Lauren O’Brien Reflects on Breakup with Dave Bettenburg on Love Is Blind: ‘The Nail in the Coffin’
Lauren O’Brien knew the exact moment her engagement to David “Dave” Bettenburg was over. Speaking to PEOPLE after the latest Love Is Blind season 8 episodes aired on Netflix, the 31-year-old shared that a conversation in a movie theater was her breaking point.
“You see him shift his tone a little bit and get angry with me, and I’m like, this is not how my person will speak to me,” Lauren recalled. “It was the nail in the coffin for how emotionally drained I was.”
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The Tension That Led to Their Split
Lauren and Dave, 33, formed a connection in the season 8 pods and got engaged without seeing each other. However, their relationship took a turn when Dave discovered that Lauren had previously been involved with someone his friends knew.
Dave questioned Lauren’s intentions and readiness for marriage, expressing concerns after hearing from his close circle that she had been dating the person for three months and even stayed at his place the week before filming. Lauren, however, insisted it was a casual friends with benefits situation and that the other person had been aware of her Love Is Blind casting process.
Despite her attempts to explain, Lauren felt shut out of the conversation. “I think it was fair of him to question me,” she admitted. “I don’t think it was fair to not let me be part of the conversation or to not hear me out.”
Their disagreements escalated further when Dave questioned why Lauren’s father declined to appear on the show. Ultimately, in episode 11, the couple ended their engagement.
“At the time, I was really conflicted—like, am I not reading this right? Did I mess up? Or is Dave over-exaggerating?” Lauren shared. “But I know my story, and I just couldn’t fully understand why it was breaking up an engagement.”
Dave’s Perspective on the Breakup
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Dave stood by his decision, stating he couldn’t move forward based on the information he had at the time. “I wasn’t going to force my best friends and family to come watch me say no at the altar when I already knew my answer,” he explained. “It just felt pointless.”
He acknowledged that Lauren’s involvement with someone his friends knew created doubts that he couldn’t ignore. “I just can’t justify marrying someone if that’s what she was doing before coming into this,” he said.
No Path Forward for Reconciliation
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Although Lauren understands why Dave made his choice, she believes the way the situation was handled unfairly villainized her. Despite that, she holds no resentment.
“I don’t hate the guy,” she said. “I hope he learns from this and grows. But that ship has sailed. You can’t come back from that.”
Reflecting on the experience, Lauren concluded, “This wasn’t about that guy. This was about you and the way you treated me. And I can’t look at that differently now—especially when I have the evidence that I could re-watch every day if I wanted to.”
Upcoming Love Is Blind Episodes
Episodes 1-12 of Love Is Blind season 8 are now streaming on Netflix. The finale premieres Friday, March 7, followed by the reunion special on Sunday, March 9, at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.