Who is Love is Blind's Bartise and why are fans already fuming with him?

Love Is Blind's Bartise sitting in the pods in a black shirt
Bartise on Love Is Blind (Image credit: Netflix)

Whenever Love Is Blind returns to Netflix with new episodes, it never takes fans long to formulate opinions about the people they most adore in a season. So far, it looks like the audience has fallen head over heels for Alexa and Brennon as individuals and as a pair. However, as easily as fans develop affection toward cast members, they just as easily are ready to assign someone the title "villain" among the Love Is Blind season 3 cast. Case and point, Bartise Bowden. 

Before we get into the events that led to his falling out with viewers, let’s take a look at who he is first.

Who is Love Is Blind's Bartise? 

At the time when Bartise filmed Love Is Blind season 3, he was 25, making him one of the younger cast members. Now 27, he’s a senior analyst and still a huge fitness buff. Taking a look through his Instagram, fitness is actually a big part of his life, as he’s posted a number of videos of him working out. Check out his account. 

When he came on the Netflix reality show, he came looking for someone to be his Ayesha Curry, as he listed NBA star Steph Curry and his wife Ayesha as his #CoupleGoals. Whether or not he found that on the show based on what he did and the episode previews is still to be determined.  

How did Bartise from Love Is Blind season 3 anger fans? 

Nancy and Bartise smiling at an island happy hour in Love Is Blind season 3

Nancy and Bartise on Love Is Blind season 3 (Image credit: Netflix)

Starting out in the pods, Bartise was a big hit among Love Is Blind viewers. They found him handsome and charming and applauded him for being accomplished and knowing what he wanted in life in his mid-20s. Additionally, fans actually felt compassion for him as he sat in the pod opening up his heart to fellow castmate Raven, only for her to decide that it was the perfect time to do jumping jacks and work out. (To be fair, many fans felt compassion for him but they also couldn’t help but laugh at the incident.) 

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When it came time for the cast to make their proposals and Bartise popped the question to Nancy, they were happy for him and the couple. Especially when you add the fact that Nancy had a really tough time deciding between him and Andrew. As the newly cemented fiancés headed to their island resort vacation, Bartise and Nancy seemed to be in the running for this season’s "It" couple. Then came along the dreaded happy hour for the show’s romantic pairs to all meet and talk. 

As soon as Bartise laid eyes on Raven, he couldn’t quite hide that he found her incredibly attractive and more "his type." While speaking in his confessional, he even referred to Raven as a "smoke show." That statement in itself is cringeworthy, because if Love Is Blind season 2 taught us anything, it's that eventually the cast will be seeing these episodes, and Nancy in particular would see her soon-to-be husband practically drooling over another woman. Oddly enough, that confessional mention of Raven seemed like nothing compared to what Bartise did next. 

What has fans so riled up like a bee’s nest on social media is that as Bartise and Nancy were in bed talking about the discussions they had during the happy hour, he told her: 

"I loved seeing Raven for the first time. Raven is like the typical girl I would go after in the real world. She came down, she’s wearing the tight clothes, I was like she’s a f***ing smoke show. She’s hot as sh*t."

He followed that up by saying he’s having feelings for multiple women, but he listened to his gut and chose Nancy. Poor Nancy, just sat in bed with a stone face and took his comments like a champ, not flinching. However, in her confessional, she definitely made her hurt feelings known. 

 UPDATE  

Just when we thought perhaps Bartise would actually bounce back from his debacle, he managed to make things worse in terms of his popularity with fans. In episode 7 of the season, many viewers are saying he threw Nancy under the bus during a tense conversation with his family. 

It's no secret that reproductive rights are unfortunately a politically charged issue in the US, and he brought up her opinion on the matter with his parents and sister. Show fans feel he didn't do enough to protect her in that discussion knowing his relatives would have strong opinions on the matter. 

Furthermore, he's once again managed to bring up Raven and her good looks. 

Love Is Blind fans react to Bartise’s confession to Nancy about Raven

As showcased on Twitter, it’s clear Nancy wasn’t the only one upset by Bartise’s bedtime discussion about Raven. Next time, he may want to read the room and remember who he’s talking to before bluntly telling his fiancé he has feelings for another woman. Take a peek at what fans are saying on Twitter. 

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Love Is Blind season 3 is now streaming on Netflix. 

Terrell Smith

Terrell Smith has a diverse writing background having penned material for a wide array of clients including the federal government and Bravo television personalities.  When he’s not writing as Terrell, he’s writing under his pseudonym Tavion Scott, creating scripts for his audio drama podcasts. Terrell is a huge fan of great storytelling when it comes to television and film. Some of his favorite shows include The CrownWandaVision, Abbot Elementary and Godfather of HarlemAnd a fun fact is he's completely dialed into the TLC 90 Day Fiancé universe.