Jessica Vestal Is 'Love Is Blind's New Icon (2024)

Reality television is built by its characters, the iconic personalities who become hallmarks of their shows and draw viewers in who want to see more of them. Love Is Blind, created by Chris Coelen for Netflix, has had its fair share of big personalities - heroic and villainous alike - and with Season 6 just dropping, viewers were eager to see which contestants would define this season and help make it the best it can be.

Only half of the season is currently out but somehow, even within just the six episodes that she was a part of, one of the contestants set herself above the others by delivering on the theatrics audiences love to see. Yet even within all this drama, she was something that so few Love Is Blind villains can be: she's likable. A true anti-hero who offered as many dramatic moments as she did heartfelt ones, Jessica Vestaleasily solidifies herself as one of this series' most unforgettable contestants.

Love Is Blind

TV-MA

Reality

Romance

Singles who want to be loved for who they are, rather than what they look like, have signed up for a less-conventional approach to modern dating.

Release Date

February 13, 2020

Cast

Nick Lachey , vanessa lachey , Bartise Bowden , Micah Lussier

Main Genre

Reality

'Love Is Blind' Gives People a Platform

While season 6 of Love Is Blind has already seen many people make questionable romance choices, Jessica made it very clear early on that she didn't have the luxury not to take this experiment seriously. She had a little girl waiting for her at home, Autumn, and while she didn't want her role as a mother to define her on the show, she knew the right man was someone who would cherish both her and her daughter. She thought she'd found that in Jimmy Presnell, one of the pods' kinder and gentler men, as the pair hit it off right away and quickly became one of each other's top picks. Aside from being open about her daughter, the audience at this point hadn't learned much about Jessica. As their relationship began to grow, Jimmy and the viewers grew to understand that this bubbly woman worked hard to get to where she is today.

Aside from having her daughter at a young age, Jessica also revealed to Jimmy that she had an extremely rough upbringing. From being taken from her mother to losing her father, to living in the foster care system, her life has been full of challenges that took all of her strength to survive.Love Is Blind is no stranger to hard topics, and it's been refreshing in recent seasons to see the program platform really showcase the complex backstories of its cast. While Jessica's story may just be her trying to open up to a man she was interested in, having the bravery to broadcast this information. She is a heroic woman who fought against so much and is focused solely on creating a happy life for herself and her daughter, and the show was lucky to cast someone as compelling as her this season.

Communication is Key On 'Love Is Blind' But Can Also Cause Issues

Every season of Love Is Blind is sure to have some heartbreak. Each installment sees people face rejection as they learn the person they wanted to marry is rejecting their offer of love, often in favor of someone else in the experiment. This is often preceded by awkward dates where the contestants try to avoid talking about the fact that each one is dating another person and might like them more. This was a stressful situation that Jessica found herself in when their 10 days were beginning to run out and Jimmy still hadn't committed fully to either her or his other pick, Chelsea Blackwell. It's a common situation that often leads to each person awkwardly swallowing their pride and not acknowledging the lovestruck elephant in the room.

Not Jessica, though. She told him openly how upset she was that he continued not to clarify which woman he felt more for, and she scolded him for believing there was no need to tell her how he felt about their relationship. It's arguable who was in the right in this argument, but this was a side of Jessica that hadn't yet been seen and her fierce, proud attitude left viewers in awe. She was confident in herself and that she was a prize who deserved to be chased, a mentality more contestants would be good to adopt.

Eventually, Jessica found out from the other women that Jimmy had committed himself to Chelsea by telling her he loved her, which was something he'd never done with Jessica. Heartbroken, Jessica was comforted by the other women and assured that leaving right then would be justified. While that moment may have brought her to tears, she refused to stay quiet for long. She went into their next meeting admonishing Jimmy for leading her on and lying to her about not being sure if he loved her or Chelsea. His timid rebuttals are blunted by her verbal evisceration of him and the lies he’d told. A gripping moment that almost became laughable when the audience realized she was directing all this vitriol at a wall. It’s still debatable how justified some of these statements were, but it’s the climax, Jessica tells him,

Jessica Solidifies Herself in 'Love Is Blind' History

Unfortunately, this situation with Jimmy means that Jessica's journey on Love Is Blind is - at least for now - over. It's sad not to see her get to go on a honeymoon and potentially find the man of her dreams, but even with such a short time on the program, she certainly made her mark. Beyond the pulse-pounding drama she was able to provide, it's Jessica's heart that solidifies her as one of this season's best characters.

While her intense moments with Jimmy were immensely enjoyable to watch, it's the softer moments of her detailing her life or interacting with the other woman that showcases just what a complex character she truly is. It's telling that the minute she began to sob in the quarters every other woman came over and hugged her, speaking of the camaraderie she had developed with them throughout her time there. Combine this with all that she overcame to create a good life for her daughter, and Jessica is easily one of the most compelling people to ever feature on Love Is Blind.

The reality show 'villain' is an extremely saturated archetype with almost every season of any series having at least one person who brings the drama. Love Is Blind has had its fair share of those, yet rarely are they presented with any real redeeming qualities to make viewers like them for anything beyond their ability to cause chaos. Even though her strong words are often the trademark of a more villainous characterization, Jessica Vestal refuses to be pigeonholed into that title. Her intense feelings come from strength, and she is shown to be a nuanced person with just as much fight in her as there is love for her daughter and friends. Trailers for the next few episodes show that even though she didn’t get engaged Jessica will be returning to the season and audiences are lucky that this great personality will be back to continue making this season a riveting one. A true anti-hero, Jessica is exactly the kind of person Love Is Blind needs to cast more of.

Love Is Blind is available to steam on Netflix in the U.S.

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