Copyright TODAY
“Love Is Blind” Season 9 stars Ali Lima and Anton Yarosh might’ve set a record with how fast they got engaged in the pods. But did their spark burn out just as quickly as it ignited? Before the first episode of Season 9 ended, Ali and Anton had already exchanged “I love yous” and he had proposed on one knee. The two seemed destined to become the quintessential couple from every season of the Netflix dating series that viewers are certain will tie the knot. But after their fairytale beginning, Ali and Anton continuously bumped heads. Their strained dynamic first arose when Ali questioned if he was financially stable enough to support them and her lifestyle. Then, he mentioned that Ali, a nurse, didn’t clean up after herself or do laundry in between her shifts. Tension boiled over when Ali learned from the girlfriend of one of Anton’s friends that her fiancé frequently enjoyed partying and visiting strip clubs. She addressed her concerns with him and Anton tried to settle her worries. Were the two able to get past their differences? Find out how Ali and Anton’s journey on “Love Is Blind” Season 9 ended, below. What Happened Between Ali and Anton the Pods? Ali and Anton became the first Season 9 couple to get engaged and to meet each other in real life. While in the pods, they bonded over their multicultural backgrounds — Ali’s Brazilian heritage and Anton’s Russian roots — and instantly fell for each other. When they saw each other for the first time, they shared multiple kisses and gushed about their mutual attraction. Their connection seemed to develop swiftly, and Ali told TODAY.com that the pod part of the experiment also felt fast in real life. “It’s sped up, but it didn’t feel too fast,” she shared. “As far as Anton, I think he was just very much himself and very much grounded in what he wanted and what he was looking for. And that really attracted me to him.” She continued, “It was literally him for me from day one, and it continued to be him through the whole experiment. I was very sure.” What Happened After Ali and Anton Moved in Together? With Ali’s job as a nurse and Anton working as a truck driver, the two discovered shortly after moving in together that they both worked nights and would rarely see each other. When they were home at the same time, the two bickered about cooking, cleaning and if they would have traditional roles in their marriage. After meeting Anton’s friends, Ali became skeptical that their relationship would work when she learned her fiancé often spent his nights out at strip clubs. She also worried about Anton’s alcohol consumption. She confronted him in Episode 10 after noticing that multiple beers and a bottle of tequila had disappeared from the refrigerator after a few days. But he assured her he didn’t drink too much. During her bachelorette party, Ali’s friends added to her list of concerns. They wondered if Anton made enough money to support Ali’s lavish lifestyle. In her interview with TODAY.com, Ali acknowledged that the two struggled with their contrasting lifestyles when they left the pods. “I think, honestly, going into the real world the biggest obstacle was probably just combining our lifestyles, making sure that expectations were set for what day to day life was going to look like,” she explained. “So getting past that, I think really made the biggest difference for us.” Did Ali and Anton Get Married? At his bachelor party, Anton said that he planned to say “yes.” His confidence in his decision remained when he arrived on his wedding day. “I did find my person. Whether or not she found her person remains to be seen,” he said. Ali appeared to be unsettled as she explained that their wedding was the biggest day of her life. She also told her family she felt like she was going to faint. During his vows, Anton said he was looking forward to building a life with Ali. She said it was “easy” to fall in love with him. But after Anton said “I do,” she rejected him. “I can’t be your wife. I feel like the person that I fell in love with in the pods isn’t the person I’ve gotten to experience in real life,” she explained. After being consoled by her family, Ali shared in her last confessional interview why she couldn’t marry Anton. “I don’t feel like he was super forthcoming about his lifestyle,” she said. “Drinking, partying, how active he is, how healthily he eats. Some of the information that I learned about Anton through his friends threw off my perspective of him.” Anton said didn’t understand Ali’s remark about him being a different person outside of the pods.
