Jordan on Megan Break Up, Secret Pact

Warning: This story contains spoilers from the Oct. 22 finale of Season 9 of “Love Is Blind,” streaming now on Netflix.

The last remaining couples ended their relationship during the series finale of “Love Is Blind,” making season 9 the first time in the show’s history where none of the contestants got married.

In the final, there were three couples left: Ali Lima and Anton Yarosh, Kalybriah Haskin and Edmond Harvey, and Jordan Keltner and Megan Walerius. Of the remaining couples, only the first two made it to the altar, with both women saying no at the altar.

As viewers braced to watch what they thought would be a third wedding, the show cut to Jordan and Megan in their apartment. As the couple sat on the couch, a tearful Megan decided to call off the engagement, citing their fundamental lifestyle differences and other concerns as to why she wasn’t ready for marriage right now.

Among the engaged couples, the duo seemed the strongest, despite early problems regarding lifestyle and finances. Additionally, parenting was a major topic of conversation between the couple, with Jordan being a single father to a five-year-old boy.

In an interview with Variety, Jordan admits that he wasn’t ultimately “blindsided” by their conversation, as the two had previously made an agreement not to go to the altar if they were both unsure.

“We wanted to be open, honest and transparent with each other,” he says. “My son was going to be at the wedding, and I never wanted him to go through something like that. We tried until the last possible second. She made the best decision for both of us and for our families.”

Below, he shares more about his latest confession, viewers’ reactions to Season 9, rewatching the show over a year later, and where he currently stands with Megan.

What was it like for you to relive this experience over a year later?

It’s strange to see yourself falling so much in love with someone. We were compatible on so many levels. We finished filming almost a year and a half ago and I haven’t seen her since. I spent a lot of time processing it, went to therapy about it and improved myself. I had a hard time rewatching it because I don’t remember much about it. But I understand why we fell in love. It sucked, but at the same time, so much time has passed. I loved my life before I went on the show, and I love it now.

What was it like seeing everyone’s reactions to the show?

I’ve done my very best to stay out of the comments and not read them for the most part. But what I have seen is humiliating. I didn’t expect all this to happen. I didn’t think this would impact the type 1 diabetes community on this scale. I was just telling my story, and in a sense I was telling some people’s stories. I never thought about how relatable all our situations are. I didn’t expect any of this and I feel like I don’t deserve the love and attention. I am so happy that I can be an advocate.

From the viewer’s perspective, it seemed like you had a strong bond, but there were obvious differences in lifestyle, finances, and parenting. Do you feel like the relationship was accurately depicted on screen?

I do. We spent hundreds of hours together. We had every conversation possible. We understood each other’s intentions. We live two different lives. I am a single father. I never wanted her to immediately take responsibility for my son. That was never a conversation. It was like, ‘Okay, I got this. All you have to do is love that guy. That’s it.’ I have a very healthy relationship with his mother and stepfather. We operate as a unit. The expectations for her being involved were hanging out with us and loving him. That’s all I wanted. Everything else was just icing on the cake.

What kind of new insight about the relationship did you gain from rewatching the show?

I saw myself in Mexico. As a single father, I work a lot and go to the gym. There are very few moments when I am outside. We are in this crazy, unique situation with these people. We bottled up for a while, and then we go to Mexico and get super drunk. Do I regret doing that? Certainly. I was annoying, but we got over that quickly. I have grown as a person beyond her expectations. Most of my former girlfriends let me do whatever I wanted. It was refreshing to be held accountable. It helped me with self-reflection. My end goal was to be a good example for my son. I know he’ll watch it one day. I would have navigated that situation a little differently, but I was just excited.

Did you feel at any point in the relationship that she would end the engagement?

Yes. I’m an ordinary, working-class man. I was making decent money at the time, but she just ended it. It seemed like every time she hung out with her friends she came back, and I could hear hesitation in her voice. I found that unpleasant, because I want to marry someone who wants to marry me. I don’t want anyone to hesitate. That’s not fair to her. We had discussions about not wanting to dissolve our marriage. We didn’t want to divorce. We wanted this to be forever. Ultimately, she decided it wouldn’t last for her forever. She made the right choice.

In your post-divorce confessional, you said Megan ended things because your lifestyles didn’t match and suggested money played a major role. Do you think that’s why she called off the engagement?

She kind of says so herself. I don’t want to say too much for her, but she simply said the lifestyles were not compatible. We live a completely different lifestyle, so she’s not lying. That was just the fact at the time.

