Kyle Abrams Describes What To Expect From "Love Is Blind: After The Altar" - Exclusive Interview

For the past two seasons, Netflix's hit reality series "Love Is Blind" has challenged participants to go beyond the physical in their search for love. The singles in the show meet potential partners, date, and even get engaged, all without seeing what the other person looks like. After the proposals, the couples meet in person for the first time and put their emotional connection to the test in the real world. They face all the typical relationship hurdles on a fast-tracked timeline, all while leading up to their wedding day.

One of the participants last season was Kyle Abrams. Although he and Shaina Hurley got engaged during the series, they separated once they were back in the real world. The cast recently came back together for "Love Is Blind: After the Altar" Season 2. In the three episodes, the couples and singles from Season 2 of "Love Is Blind" are giving viewers a peek at their lives since the show ended. Prior to the show's release on September 16, Abrams sat down for an exclusive interview with The List to discuss his thoughts on the reunion and the past season.

How are you feeling about "After the Altar" coming out?

I'm excited. I think it's going to show our personalities a lot more, and you'll get to see the good side of everyone and the bad side of everyone, I hope. I hope they show that. Because in the first show we didn't really get to know anybody that well. The way that everyone was portrayed is not really how they are. There's not enough time to let the character or the person develop and show their personality. [In] this show, I think, you'll really get to know everyone, how they actually are, which is great. I hope it depicts our actual personalities. [We] are answering questions that everybody wants to know. People are still asking me on the street, and it's like, I don't want to give it away. I might as well just have you watch the show, so that's usually what I tell everybody.

Watching the first show — because, as you said, you didn't feel like everyone's personality got really showcased — did you feel like it wasn't an accurate depiction of yourself?

It showed one-fifth of my personality. It didn't even show me having great interactions with Shaina. It showed all the negative and awkward moments. I'm like, "Do you know how many times we died laughing together? Or how many hours I spent talking to Deepti, and we had amazing conversations that never got shown?" And people are like, "They're just fake friends. They're fake relationships." Bulls*** — we talked for hours and almost might have gotten engaged. Not to mention, after the show, we hung out every single day just by ourselves for fun because we loved hanging out with each other. So I'm like, "You guys have no idea," and other people in the cast, some of them, know that we had a great relationship, as far as being friends right after the show. But then you have ones that are telling people that it's fake. I'm like, "You don't know anything. Just get away from us."

Just certain ones?

Certain ones, yeah. Got to figure out who.

What was it like for you seeing everyone again, coming back for this reunion?

It was great. I didn't know any of the women that well because I never talked to Mallory or Natalie or Iyanna really in the pod, so it was cool to get to know them. They're awesome, for the most part. I get along with everybody. I don't know how much ... I haven't seen it, so I don't know what they show.

What was it like for you when the original series first came out, and you were able to watch it and see what was put in [the show] for the first time?

It was strange because it was a year in the making, and I didn't remember a lot of things that happened. I knew they wouldn't show everything because, like I said, there's not enough time. But I don't think that the way they portrayed our story is accurate at all. It didn't go like that at all.

I'm disappointed, actually. But, whatever. We've moved on. This will hopefully show some of our redemptions. This is our redemption show.

When the series first came out, you have all these other people giving their opinions. And based [on] what you said, it's not even that accurate of a depiction, but all the viewers are seeing it, and they have opinions. What was it like for you going from a normal life to everyone watching this one little piece of it and having their response to it?

It's a bit of a disservice to your personality and some of the qualities that you have. But it's fine because I would rather be portrayed [as] a little bit more mysterious than being portrayed in a negative light, or someone who seems out of their mind. I'm happy that I'm still a little bit mysterious to the audience.

Now that you've had some time since the show, do you feel like you have a different perspective on the whole experience?

Yeah, overall, it was great. Also, [it built] confidence in me — not that I wasn't confident, but [I had trouble with] speaking in public and meeting people. It's a lot easier now because [I] feel like if [I] can get through all of that and all of this attention [I] get now, it'll be a lot easier going through life.

What do you feel were your biggest takeaways or anything you learned from being on "Love Is Blind"?

If you asked me a few months ago, I would say relationships. I developed all these great relationships with everyone, but it kind of fell off, and I don't really talk to anybody anymore. So now I'd say, I know exactly what I want, and I know exactly what to find in somebody. Moving forward, I know the type of relationship that I want, and I know where not to look.

Do you feel like your relationship goals or what you're looking for has changed since going on the show?

I still want to get married. That's always been my goal. I've been excited to get married, and I've been saying that a lot lately. I'm kind of sick of dating. It's annoying, especially now because I have to explain a lot of things, so it's awkward. [I'm] also like, "Is this person just intrigued in the moment, and will it fade? Are they really going to get to know me for me? Are they just curious to see what my life is like and then not be genuine?" It's tricky.

At least in the show, one of the challenges they focused on most with you and Shaina was that she is very religious and you're atheist. Since that experience, would you say religious differences are a deal-breaker in a relationship, or was that just how it came across in the show?

I get called the devil now and the anti-Christ, and I'm like, "I wouldn't go that far." It's interesting because [with] everybody I meet, even if they're a little bit religious, it doesn't consume their life. Even though [Shaina] was portrayed [that way], it does not consume her life. Okay, I get it — if you go down to the Bible belt, it's everything to them. But around here, especially in Chicago or even in any big city, it's not that prominent in people's lives. You have the conversation on a date about "Do you want to get married in a church?" I will gladly get married in a church. It's not that big of a deal. [But] I haven't really found anyone who's like that. Other than people online, no one is like, "This is a deal-breaker." No one has said that to me ever. No, that's not a problem at all. 

But I do say I like being called a devil worshiper. That's funny. Not my words. Those are other people's words.

On the reunion episode, you had your moment [when] you said, "I wish I had proposed to Deepti."

Yeah. My regret speech.

That was the big moment that everyone took away from it. Going into that, did you know you were going to say that, or was it just in the moment you were like, "I'm going to put it out there"?

I didn't want to say anything until right before. We were all hanging out. And ... it also was the way that Shake was going off the rails. I was like, "Wow, she's so underappreciated, and you're an idiot." I wanted to make that a point. That was my motivation, how he was crashing and burning. I was like, "You're not shedding any positive light on Deepti right now. You're just making it about [your]self." It was so annoying.

Do you think "After the Altar" will show more of your and Deepti's relationship or your dynamic together?

I hope so. We both have great personalities that no one really got to see. She's really witty and funny. That was the best part of our relationship — we banter and have conversations. That in itself could be a show.

I think a lot of people would watch it.

Yeah, I would.

Stream "Love Is Blind: After the Altar" Season 2 on Netflix starting September 16, 2022. 

This interview has been edited for clarity.