciding, “Will there be any potential for us or not?” I went into the experience being like, “It’s either a yes or a no.” So for me, that was very confusing — to consider a relationship after [we said no at the altar]. I take some accountability on that because I projected that confusion onto Monica. It didn’t work out too well.
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Us: How long did this last?
JL: About a month. Right [after the wedding], we took a break for two or three weeks. We came back and had this confusing time period for about a month.Then, we decided, “Let’s take a break and not talk for a while.”
Us: During that month period, would you qualify your relationship as dating? Were you intimate or going on dates?
JL: No, it was not dating. We did get intimate once — but that was it — and that’s what sparked the conversation of wanting to talk more about [where we stood] because I was confused. Again, I take accountability for it. I think I was projecting that confusion, honestly. We had a good discussion about taking a break [from talking to each other]. After about two months of not talking, we came back to each other and we discussed what friendship would look like. Up until two months before the reunion, that’s how we were.
So we were in good contact with each other. We were friends — we were checking in on each other, we were supporting each other. We had actually talked about everything that was said on the reunion during this timeframe.
She was also close with my sisters at this time, that’s why you see my sisters very confused at the reunion. Two months before [the reunion], communication pretty much stopped. I didn’t understand why. I had tried to reach out a few times. And finally, two days before the reunion, she said she didn’t want to speak and she said she would say her piece at the reunion.
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Us At the reunion, what were you expecting? From the audience’s perspective, we do need you to rehash everything we didn’t see. But what were you thinking when she started going in on you?
JL: I respect that everyone has emotions and opinions in this matter. But, I mean, that hurt. There was a lot of things that were being placed on me that we had already discussed and resolved. And so it felt like there was a lot of animosity coming at me. It was very confusing in that moment. I always try to handle things with respect, but maybe my points weren’t displayed as well [as hers]. It was a surprise.
Us: Let’s talk about the things you didn’t get to say. The DMs with Madison — “Nice to meet you, I like your pink hair’” — got a lot of attention.
JL: The DMs were strictly friendly. Madison has said that as well. That was actually a conversation Monica and I had when we were engaged — how I like to follow up with people. I like to be intentional. I like to check in on others, whether friends or people I just met. And we talked about it because I knew this is something I did and I wanted to make sure she understood my intentions. And if she didn’t think they were good intentions, I wanted to make sure boundaries were set. And we had a good conversation about that. She said, ‘As long as there’s good intentions, I trust you.’ She did know about that specific DM, probably, about nine months ago or so. We had a conversation about it. I told her exactly what it said and then I said, ‘I’ll show you it. I have no problem showing you it.’ And she was like, ‘Nope, I trust you.’ So when it came up at the reunion, it was very confusing to me.
Us: Did you ever have any intention to pursue Madison romantically?
JL: Absolutely not.
Us: So why do you think Monica was so bothered by the message?
JL: I’m still confused about that because we had addressed all of it all already.
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Us: What else wasn’t addressed at the reunion?
JL: The affection piece. I felt kind of blindsided because that was something I understood about myself. I am not the greatest at showing affection. I grew up with OCD and I’m a very analytical person. And also I grew up in a family that never really showed affection. I have only seen my parents kiss once in their life — that was just our crazy dynamic with my sister with cerebral palsy, my dad having to work all the time, my mom being the caregiver. It was just a complex situation. I don’t blame my parents at all for it. It was just how we lived and Monica was very aware of that piece about me.
On the show, I continually ask [Monica] to see if I’m improving on those aspects. And you even see it on our last date when I say, ‘Hey, how have I been doing on this? Am I improving?’ She says yes. When she brought that up at the reunion, it was almost like a stab at me to try to push something against me that she knows very deep about me. She turned it into something against me at the reunion, which was really sad for me.
Us: Were you attracted to Monica?
JL: I was absolutely attracted to her. I don’t know why that keeps going around that I wasn’t. I was absolutely attracted to her. I was absolutely, like I said, in love with her, but we didn’t fall in love with each other from a getting married standpoint. There were just fundamental differences that you guys don’t get to see a lot of. The affection piece was a big one — fans didn’t get to see all of the deep conversations. Another one was we have different activity levels. I’m a very active person and I like to do a lot of things. We just didn’t match super well on that aspect. I’m very extroverted. She didn’t completely like that side of me of being completely an extroverted person. And obviously the sister thing.
Us: On the show, it definitely made it seem like her sister not approving played a big part in your split.
JL: The situation was a bummer. It’s unfortunate how that turned out, but I still want nothing but the best for both of them. I never had any animosity toward either of them. I just wasn’t accepted and that’s OK. The meetup of the photography [session] was a little interesting to me, it seemed disingenuous. It didn’t seem completely genuine at the time. And that’s OK. But for me, I needed to be accepted. And at that moment, I did not feel accepted.
Us: Did it feel like her sister’s mind was made up before you met her?
JL: That’s what it felt like to me. But the rest of her family was great to me. During our photography meetup, her sister said, “I give you approval to date, but I don’t give you approval to get married.” And that’s a big piece — you’re not clearly accepting me into this family. But again, there were other fundamental reasons we didn’t work.
Us: We have to talk about Sara. I only know what I’ve read online. In Monica’s interview, she first revealed that there was a sort of love rectangle between you, Sara, Monica and Ben. Is that accurate?
JL: Yes that’s true.
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Us: Tell me about your dynamic with Sara in the pods.
