Another awkward post-pod love triangle almost develops in Season 3 of Love Is Blind when Cole Barnett, Colleen Reed, and Zainab Jaffrey all join the pods. Yet, Cole does tell his future wife that Colleen is more physically attractive to him than she is.
If Cole and Zanab are still together, that answers the question that has been plaguing fans all season.
They appear confident in each other while in the pods, but those feelings quickly fade. Zainab is concerned that Cole no longer feels romantically attracted to her because of their one night together, while Cole is aware that he finds Colleen to be a more physically compatible partner.
It was revealed in the series finale, which was released on Netflix, that Cole and Zanab do not end up getting married. Hence, it appears that they shouldn’t be together at this time.
Cole and Zanab Are Still a Couple, Right?
The fact that Cole and Zanab are no longer dating won’t shock many people. Even though Cole was the one who seemed to have second thoughts, it was Zanab who murmured “I don’t” at the altar.
She claimed to have fallen “totally” for Cole, but she then told him, “You have mistreated me, you have insulted me, you have criticized me, and for what it’s worth, you have single-handedly broken my self-confidence, and I hate that you have had that sort of affect me.”
However, she said “Yet, despite my knowledge that I love you, every rational part of my mind tells me that love shouldn’t feel this way and shouldn’t hurt like this. No, we cannot get married at this time.”
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Cole and Zanab’s bond in the pods was evident; they shared a commitment to their faith and a desire to have many children. It was smooth sailing for the first few episodes of the show, but trouble ensued after that. Cole, in particular, had a difficult time admitting his interest to fellow candidate Colleen and making the link between the Zanab he spoke to in the pods and the woman he encountered outside of them. When Cole asked Zanab if she was bipolar because of her “attitude,” some viewers were outraged.
Cole, in tears after Zanab’s outburst at the altar, told the camera: “For some reason, she has never told me that directly. She picked this time because she knew I’d be humiliated in front of my loved ones.” In fact, he said, “one of the worst moments of my life” was his wedding day.
But Zanab hasn’t reciprocated his Instagram follow, Cole still follows her. He has posted numerous endearing pictures of the couple’s time together on the show, and he recently wrote some sweet words about the pair beneath a set of candid photos from the set “Seeing us have a hard time in Malibu is painful, and if I could go back in time and fix the mistakes we made, I would. There were some truly unforgettable highs and lows that I’ll never forget.”
One can assume Zanab does not feel the same way about her ex-fiance. That was the first time Cole and she had spoken or seen each other since the wedding, and she used the opportunity to spill the beans on their relationship in front of the other girls. Cole rejects the allegations that he got a girl’s number at his bachelor celebration or that he body-shamed Zanab.
Zanab’s story about the time Cole criticized her for eating two clementines became viral after the reunion episode aired. According to her, Cole “looks at me and he goes, ‘are you going to eat both of those?'” and suggested that she save her appetite for when they went out to eat later.
Because of this, Cole told the show’s producers, “If you have it, please air it,” implying that Zanab had misunderstood the situation. The clip in question was shown at the episode’s conclusion on Netflix, and it included Cole asking Zanab, “Are you ready to eat two of those?” as she picked up two pieces of fruit. And her response is “Maybe.
This is one portion. A-okay with you?” For her part, Cole advises Zanab to “better conserve her appetite” for tonight’s “big ol’ supper,” but he seems taken aback when Zanab reveals that all she’s eaten all day is a banana and a scoop of peanut butter. She tells him, “I could definitely tell you but I probably shouldn’t,” when he inquires as to why that was all she’d eaten.
Viewers of the show are divided over the broadcast of the unseen material. On Twitter, one commenter remarked, “Even if Zanab was damn near starving herself on her own, I completely understand her hearing “are you going to eat both of those” and “reserve your appetite” as criticisms,” while another accused Cole of “gaslighting”(opens in new tab).
Several viewers, however, have claimed that Zanab exaggerates. On Twitter, one user remarked: “I can’t be the only one who thinks that Zanab made up the whole thing about Cole and the oranges. How exactly did he humiliate her over food?”
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The Love Is Blind Character Zanab, Where Are You Now?
Since her time on Love is Blind, Zanab seems to have been having a great time, judging by the several images she’s uploaded on Instagram of herself all dolled up, including one from the Austin City Limits music festival.
In the months following her appearance on Love is Blind, she also had a dramatic makeover, and now has a full fringe. Yet, she has not had a completely smooth ride after leaving the program. Zanab disclosed to Variety that she had counseling following her wedding to better prepare herself for watching the show again.
Here’s what she chimed in with: “I’ve been seeing a therapist for a year now, and I plan to keep doing so for the foreseeable future. Because I never want to find myself in such a dark place in a relationship again, I’ve spent the past year focusing on myself, loving myself deeply, and filling my mind with positive affirmations. Really, all I want to do is give someone my best, most fulfilled self.”
