Larry Iser and Allen Secretov, representing Delirium TV, LLC, producer of the popular Netflix reality television show “Love is Blind,” prevailed today before Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Bruce G. Iwasaki, who denied a motion for preliminary injunction brought by Season 5 participant Renee Poche and her lawyers Bryan Freedman and Mark Geragos, to enjoin an arbitration commenced by Delirium against Ms. Poche on November 1, 2023. In the arbitration, Delirium is seeking damages against Ms. Poche for alleged breaches of the confidentiality provisions and publicity requirements of her “Love is Blind” participant agreement due to her participation in unauthorized interviews and social media posts in which she revealed behind-the-scenes information and storylines while the original broadcast of Season 5 was still underway. Judge Iwasaki also ordered Ms. Poche and her lawyers to submit her claims against Delirium to arbitration.
Larry and Allen released the following statement following the hearing:
“We are very pleased with the results of today’s hearing, which confirms that Delirium acted properly in filing its arbitration against Ms. Poche in response to her violations of her confidentiality and publicity obligations. Arbitration is the procedure that is spelled out in the agreement Ms. Poche signed when she applied to participate in “Love is Blind.” But, rather than defend against Delirium’s claims in arbitration, Ms. Poche and her lawyers chose to file a headline-grabbing Complaint in Court against Delirium and Netflix with a morass of arguments challenging the enforceability of the agreement she signed. Ms. Poche and her lawyers twice sought—unsuccessfully—to enjoin Delirium from pursuing its arbitration against Ms. Poche, and also sought—unsuccessfully—to enjoin all of Delirium and Netflix’s employment and participant agreements.
Judge Iwasaki noted in his ruling that Ms. Poche and her lawyers’ “heated rhetoric” was supported by “absolutely no evidence” that participating in arbitration—as required by her agreement with Delirium—would cause her harm. In addition, Judge Iwasaki warned that the Court “harbors grave doubts [Ms. Poche] has standing to request [the] sweeping relief” she sought in her injunction motion against Delirium and Netflix.
Accordingly, Judge Iwasaki ruled that Ms. Poche must defend Delirium’s claims in the arbitration, and, should she choose to continue to pursue them, litigate her claims against Delirium and Netflix in arbitration.
Delirium did not want to litigate with Ms. Poche. Rather, as we demonstrated to the court, before the arbitration was filed, Ms. Poche was asked to stop her unauthorized interviews and to promptly mediate the dispute, and she was repeatedly warned, by production personnel as well as by Delirium’s lawyers, that her continued breaches of the participant agreement would result in Delirium filing arbitration. Rather than abide by her contract, heed these warnings, or participate in mediation, Ms. Poche continued to breach. Delirium will now proceed as it originally intended, and address its claims against Ms. Poche in arbitration.”
The Court’s ruling was widely covered in the media:
