The emotional pods of Love Is Blind Season 9 set the stage for one of its most talked-about connections. For Edmond Harvey and Kalybriah Haskin, a tearful conversation about his difficult childhood in the foster care system was not just a moment of vulnerability; it was the clear sign they were both looking for. Their engagement quickly followed, but their romantic getaway to Mexico tested their bond with real-world disagreements over protection and intimacy.
The Pod Connection That Changed Everything
The relationship between Edmond, a 29-year-old realtor, and Kalybriah, a 29-year-old social worker, blossomed quickly in the pods. Their connection stood out for its deep emotional foundation from the very beginning. On one of their early pod dates, Edmond opened up about his childhood, sharing his experience of growing up in and out of the foster care system. This moved both of them to tears.
Kalybriah was profoundly affected by his willingness to be vulnerable. She was seen comforting him as he worked through his emotions, and she later gushed about the moment, saying, “You’ve got me falling for you.” For Kalybriah, a social worker by profession, this exchange was especially significant. She was blown away by his ability to share such a personal story and saw it as a marker of his character. In a recent interview, she reflected on the importance of that moment, confirming it was a pivotal point in their relationship.
“You’re more of a man if you cry, if you ask me,” she assured him during their pod conversation, adding that “the strongest people cry.”
The safety and sense of peace they found with one another was so strong that other potential connections couldn’t compare. Eager to take the next step, Edmond sprinted to the pods to propose, asking, “Would you pretty pretty please… marry me, please?” They became engaged in Episode 3, one of the first couples of the season to do so.
From Pods to Reality: The First Cracks Appear
After a sweet first meeting where both fortuitously wore red, the couple headed to Baja, Mexico, with the other engaged pairs. Their vacation started on a high note, with Edmond presenting Kalybriah with a pair of sneakers to match his own. However, the first crack in their relationship soon appeared during a lunch date.
Kalybriah presented a hypothetical scenario, asking how Edmond would react if a “big, buff guy” hit on her at a club, making her feel she needed protection. Edmond’s response—that he was not confrontational and wouldn’t cause a problem—left her visibly unsatisfied. She told him she wanted a protector, but Edmond insisted he could only be himself. While the conversation diffused, it planted a seed of doubt about whether their expectations aligned.
The tension escalated at the group pool party. Edmond revealed to the other men that he and Kalybriah had not been intimate, citing her desire to wait until marriage. Later, in their hotel room, Kalybriah confirmed they were the only couple who hadn’t had sex, a fact Edmond claimed he didn’t know. She explained that while she had engaged in physical relationships, including “one-nighters,” with less serious partners in the past, she wanted to wait with him because their relationship felt more meaningful.
A Heated Conversation and Fan Reactions
Edmond did not take this well. He became visibly upset, crying and questioning the depth of their connection. He struggled to understand how she could love him but not want to be intimate.
“I think I’m more locked in with you emotionally than you are with me,” he said. “I’m in it more than you, and it’s OK, but it just hurts.”
The conversation grew more heated when Edmond admitted he was “stuck on you having one-night stands.” He grew increasingly frustrated, culminating in an emotional outburst.
“I’m just always the fcking nice guy,” he said, crying. “That’s what fcks me up. I’m too f*cking nice!”
Kalybriah, trying to find a resolution, eventually grew tired and ended the conversation, leaving their future on a cliffhanger. Viewers took to social media to express their disapproval of Edmond’s reaction. Many felt he was attempting to manipulate Kalybriah and shame her for her past. One fan on X wrote, “Edmond crying and begging for sx is creeping me out,” while another stated, “I need for women to stop equating male tears with emotional intelligence. Edmond really had a full tantrum because KB wanted to wait 4 weeks to have sx?? Eww.”
Looking Back: Understanding the Emotions
More than a year after filming, Kalybriah has had time to reflect on that intense exchange. She now looks back on it with understanding, attributing Edmond’s reaction to his past and the heightened emotions of the experiment.
“I’ve dated men my whole life, so I understand what the end goal is physically, so I wasn’t offended or anything. And I was very understanding. It just got a little heated afterwards with the lack of understanding on his end, but I don’t think he meant any harm in the moment. It was just a lot of emotions.”
She suggested that in that moment, Edmond was “still processing what’s happened in the past and not fully able to live here in the present yet.” She also contextualized the newness of their relationship, noting, “We’re so fresh. We’re so new. Like, yeah, we’ve been dating for the past few weeks. Yeah, we fell in love … but this is our first few interactions in person.”
Where Are They Now?
According to the official Netflix Tudum page, as of the first six episodes that premiered on October 1, the status of Kalybriah and Edmond is listed as “Still Together.” However, their future remains uncertain. Previews for the next batch of episodes, which will be released on October 8, show both happy moments and continued tension, leaving audiences to wonder if their pod-born connection can survive the challenges of the real world.
Also Read: Love Is Blind Season 9: Are Ali and Anton Still Together After the Finale?
Credits: Bustle, Netflix Tudum
