Love Is Blind’s Chelsea Says Jimmy Is ‘Bugging’ Her: ‘He Doesn’t Want Me to Speak on My Story’

Chelsea Blackwell thinks Jimmy Presnell feels “guilty” about the way things went down on Love Is Blind season 6—even if he won’t say it out loud.

“He’s just really been there for me, he’s been my rock. He’s been very supportive,” Chelsea insists of their post-show friendship. “Only him and I, at the end of the day, know what went on in our relationship. I think that he knows that he did me pretty dirty during our relationship, and I think there’s a piece of him—that he won’t admit to—that feels guilty.”

Chelsea undoubtably bore the blame for their on-screen implosion, even as more information has to come to light suggesting that Jimmy’s “edit” left out some important details that may have contributed to her insecurities on the show. Earlier this week, Jimmy admitted to lying to Chelsea on FaceTime about going out while they were still living together in the townhouses, telling The Viall Files hosts that he was “pretty mentally checked out” after their big blowout fight over his past sexual relationship with one of his friends.

Even so, Jimmy appeared unwilling to take any accountability for his actions leading up to that fight that may have validated Chelsea’s feelings, despite multiple nudges from host Nick Viall.

“He is bugging me right now,” Chelsea admitted to Glamour over the phone on March 19—just one day after filming The Viall Files. “Because he doesn’t want me to speak on my story.”

And while Chelsea says she does not want Jimmy to face her level of online hate (“It’s dark over here”), she’s not going to stop speaking her truth.

For Glamour, she opens up about recent revelations, her current dating life, and the aftermath of that infamous Jet Ski scene between Sarah Ann and Jeramey that we didn’t get to see.

Glamour: Hi again! How are you doing?

Chelsea Blackwell: So good. I’m just living my life now that things are out there. It’s kind of nice to just move on right now. I’m enjoying it.

When did you and Jimmy film The Viall Files?

That was yesterday.

Oh, wow! They turned it around fast. I guess I don’t have to ask if you and Jimmy are back together, then.

No, we are just friends. I’ll reiterate that we are definitely in a great spot as friends and he’s just been really, really wonderful navigating this journey with.

Can you expand on the ways Jimmy has supported you since the show has dropped?

So, we didn’t talk for six months or so. We ran into each other in Charlotte, and I did not like him at all. And he begged me to go get coffee with him, and kind of just talk about what we went through and the show—let’s just kind of squash this and, you know, have this relationship.

So, we met up for coffee, we hung out for five hours and we really just talked about what happened between us. I was really preparing him for the absolute worst and he was preparing himself for to be portrayed this certain type of way. And lo and behold, it was completely roles reversed and I ended up being the one who needed the support. And so, he’s just really been there for me, he’s been my rock. He’s been very supportive.

You know, only him and I, at the end of the day, know what went on in our relationship. I think that he knows that he did me pretty dirty during our relationship, and I think that there’s a piece of him—that he won’t admit to—that feels guilty.

I think that’s where fans are feeling a bit of a disconnect. You say Jimmy’s been your rock and support system, but as Nick Viall pointed out, it doesn’t necessarily feel like he’s doing that publicly?

No. And you know what, at the end of the day, that’s his story and how he’s going to take on this journey. I am taking on this journey the best way I can and he is supportive off-camera, which makes me sad. I don’t know why he’s not speaking out publicly about it. And I mean, at the end of the day, that’s his issue.

That’s definitely out of your control, but I think people want to know why his friendship is important to you.

So, he is bugging me right now. Because he doesn’t want me to speak on my story. And I think there is a disconnect in that area. And I told him—we’ve had several conversations—that there are going to be times where we get frustrated with each other because we did have a full ass relationship. So, [we’re] kind of navigating that relationship and speaking both of our truths. I didn’t even know this, but on The Viall Files he expresses, “You know, I did this horrible thing to you because I was mentally checked out.” I did not know that.

So there’s just a lot of things that we’re kind of learning. One of us is not going to be happy with the other and that’s just the way the cookie crumbles and the way this journey works. But at the end of the day, I respect him. He’s a wonderful person. This is just such a weird, weird journey to navigate together. And you know, we did have a relationship. But now I’m getting so much backlash for being another ex who he’s been intimate with [who is now a friend].

He mentioned during The Viall Files that he reiterated multiple times that you two were never going to make it down the aisle after that big fight. Is that true? Because you seemed so shocked about the breakup in the moment.

He told me twice that he didn’t think he could go to the altar and one of them was off camera. And one of them was on camera. I talk about how I truly begged him—and that is just not what I would ever do ever again, is beg a man to stay with me—and I just begged him to see the experiment through because I was also lost. And I was also trying to see everything for what it was and see the whole experiment completely through so I got him to agree to take it day by day and really see each other through and he did agree.

The reason I was blindsided is because—and it’s so silly and doesn’t make sense to the world because it is such a fast process—the week before he broke up with me and called off a wedding, it was wonderful. We were on such a great page and I felt in my heart we were like so in love. You know, we were walking up into the theme park picking our reception songs. So, it was a shock to me because every single moment is so crucial in a situation like this. So I was blindsided because I thought we were in a really, really great spot, as I mentioned during the breakup.

I interpreted his statement on The Viall Files as his way of saying that you both knew you weren’t going to the altar before that moment. But that’s not how you felt?

No, no. No, no, no.

What’s something you wish you got to discuss during the reunion special?

Well, first of all, our relationship, that we didn’t really get to touch on. So that would have been nice to speak my truth, which I’m so grateful that I’m getting these opportunities to really tell my story. I felt the type of way that I was feeling for a reason. I will continue to reiterate that there were reasons I felt insecure. There were reasons I wasn’t feeling loved. There were reasons that I just wasn’t getting what I needed from him. And he also confirmed that by saying, “Yeah, I was mentally checked out.” Well, no wonder I was feeling like that because you’re staying [in the townhouse], but you weren’t giving me what I needed. You were telling me what I wanted to hear but you were mentally checked out.

