'Love Is Blind' Star Jackie Bonds Apologizes for Remarks She Made About Marshall Glaze in Leaked Text Messages
The reality star is taking accountability in a lengthy mea culpa, addressing a convoluted timeline between her relationships.
SPOILER ALERT: If you haven't watched season 4 of Love Is Blind and the reunion special, proceed with caution.
Love Is Blind star Jackie Bonds is taking accountability. After skipping Sunday's reunion special on Netflix, Jackie took to Instagram to issue an apology to her ex-fiancé, Marshall Glaze, regarding "disparaging remarks" she made in a series of leaked text messages. She also cleared the air about the convoluted timeline between ending her relationship with Marshall and beginning a new one with Josh Demas.
"I would like to start this off by saying I sincerely apologize and take accountability for my actions and words in my relationship between Marshall and I," she began her mea culpa.
"I also want to take the time to express my gratitude and appreciation for Marshall clearing up that I did in fact end the relationship before meeting Josh at the coffee shop," Jackie continued. "I understand that it was a quick transition from one relationship to another but this relationship did not start as most do in the real world. To some it may seem as if it was a quick transition, however there is only a small percent that can be shown on TV and my connection with Josh was much deeper than it seems from a viewers perspective."
In her lengthy message, she also thanked Marshall for "taking accountability" for a "derogatory comment" she said was made off camera. She then apologized for her own "disparaging remarks" that had been brought to light in leaked text messages posted by an anonymous source on social media.
"It was tasteless and disrespectful to speak about anyone that way," she continued.
Jackie said that she had already personally apologized to Marshall, but felt that she owed a response to viewers of the show as well.
"It was never a battle between Marshall and I. I just wanted to clear the timeline of events that took place as it looked as if I was a cheater and starting one relationship before leaving the other," she said. "All I can do is learn and grow from this experience."
In her post, she also included a video clip of Marshall on The Viall Files. In his remarks, Marshall came to Jackie's defense on the way her meeting with Josh was presented on Love Is Blind.
At the top of the heavily delayed Love Is Blind reunion show, co-host Vanessa Lachey announced that Jackie and Josh wouldn't be attending the show but had recorded a pre-taped interview via Zoom. The segment aired partway through the reunion, featuring the couple appearing together, giving an update on their year-long relationship and making several accusations against Marshall, who was in-person at the reunion.
At the time, Jackie shared screenshots of alleged text conversations between herself and co-stars Micah Lussier and Tiffany Pennywell, claiming that she previously told the two women about an alleged "transphobic slur" she is accusing Marshall of making toward her while they were signing their wedding documents.
During the reunion, Marshall denied using a "derogatory term" to describe Jackie, saying such a word was not in his vocabulary.
He did, however, directly address the argument and comments that led to their split. Marshall claimed that Jackie had been "calling me out for my sexual preferences," noting, "I felt like it was my turn to make a jab. I said, 'You know, you got a strong jawline. You coulda been a man for all I know.'... She took very clear offense to it. We were just learning each other. We don't really know what each other's triggers are. I thought it was a safe space because she's coming at me, calling me out for my sexual preferences... I did not say a specific term. I did not use a derogatory word, no."
After saying he felt "slighted again for the second time in this experiment" by Jackie and Josh's absence, Marshall spoke with ET about the experience.
"[I had] a lot of emotions when I found out, definitely had prepared myself for them to be here," Marshall told ET. "That's a lot of mental energy that I expense. I was not happy at first, but I just had to roll with the punches."
As for why the couple chose not to attend, Marshall added, "I realize that for some people, some circumstances are just too heavy for them, and I have to give them grace. It is what it is."
Jackie claimed on Instagram that she opted not to attend the reunion due to the "death threats" she received online since her season aired.
While speaking with ET, Marshall called Jackie's claims that he wanted his engagement ring back to propose to another castmate "totally absurd," noting of his present-day personal life, "I have been seeing someone, but with this wild, new chapter of my life, I'm focusing on myself and trying to navigate it the best that I can."
Season 4 of Love Is Blind and the reunion special are streaming on Netflix.
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