Meet Mallory Zapata From The New Season Of Love Is Blind

Netflix viewers are already obsessed with the second season of "Love is Blind," tuning in to watch 30 singles spend 10 days getting to know one another in the pods. Six couples have already emerged from the "social experiment" engaged. The show's first season produced two successful marriages, and it attracted 1.5 million viewers during its first four episodes (via Men's Health). The success of Season 1 lead to it being renewed for two additional seasons. 

While Season 1 focused on singles in Atlanta, producers found their new cast in Chicago. "[Chicagoans represent] a great cross-section of our country — good, solid people who are fun yet serious about the relationships they have," Chris Coelen, the show's creator and executive producer, told the Chicago Sun Times. "The city has some amazing texture to it and we were privileged enough to be able to shoot at some iconic Chicago landmarks. ... [It] has some of the most amazing spring and summer seasons; it's one of the most amazing cities in the world because people embrace that."

One person who is getting a lot of attention this season is Mallory Zapata. During her time in the pods, she connected with both Jarrette Jones and Sal Perez. Although Jones was ready to propose, Zapata chose to get engaged to Perez instead.

Mallory Zapata was born and raised in Chicago's South Side neighborhood in a "big, loud" family. She and her three siblings were raised by their Mexican father and Polish mother (per Marie Claire). Zapata attended Loyola University in Chicago and has worked as a strategic communications consultant at Public Communications for the past nine years, according to her LinkedIn page. She also loves running and dancing, and is a big sports fan, frequently posting about her favorite Chicago teams on social media. Zapata also has a German shepherd named Rosie, who sheds a lot, "but we're a package deal. We come together," Zapata wrote on Instagram.

During her time on the show, Zapata has spoken out against modern dating, saying that people "don't take the time to really think about marriage or having kids or values and goals. People nowadays, they avoid those conversations like the plague." She does, however, have a successful relationship to look up to: Her parents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in July 2021. 

"I've seen how beautiful marriage can be but also how much hard work it takes to make it last," Zapata wrote. "They sacrificed so much to give me and my siblings every opportunity possible to be successful in life. I run into people I grew up with and they always tell me how my parents made a difference in their lives for countless reasons. I'm so proud to be their daughter."