JL: She was my No 2. I was her No 2. And then vice versa for Ben and Monica. We were all close, but we all actually made our decisions before proposal day. Sara and I didn’t really talk [again] until about seven months after filming. There’s a very close group of, like, seven of us from the show, the Yeehaw Crew — Daniel, Taylor, Scott, Tom, Lauren, Sara and me — all of us are close and we still are very close.
In February, Sara and I had a conversation, ‘Hey, we have this great friendship and support. Is this some type of potential for us in the future?’ We had a good, healthy conversation. Ultimately, we decided, no, we’re not gonna pursue dating at this time. There’s definitely interest there. I’m not gonna lie about that aspect, but we decided — and still have decided — we’re not pursuing dating in this capacity at this time.
Us: What interests you about Sara — as a friend or a potential partner?
JL: She’s super caring, super empathetic. She’s a super open-minded person. She’s super fun, amazing. She’s just an incredible person. There’s a lot of aspects about her that are amazing and a lot of aspects of that whole Yeehaw crew that are just amazing. It’s just confusing to Sara and I because we haven’t even come to a conclusion of whether we’re at the capacity to date, but Monica has.
Us: Why aren’t you “at the capacity to date” — are you still recovering from the show? Because you seem like you actually would be a good match.
JL: It’s a lot to process right now, honestly. I am new to this whole social media thing and it’s mentally draining. That’s one of the biggest reasons, honestly. I know Sara had a conversation with Monica about our [mutual interest] because she wanted to be respectful. I don’t know the full capacity of that conversation and I think that would be better addressed with Sara.
But another aspect that’s confusing is Monica has been in a relationship since being on the show. So even if Sara and I were dating — this being over a year later — I do not understand the animosity toward me because I would like to date someone at some point and get married at some point.
Us: Why do you think Monica would be upset then? Since you and Sara did have a connection in the pods, could she think that something happened then or is that just a trigger for her?
JL: I don’t want to put words in her mouth or speak for how she’s feeling. But I will say Sara and I had absolutely nothing. We didn’t even talk until seven months later, so there was no potential. The first time we even talked about it was in February.
Us: Monica told Elite Daily that Sara had said you were “seeing each other.” So to be 100 percent clear — you and Sara are not dating?
JL: We’re not dating, we are seeing each other in that we are good friends and supportive and we hang out, but we’re not dating.
Us: Has it ever gotten romantic?
JL: We have kissed before, which is what kind of sparked this conversation for Sara and I about, “Hey, could we see this going somewhere or not?” That’s where we’re at. We don’t even know ourselves. And it seems like Monica knows more than ourselves.
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Us: There’s a few other things that people talk about with you — including your skateboard. You had a skateboard at the wedding, the reunion. What is that all about?
JL: The skateboard was a huge stress relief for me when my sister had cerebral palsy and when my parents went through a divorce. It was like the thing I did to clear my mind and it also helps calm my OCD. It’s a big factor in all of my stress and anxiety relief. It represents healing and accomplishment and overcoming those difficulties. Longboarding down on my wedding day was always something I wanted to do. Monica knew that and Monica was all for it at the time. I thought she understood the representation and what that meant to me. That’s the little thing I think people misunderstood — it is a very deep aspect about my life, but people think I was just being a goofball.
Another one was the deleted scene about marriage.
Us: Yes. There was a clip that didn’t initially air where your friends said you didn’t want to get married.
JL: I want to really clear this up because the scene does not give the full context whatsoever. What my friends are describing in this scene is about me in my 20s. In my 20s, I was not ready for marriage. I can absolutely admit to that. I was not very good in relationships in my 20s. I chose to go to therapy in my 20s — extensive therapy — to resolve this because I could tell I was not being vulnerable in relationships. I wasn’t very good at opening up. I’m very, very ready now. I want to get married someday. I want to have a partner like that. This is a very deep conversation Monica and I have in the pods. And it’s one that we connected super well on — she saw that I’ve put in the growth effort.
There’s also a clip about me not liking dogs — and this is ridiculous and another completely out of context thing. I love dogs. The conversation there is actually a really intense conversation about how having a dog will affect my OCD and living with one. I talk about how I need to adapt to that and how it looks for me to adapt in that situation. I want a dog, actually, it’s just something that takes time for me to adapt to.
Finally, the Bachelor audition video. I actually did not apply. My aunt applied for me behind my back. I had no idea. They called me, like, “Hey, how’s it going?’”They started asking me these questions. I’m like, “Who are you? How did this happen?” They explained and said we want you to send us a video. And I was like, ‘OK, I guess I can do that.’ I made that video. I ended up not getting on that show that season, even though I made that funny video that you see. They called me a year later. They wanted me on the next season and I said no, this isn’t for me.
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Us: Do you remember who The Bachelorette was gonna be?
JL: I think they told me it was gonna be JoJo [Fletcher].
Us: Any interest in more dating shows now or do you think we’re good?
JL: I don’t know about dating shows. This one is intense. You’re really being vulnerable and then you have the judgment of your vulnerability to others. I don’t know if I would do another dating show. I would do something like Dancing with the Stars, HGTV, maybe, or something fun like a travel show.
It has been brutal. I’ve never really watched Love Is Blind before my season, so I don’t know what it’s like for others, but I will say it’s very shocking to see how many opinions people have. And I just want to emphasize to please give people grace because it is very like mentally draining to have all these opinions come at you and your character being for things that you don’t know all the details on.
