Love Is Blind: Sal Responds to Criticism of Girlfriend Jessi
"Love Is Blind": Sal Responds to "Unkind" Comments About Girlfriend Jessi
Salvador Perez is responding to the backlash that he and girlfriend Jessica "Jessi" Palkovic have received since "Love Is Blind: After the Altar" hit Netflix. In the recently-released, three-part special, Perez introduced Palkovic to his fellow season two cast members at Natalie Lee's '80s-themed 30th birthday party, making quite the grand entrance with his new partner in matching outfits. During the gathering, both Perez and Palkovic attempted to clear the air by having one-on-one conversations with Mallory Zapata, to whom Perez was engaged on the show, but the awkwardness was palpable.
Many viewers flooded social media with criticism for how both Perez and Palkovic handled the situation and presented themselves at the party, with some even claiming Palkovic was a paid actor hired to stir up drama.
On Sept. 19, Perez addressed the internet discourse by sharing a compilation of videos from his relationship with Palkovic alongside a lengthy Instagram caption. "I want to share with you all that Jessi and I were nervous about filming these last episodes knowing there was only a small margin for our relationship to be well-received," he wrote. "And while it's been hard to see the response in some moments, we feel it's important to express that we stand by our actions, wholeheartedly, and are staying grounded in the power of the truth. It can't matter to us what folks do or do not believe about what went down, because at the end of the day, we know that everyone involved knows exactly what happened."
"Please leave Jessi alone."
Perez continued with a request: "All I ask is that if you have something unkind to say that you only leave it on my page. Please leave Jessi alone." He noted that so many people reported Palkovic's Instagram account, it was taken down by the platform, adding, "I ask that you to please find it in your heart to stop." As of press time, her Instagram account appears to still be deactivated, though her TikTok and Twitter haven't been affected.
He also included a mention of attempts to "[discredit] Jessi's work" as an actor, singer, dancer, and choreographer with a presence on OnlyFans. "I won't tolerate anyone discrediting Jessi's work or devaluing her worth just because of this show," he wrote. "She is easily the strongest, most resilient, hardworking, and confident person I know." Perez concluded his message by taking the high road: "In a battle against hate, love will always withstand the test of time. So, we hope you'll stick around for the love."
Meanwhile, Palkovic has subtly alluded to fan reactions on social media, simply tweeting "lol" the day after "Love Is Blind: After the Altar" premiered. She's also posted two TikTok videos seemingly responding to the backlash — one of her smoking with the caption, "don't f*ck with me," and another of her smiling in bed with the caption, "Just here to empower people and help them be themselves."
During "Love Is Blind: After the Altar," Perez gushed about his romance with Palkovic, whom he met at a birthday party for his sibling Victoria. "The minute we met, there was something there," he said in a confessional. "She is such a firecracker. If she is in a room, you know that she is in a room. And she will just put a smile on everybody's face. She is the nicest person that I've ever met, and honestly, I've never had more fun with anyone else."
The special also introduced Shaina Hurley's new partner, Christos Lardakis, to whom she is now married, and showed Kyle Abrams and Deepti Vempati (finally!) taking their relationship from friendly to romantic. Since the post-pod episodes were filmed, two couples who tied the knot on the show — Jarrette Jones and Iyanna McNeely and Nick Thompson and Danielle Ruhl — announced plans to divorce after one year of marriage.
