โLove Is Blindโ Season 5 star Lydia Gonzalez has announced that she is divorcing husband James โMiltonโ Johnson IV after three years of marriage.
Gonzalez met Johnson on the hit Netflix dating series, which aired in 2023. She shared the news of their separation on the official โLove Is Blindโ podcast hosted by fellow alum Amber Desiree โA.D.โ Smith.
In the latest episode of โWhatโs the Reality?โ uploaded June 11, Gonzalez detailed the breakdown of her relationship, revealing that problems with Johnson first arose six months after they said โI do.โ
The 33-year-old geologist and Johnson, a petroleum engineer seven years her junior, were the only couple on Season 5 who tied the knot and appeared happily together at the reunion episode in October 2023.
But during her conversation with Smith โ which she confirmed Johnson was not aware of โ Gonzalez said that the criticism the two received during their season about their lack of compatibility turned out to be accurate.
โIโm ready to speak my truth,โ she began at the start of the nearly hour-long podcast episode. โThis is not a session to bash anybody. But I wanted to share with the world. Iโve been quiet for too long, not necessarily because I didnโt have anything to speak of. More because I wasnโt ready for other peopleโs opinions and judgment. And now Iโm ready, and I have decided that I filed divorce against Milton.โ
She said Johnson refused to sign divorce papers unless she also signed an NDA> TODAY.com has reached out to Johnson for comment and has not heard back at the time of publication.
“That said enough for me to know that I needed to share my truth and my experience because Iโve been suffering in silence,” she said.
She said she couldnโt point to one reason for their separation because there was โa layer of situationsโ that made her reach her breaking point.
The reality television star went on to explain when their relationship started to unravel after a โfairy taleโ start. She recalled them having their first argument after she learned Johnson had remained in contact with one of his exes following their nuptials.
โWhen I saw that, my heart went to the floor. I felt, like, betrayed and disrespected,โ she told Smith.
The two went to couples therapy, but she said it didnโt feel helpful. Still, she attempted to forgive, forget and move on.
They later had a second wedding ceremony in Puerto Rico, where Gonzalez was raised. While in their hotel room, she looked through Johnsonโs phone, again, and saw that he was still communicating with his ex. She added that it took a year before he cut off communication with his past girlfriend.
Gonzalez shared other interactions that led to their breakup. According to Gonzalez, Johnson felt she โdisrespected himโ by wearing certain swimsuits, she said. He also would โscoldโ her in front of his family if she cursed.
โI just started feeling like I was losing my spark,โ she shared. โIt was just things like that kept, like, making me feel small.โ
Smith asked if their age gap, which was frequently mentioned during their time on โLove Is Blind,โ played a role in the tension between them.
โI donโt believe itโs the age gap. I donโt think it was the numbers,โ Gonzalez replied. โI think it was a matter of emotional availability and maturity, support and communication. Maybe the internet was right. Maybe he wasnโt ready for marriage. I think he wanted to be ready for marriage, but I donโt really think that he was ready to be a husband.โ
Her recent health problems led to arguments, as well. Gonzalez shared that in September 2024 she was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. According to the National Institute of Health, fibromyalgia is a chronic disorder that causes pain throughout the body and also fatigue.
โIt kind of felt (like) relief. But at the same time, a life sentence,โ she explained. โTo say that fibromyalgia has ruined my life doesnโt even come near to it.โ
She became emotional as she spoke about Johnson not being supportive after she was diagnosed. Gonzalez said she wanted to take a medical leave of absence from her job to focus on her health, but he disagreed.
When Smith inquired about the current status of their relationship, Gonzalez described it as โnonexistentโ since she filed for divorce on March 31.
โI never felt that my marriage was a priority for him,โ she said.
She said she wanted to publicly address the split since social media users are invested in their relationship.
โI suffered so long in silence that my healing is going to be loud and profound,โ she added.
In addition to the podcast, Gonzalez also penned a lengthy Instagram caption further explaining her decision to call it quits. The post included clips of sweet moments the couple shared together. It was her first social media post featuring Johnson since February.
At the end of the caption, she wrote, โI wouldnโt change our marriage for anything, forever you have taken a piece of my heart with you, I loved you beyond the beyond, and for me Love will always be blind.โ
Johnson has not commented about the divorce on social media. He also hasnโt posted on Instagram since February 2024. His last post was a Valentineโs Day tribute that featured pictures from a photoshoot with Gonzalez.
The news of Johnson and Gonzalezโs divorce comes a few weeks after Season 3 couple Colleen Reed and Matt Bolton shared they have broken up, too.
Reed and Bolton, who were married for nearly four years, released a joint statement on Instagram May 23 about their split.
โHi everyone, we wanted to share something personal, and this is not easy to do, but after nearly four years together, weโve decided to end our marriage and move forward on our own paths,โ they said. โWeโve been separated for some time now and have been doing our best to work through everything privately and with care.โ
They continued, โThis was an incredibly difficult decision, not one we made lightly. It came with a lot of thought and itโs been an emotional process for both of us.โ
Bolton and Reed said they were grateful for their relationship and wouldnโt change anything. They ended their statement by thanking everyone who has supported their love story.
