The latest instalment of Love Is Blind promised a whole lot of fireworks, but no one could have expected 28-year-old Anna Yuan’s sudden departure in Season 9. As a forerunner in the pods, Anna had formed deep connections with both Patrick Suzuki and Blake Anderson before she vanished without explanation at the beginning of episode 3. 

Viewers were left blindsided by this sudden turn of events, especially given that Yuan didn’t even say goodbye to Patrick before exiting. As Anna finally breaks her silence, here’s a breakdown of what really happened, and where her relationship with Patrick and Blake Anderson stands now.

Why Anna Yuan walked away

Anna and Patrick’s bond was one of the strongest in the pods from the beginning of the reality show. As children of Chinese immigrant parents, they connected over cultural roots and family obligations. Their heartfelt discussions and quirky banter often grabbed the spotlight, and viewers were convinced they were headed for an engagement. The 28-year-old told Netflix’s Tudum:

“We’re both children of immigrants, and there are very specific things that every child of immigrant parents goes through. Even if we’re not saying exactly, ‘Oh, yeah, growing up with parents who have a language barrier is difficult,’ we can gather things from that.”

However, things were not all happy behind the scenes for Anna. Speaking to Tudum, she opened up about the heavy burden of leaving her immigrant parents behind. Even after reassuring them, she couldn’t shake the guilt of being unreachable. Anna explained:

“With my parents being immigrants and having a language barrier, I’ve always naturally been their helper. When I told them, ‘Hey, Mom and Dad, I’m going on this show, they’re going to take my phone,’ they were like, ‘Are you being kidnapped?’”

Anna admitted that, even though she had assured her parents, she eventually broke down, questioning her decision to stay in the show. Despite her growing bond with Patrick, she couldn’t shake the guilt of occupying a spot in the pods that might have been better used by someone else truly searching for love. Yuan added:

“I was a wreck. My eyes were almost swollen shut from crying. I was embarrassed.”

The reason she didn’t say goodbye

Viewers were shocked to find Anna didn’t even bid her goodbye to her closest person on the show, Patrick Suzuki. Though producers gave her the option, she chose to walk away quietly, in her pyjamas, barefaced, and unwilling to face the cameras. 

For someone who had herself claimed she had never ghosted anyone before, this was a shocking turn of events. Looking back, the 28-year-old admitted to Tudum that she could have handled things differently with Patrick, but she ultimately stands by her decisions. But why? Well, in her words:

“I don’t think I regret it because I don’t think the connections were strong enough to have a successful marriage from there.”

What happened to Patrick and Blake after Anna left?

Despite Anna’s shocking exit that left viewers concerned for Patrick, the latter didn’t stay single for long. He soon shifted his focus to his other prospect, Kacie McIntosh, and even proposed to her in the pods. While the two did get engaged, things fizzled, and by the 6th episode, Kacie had called it off.

As for Anna’s other prospect, Blake Anderson, he ended up bowing out, too. Like Anna, he also walked away sans an engaged partner. He told the show’s producers that he simply needed more time to form an actual connection than the pods allowed. Addressing the same to Tudum, Anderson said:

“Sometimes I’m practical to a fault, and as the days ticked on, I just realised a proposal wasn’t in the cards for me.”

Know the Love is Blind Season 9 cast

Season 9 of Netflix’s hit dating experiment is taking us to Denver, Colorado, where a brand-new group of adventurous singles is putting love to the ultimate test. This season, the pod squad includes men and women between the ages of 27 and 41, each hoping to build a deep emotional connection before ever laying eyes on their partner.

This season’s lineup has some interesting candidates: from a championship poker player, a former COVID crisis nurse, and a single father, to even a pair of die-hard concertgoers. Netflix has teased that this group also happens to feature “a lot of Aries women and many Gemini men”, setting the stage for plenty of fiery chemistry. 

On the women’s side, viewers will meet Ali and Anastasia, both 29-year-old nurses; Anna, a 28-year-old hairstylist; Annie, a 31-year-old salon owner; Ashley, a 35-year-old director of compliance; and Aza, a 32-year-old events manager. Also in the pods are Chyna, 39, a marketing manager; Hilary, 39, in medical device sales; Kacie, 34, a hair and makeup artist; and Kait, 33, a registered dietitian. 

Rounding out the women’s group are Kalybriah, 29, a social worker; Kaylen, 29, an account executive; Madison, 28, a UX/UI designer; Megan H., 36, a property manager; Megan W., 35, an entrepreneur; and Shelby, 35, a realtor.

Coming to the men’s side, there’s Anton, 29, in transportation and logistics; Brenden, 32, a finance manager; Chase, 29, a water treatment consultant; Dayo, 30, an IT advisor; Dylan, 32, a financial analyst; and Edmond, 29, a realtor. Also joining the lineup are Jensen, 29, a data analyst; Joe, 29, in sales; Jordan, 30, a service manager; Logan, 35, an account executive; Michael, 41, in medical sales; Mike, 38, a real estate investor; and Nick, 28, a luxury watch dealer.

Guiding the hopeful romantics once again are hosts Vanessa and Nick Lachey, the real-life couple who have been at the helm of the series since its debut.

Where is Anna now?

Beyond reality TV, Anna is thriving on her personal and professional front. The Denver-based hairstylist, popularly known on social media as ‘Little Miss Hair,’ has shifted her focus to growing her salon business and educating fellow stylists. 

As for her love life, Netflix teased fans with a preview showing Patrick and Anna reconnecting at a mixer later in the season. Whether that rekindling leads anywhere remains to be seen. Do you think Patrick and Anna could have made it all the way to the altar if she had stayed?

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