Love Is Blind season 3 introduced some of the most interesting singles in the show's history, including Cole Barnett and Zanab Jaffrey, who became romantically involved during the experiment. Cole and Zanab, both realtors, met in the pods early on, and despite their interest in other candidates, the two became engaged at the end of the pod phase.
Their talks appeared to flow smoothly, which is why Cole was perplexed when he saw Zanab face-to-face and didn't think she matched up to the person he'd been chatting with in pods.
After some squabbling and difficulties on their first trip together, Cole and Zanab moved in together, hoping to find some common ground. With the two still bickering over their expectations of one another, Zanab appeared to shut down when Cole spoke to her, prompting Cole to become louder and more aggressive in his statements.
Cole almost left Zanab before their wedding, but the couple made it down the aisle during Love Is Blind season 3. Cole expected their wedding to go well, but Zanab knew she would reject him at the altar. As the resident F-boy this season, it's reasonable that fans want to know if Cole and Zanab from Love Is Blind season 3 are still together and where they are now that they've left The Pods and returned to the real world.
Are Cole and Zanab still together?
No, Cole and Zanab are not together. Though Cole appeared to have concerns throughout the process, Zanab responded, “I don't” at the altar.
Though she claimed to have ‘totally' fallen in love with Cole, she told him: “You have disrespected me, insulted me, critiqued me, and for what it's worth, you have single-handedly shattered my self-confidence, and I hate that you have had that kind of effect on me.”
She went on to say, “The messed up thing is, I know I love you, but everything in me and the rational part of my brain tells me that love shouldn't feel this way and hurt like this. “I can't marry you.”
Cole and Zanab had an undeniable bond in the pods, built by their mutual desire for a large number of children and religious beliefs thus, Cole's proposal came as no surprise. However, their remaining time on the show proved tense.
Cole, in particular, struggled to link the Zanab he chatted with in the pods and the lady he saw outside, as well as revealing his feelings for another contender, Colleen. Cole also sparked concern among some viewers when he asked Zanab whether she was bipolar because of her “attitude.”.
Cole fell into tears after Zanab's outburst at the altar, asking the camera, “Why has she never said that to my face? And she selected today because she knew it would hurt worse in front of all of my friends and family.” He went on to state that the wedding day was “one of the worst experiences of my life”.
Cole still follows Zanab on Instagram, but she doesn't follow him back. He's shared lots of adorable photographs from the couple's time together on the show, and beneath a post of behind-the-scenes photos, he wrote, “It's really difficult to see us struggle in Malibu, and if I could undo the mistakes and those times, I would. We had highs and lows; here are some of the experiences I'll never forget.”
Zanab doesn't have the same warm feelings for her ex-fiancee. The reconnection marked the first time the two had seen or spoken since the wedding, and she, backed up by the other girls, revealed previously unknown details about her relationship with Cole. These include acquiring a girl's number at his bachelor party and body-shaming Zanab, all of which Cole disputes.
One instance that has received a lot of attention since the reunion aired is when Zanab recalls Cole criticizing her for eating two clementines. She stated that Cole “looked at me and said, ‘Are you going to eat both of those?'” and warned her that because they were going out to eat later, “Maybe you should save your appetite.”
Read More: Are Colleen and Matt Still Together From Love is Blind Season 3?
Cole responded by telling the producers, “If you have it, please air it,” stating that Zanab misunderstood the scenario. Netflix did display the clip at the end of the reunion episode, in which Cole asks, “Are you about to eat two of those?” as Zanab picks up the two pieces of fruit. She responds: “Maybe. That's one serving. Are you cool with that?
Cole adds that she “better save her appetite” for their “big ol' supper” tonight, but is startled when Zanab tells him that all she ate that day was a banana and a scoop of peanut butter. When he wonders why she's only eaten that, she simply says, “I could definitely tell you, but I probably shouldn't.”
The debut of a previously unseen video has split fans of the show. One Twitter user wrote: “Even if Zanab was damn near starving herself on her own accord, I completely understand her hearing “Are you going to eat both of those” and “reserve your appetite” as a criticism,” while another accused Cole of “gaslighting”.
However, other viewers accuse Zanab of exaggeration. One Twitter user said, “Am I the only one who thinks Zanab completely inflated the story regarding Cole and the oranges? “Where was he shaming her for eating?”
