Every season of Netflix’s “Love is Blind” has a villain. But who would’ve thought the seemingly mature 25-year-old Bartise Bowden, who stole our hearts at the start of the season, would become one of the biggest villains in the history of the series?
After his engagement to 32-year-old Nancy Rodriguez, everything went downhill when he confessed he had his eyes on another contestant, Raven. It could have ended there, but he let his physical attraction toward her get in the way of his and Nancy’s engagement.
Not only did he string her along, but he also disguised being a jerk by calling it “honesty,” judged Nancy because of her beliefs on abortion, and instigated arguments to get out of being with her.
It quickly became clear to fans that Nancy should have run for the hills while she had the chance. But despite all the red flags, she was still blindsided on their wedding day. After saying “I do” in front of her friends and family, Bartise followed with “I do not.”
Unfortunately, men (and women) like Bartise aren’t uncommon. So how can you know if you have a partner like this, and what can you do about it? To save you from the heartbreak Nancy went through, here are the red flags to watch out for to avoid dating a Bartise.
1. He constantly brings up his attraction to other people.
Does your partner make comments about another person's body and “tight clothes” or call them a “smoke show” like Bartise did (at their engagement party!)? Physical attraction to other people is natural, but there’s a fine line between being human and blatantly disrespecting your fiancee. This is a major red flag.
2. They're emotionally immature
It was clear that Nancy was hurt by Bartise’s comments about Raven, but that didn’t stop him from making them over and over again. If your partner shows a lack of empathy for you, it’s a clear sign they're not emotionally mature or ready to love you the way you deserve. Run in the opposite direction.
3. Their “love” for you is superficial.
When Bartise meets Nancy’s family, her brother asked him if he would still love her if she was 400 pounds. Bartise had no problem answering that he’d say to her, “Hey, let’s go on a little diet here.” In what world is that acceptable?
Nancy is a catch in every sense of the word, but Bartise was only ever concerned with his physical attraction to her (or the lack thereof). For him, love clearly was not blind — he wanted a fitness model. If your partner's love is purely surface-level and they don't appreciate all of your beautiful inner qualities, move on sis!
4. They always know what to say, but their actions don’t match up.
Bartise was a smooth talker throughout the entire season of Love is Blind. Nancy should have seen the heartbreak coming, but he always knew the right thing to say to string her along. So much so that she was blindsided at the altar.
If you’d like to be in relationships with an emotionally mature, loyal person, then keep all of these red flags in mind to avoid the Bartises of the world.
Photo courtesy of Netflix