I trusted my intuition. I trusted my intuition with Trevor and I trusted my intuition with Jimmy and I might have come off very—well, I definitely came off very whiny and [I was] trying to feel love rather than getting told [I was loved]. And we always had the conversation of our love languages, so he knew how to communicate with me. He was just choosing to tell me what I wanted to hear to shut me up and then not act on his words.

You seemed pretty empathetic towards Trevor during the reunion, even though he—like Jimmy—appeared very willing to lean into the narrative that people online were pushing before learning of his off-screen relationship before, during, and after the show.

I don’t like talking about edits and whatnot, but at the end of the day, they both had wonderful edits. So when it comes down to it, they’re not going to want to…they don’t want to be on my side. It’s dark over here. [Laughs] You know, I had zero desire to bring either of them over. I still don’t. Of course, I’m gonna speak my truth and tell my story—there’s not a single lie that’s in my story—but I don’t wish hate on anyone. I don’t wish hate on Trevor. I don’t wish hate on Jimmy.

They both know the situation. They both know, I don’t want to say what they have done, but they do. I just will never be the kind of person to bring on nasty hate because it is not a fun place.

Is there one critique you really wish people would stop harping on?

I’m so sick of the Megan Fox thing, but I will say, I just came out with some trucker hats that are “Megan F-A-U-X.” So y’all can pop off, but buy my merch.

Meanwhile, Sarah Ann made a TikTok claiming you were sending hate her way. What was your response to that?

So, I don’t know if you saw my video… I said, “Man, y’all hate me, but at least I didn’t steal someone’s man.” And I regretted it so bad for two reasons: Because one, I said the F word. And two, I didn’t want her to sue me or something. So I was like, oh my gosh. And that’s not my character, so I don’t know why I was feeling spicy. But at one point, I’m like, I’m sick of these haters. Like, I didn’t do anything.

I felt horrible. I did. But honest to God, I truly didn’t even mean anything to her at the time, but it just happened to be the example I used.

I reached out to her when I saw her video and I said, “Mine was all in fun and games. I definitely wasn’t trying to be evil by any means. You know, I apologize if that made you feel a certain type of way.” And she also apologized. So, you know, at the end of the day, it’s a goofy, weird world we’re living in and we’re just both kind of making humor with it.

She apologized, but her video is still up?

Yeah.

One last thing about Sarah Ann. Was the Jet Ski scene with Jeramey as diabolical as it looked?

Oh my gosh, it was so cringy. We all were just in the jacuzzi just watching this like awkward….It was just the most cringe moment I think I’ve ever seen. God bless them because I would have taken my ass home at that point, like good Lord.

Obviously, it was a perfect opportunity for Netflix to edit this “Jet Skiing off into the sunset” moment, but…Did they have to come back to the group after?

They had to come get their stuff! Like, right next to all of us. And I remember I was in disbelief. I’m like, Oh my gosh, what did I get involved in? I never went to college and it felt like college drama. So I’m just sitting there like, oh my gosh, did that just happen? Am I dreaming? What?!

Did anyone say anything?

Oh, no, no, no, no. They’re all like, looking around at the sky. It was so awkward.

So you’ve mentioned going back to work as a flight attendant. Has that started back up?

So I was supposed to go back to work and I ended up extending my leave. It was just too loud. It was too crazy and [I’m] really trying to maneuver this. I definitely won’t leave flying, but I definitely am going back down to flying maybe one or two trips a month. Because now life is loud.

Is there a part of you that’s enjoying the influencer/reality star lifestyle more?

It’s really funny because I did not expect to get past the pods. Of course, I was very hopeful, I just didn’t expect to get where I got. And so, this whole life, I’m trying to navigate and it was just…it went zero to 100 and I remember them telling me, “Okay, this is gonna happen very fast.” And I’m like, All right, I’m gonna prep myself as much as I can.

This whole this whole life is nuts and I’m just trying to navigate it the best way I can. I am so bad with all of this. I feel like I’m doing okay. It’s very interesting. I used to just post on—which I will never stop doing—I always post on my socials just for fun. I don’t have an aesthetic. I don’t have, you know, “swipe up for my sugar bear hair care” shit. I will never be all about being an influencer, but it’s fun and I’m loving learning about it. And yeah, I don’t know. Who knows? Never say never.

Are you dating anyone?

I am not dating anyone.

What are you looking for?

I’m just looking for someone who can understand, you know, my heart and who I am and who likes to have fun and wants to just live life with me. I’m such an adventure girl and I just want someone who just wants to live and enjoy life and just be a kind person, a genuine person. And maybe not have a girlfriend. You know? That would be really nice.

TikTok wants to know: Would you be okay dating someone who likes to go out?

[Laughs] Oh my god! Yes! People are dragging my butt right now because I think, you know, I’ve been having a great time and I’ve been doing my thing with my girls. They’re my support systems, so I have been going out more than I ever have in my entire life right now. People are losing their minds.

It’s not the going out thing—it was a situation we were in. We were trying to get married in three weeks. I needed a little more time from the man I was about to say “yes” to, so that was my only issue with going out. You know, I’m 31. That’s not something I want in a partner every single night. Of course, every now and then, you know, that’s fine. Do you, boo. It’s not an issue. It’s just the situation. It’s like, y’all stop!

Your friend Jess will be on Perfect Match. Would you go on another dating show?

I would. Yeah. I wanna meet someone.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Emily Tannenbaum is an entertainment editor, critic, and screenwriter living in Los Angeles. You can follow her on Instagram.