Love Is Blind’s Monica Davis Reveals What Made Her Read Stephen’s Texts

As a long-time supporter of reality TV and its ability to expose the human condition in all its messy glory, I can’t help but admire Monica Davis for her courage and resilience on Love Is Blind. Her journey through the pods and Mexico was heartbreaking yet intriguing, much like a box of chocolates you can never quite predict.


Haven’t we all experienced that moment of shock and disbelief, haven’t we? You’re feeling content and confident in your relationship with what seems like the perfect partner, only to find unexpected messages on their phone – in this case, kinky texts to another woman. This week on Love Is Blind, Monica Davis learned some hard truths about Stephen Richardson, who apparently couldn’t resist the temptation of infidelity even before reaching the altar. However, as is often the case with reality TV, this shocking discovery left us with more questions than answers. One of the most intriguing questions: Who would go for a sleep test under the influence of alcohol? (And was he really that intoxicated?)

As a movie enthusiast, I must admit that Davis was tactful in keeping the current state of her relationship with Richardson under wraps (we’ll find out more during the reunion, folks!). However, she did generously share some intriguing insights into when the cracks began to show, her discovery of his texts, and crucially, the memo he left on his final Venmo payment – a detail that undeniably piqued my curiosity.

In the restaurant scene in Mexico, particularly in episode seven, I found that moment to be incredibly challenging. This might have been around when things between us and Stephen began to feel unsettling or strange.

Initially, I was quite surprised. To be honest, Stephen seems quite overwhelmed, and I can relate. With our upcoming wedding only a fortnight away, in a foreign land, the speed of events has left us both feeling rather swamped. On our way to the restaurant, he opened up about his feelings and apprehensions regarding the rapid approach of our wedding, and we decided to use this lunch as an opportunity for enjoyment and relaxation.

After taking our seats at the restaurant, scarcely five minutes had passed when he brought up the same topic we’d been discussing for hours. It left me utterly speechless; I blurted out something like, “What in the world?” Frankly, I couldn’t help but wonder, can’t we enjoy each other’s company without every conversation being so intense? Must everything be so serious, all the time?

After you return home, since you both reside together in the same apartment, could you tell me how you came across those texts? On that particular day, a group message was sent among all of us couples living in the same building, with Taylor and Garrett announcing, “Hello everyone, we’re preparing fall cookies for each one of you today and will deliver them to your apartment later.

At that moment, it was late evening. After a tiresome day, Stephen and I found ourselves immersed in joyful moments within our kitchen, filled with laughter and recording each other. We were anticipating Taylor and Garrett to contact us soon, when all of a sudden, he walked into the bathroom. Not long after, his phone lit up with a text from Garrett informing us they would be bringing the cookies over shortly. I exclaimed, “Oh dear, you’ve just received a text from Garrett saying they are about to drop off the cookies soon.” I then proceeded to reply to the message, only to discover a girl’s name at the top instead of his usual contacts.

Surprisingly, I never imagined this scenario would unfold in our relationship. Given the recent revelations, it might sound peculiar, but I was confident due to our frequent discussions about infidelity and dishonesty, feeling secure in that aspect. However, I’m grateful I clicked on her name despite my initial instincts. In a split second, I had to make a decision, and I took the risk. The outcome? It all unfolded right before me.

To clarify, it’s amusing to reflect on the situation now. I too found it hard to believe when I heard it, but let me explain. He had been scheduled for a sleep study for quite some time due to his veteran status and disability. Coincidentally, that day also happened to be our date. After our outing, he consumed alcohol and proceeded with his long-planned sleep test.

To me, it seems that the expression “drunk during a sleep test” functions as an alibi or a red herring in this situation. In reality, he wasn’t under the influence of alcohol; rather, he used his consumption of a few drinks as a pretext for his confusion and poor performance, feigning ignorance by saying something like, “I didn’t realize what was happening.

Did any moments from the podcast or Mexico seem different to you upon revisiting them after reading the texts? Perhaps there were things that initially didn’t seem significant but stood out later on? For instance, I hadn’t realized the depth of our sexual conversations during the podcast, as they seemed quite basic at the time. However, the text messages revealed a more extensive context that I wasn’t aware of earlier.

However, I do recollect pondering about the women’s lounge and reminiscing a couple of the girls expressing opinions, such as, “Indeed, I don’t seem to be particularly fond of Stephen. I’m moving him towards the bottom of my list, since he came across as quite strange in there.

During the fireworks display in Mexico, Stephen’s sudden shift to discussing women who allegedly destroy homes and desire oral sex from men on reality TV left me feeling puzzled and off-kilter as a viewer. It seemed out of place and unexpected to me. Was it perhaps more comprehensible within the context of the show? I initially assumed it was an attempt at humor, but there were instances where I questioned if he was being serious instead.

As a movie buff, I must admit, upon reading those texts, I found myself thinking, “Ah, it seems he was indeed earnest.” It’s not that I got the feeling he was completely at ease discussing his intimate desires with me. But in hindsight, he did subtly hint, perhaps to test the waters.

Indeed, it could also be expressed as: “Wasn’t it more like he wanted to be handled without regard for his feelings? That’s how I felt, wondering, ‘What on earth? How did we arrive at this discussion point?’

It seems like your initial statement was, “How did we end up here?” Stephen’s thoughts often strayed, and I pondered if the tangents observed on the show were isolated incidents or if they were a recurring pattern in his behavior. To put it another way, it appeared to become more frequent as time went on; it wasn’t noticeable at first, but it definitely grew over time.

Could you recall the message he wrote in his Venmo payment to you? At that moment, it seemed typical of him, with a hint of “Woe is me.” I believe it read something along the lines of “I’m such a loser” or “I’m the worst,” rather than a conventional apology or emoji. It was more like an invitation to pity him because he was facing a problem.

That tracks.
I was rolling my eyes so hard in that moment.

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2024-10-10 18:54