What do you think ultimately caused the relationship to not work out?

It was time. I am a single father. I had a very demanding job at the time. When we were in the pods, I was able to devote 100% of my time to Megan. Then we go back to Denver, and half of them get ripped off to work. There wasn’t much time to decompress during filming. Luca and Megan are two people I should have spent most of my time and energy on, but I have to support my family. At that time they both came out on the losing end. I asked Megan to hang in there because I knew the load would eventually become light. But she didn’t make the wrong decision.

Would you have said yes if the two of you had walked down the aisle?

Megan is very strategic in the way she thinks. Not me. She checked all my boxes and I was fine. She was determined not to divorce. I am a chronic underthinker. So I thought, “Oh, we could divorce if we hate each other.” She made the choice that was right for her, which in turn was the right choice for everyone.

How would you describe where you are today?

We’ve talked almost every day since the cast was announced, but it’s just really fun banter. I have no interest in chasing and trying to go back. We are friends because we experienced this unique experiment together. But it’s very casual. We haven’t spoken to each other for a year. But when everything started falling apart, we just checked in with each other. We find the memes hilarious. There’s no bad blood between us.

In your last confessional you mention that you regretted introducing her to your son Luca. What went through your mind when you said that?

I went through every emotion known to man. I was so tired. I couldn’t communicate the way I wanted to. My son is at this young, young age where stability is very important. I regretted bringing Megan in thinking, “Oh, this is your stepmother,” and then ripping her out of his life. That’s not fair for a five-year-old. That was up to me. No one signed up for the experiment except me. It was unfair that Luca and my son’s mother got involved in a very dramatic way. He doesn’t ask for a stepmother anymore. That wasn’t healthy for him to experience. All I can do is live and learn. I can’t see myself introducing Luca to anyone else unless I’m 100% sure we’ll be together forever.

Do you still regret introducing her?

It was never about Megan. It could have been anyone. Megan is a wonderful person. She and Luca got along so well. It was more that it’s not healthy to bring a young child into a situation like that and say, “Oh, Luca, this is going to be your stepmother. We’re getting married.” Two weeks later we didn’t. It’s not Megan or Luca’s fault. I included everyone in the experiment. That’s what I meant by “I regret introducing her to Luca because she’s a wonderful person.” He deserves a stable environment, and what I did wasn’t necessarily stable. How was Megan’s meeting with Luca’s mother?

What did she think about you going on the show?

We went to eat together. It was important to me because I knew her [Megan] for three or four weeks. I needed her approval out of respect for her. It was great. Everyone got along great. She didn’t care that I was doing it. She was afraid that my tattoos would offend me. But I thought, “Everything is going to be okay. There’s a reason why I’m continuing here.” And then everything turned out cool.

What does your dating life look like now?

It was informal. I haven’t introduced Luca to anyone. I haven’t even met anyone to introduce my son yet. I’m not interested in serious dating right now. Every now and then it’s fun to go out and have a casual date. I don’t see myself doing anything serious anytime soon. But never say never.

Your season made “Love Is Blind” history as the first season where no couples got married. Why do you think the experiment was not successful for your group?

It’s a condensed experiment. Everyone was level-headed enough to say, “This is my life, and I don’t need to get married to please a bunch of fans.” It’s a real marriage. You will receive a real marriage certificate. Everyone made the right choice, because we are not getting married just because it plays well on TV. We don’t care what the fans think because this is our life. We are ordinary people.

What surprised you most about his experience?

Megan and my castmates are the best people I have ever met. It’s hard to meet people when you’re an adult. Megan taught me a lot about how to treat and speak to a woman. We brought out the best in each other. As I continue dating, I’m looking for someone who brings out the best in me, not the worst.

I have to ask about your now viral Crystal Lite and chicken protein shake. How did you come up with that combination?

I was on TikTok. I’ve been trying to build my life around convenience, and I saw this bodybuilder doing just that recipe. And I thought, “You know what? Fuck it. I’m going to give it a try.” I’m sorry to say that I don’t hate it, and I still do it every day. I don’t think I’ll ever stop doing it. I don’t think it’s that dirty. It’s not as gross as chugging 13 raw eggs.

What was your reaction when you saw the public so fixated on your recipe?

There are many people who do not follow the instructions properly. You should drink it, not drink it from a straw. If you don’t want to do it, don’t do it. This is a free country. I’ve seen good and bad reactions. No one forces you to do this. It’s my thing!

This interview has been edited and condensed.