The Real Reason Anna Yuan Walked Away From Love Is Blind

Love Is Blind Season 9 has had no shortage of chaos, but the most surprising turn wasn’t a screaming match or a love triangle. It was Anna Yuan quietly tapping out of the pods for a reason that’s actually pretty understandable: she didn’t want to crack herself open on camera just to make good TV.

Why Anna walked away

In a chat with Netflix’s Tudum, Anna said her exit wasn’t about another contestant or a behind-the-scenes blowup. It was about boundaries. She felt herself opening up more than she was comfortable with, and the cameras made that feel risky and, frankly, a little invasive.

"I started seeing myself being pretty vulnerable. And it scared me a little bit because this is an intimate part of my brain. These are very sensitive topics for me."

On top of that, she was thinking about her family. During the early pod phase, contestants can’t contact the outside world, and Anna worried how her choices might land with her parents back home. They’re immigrants, there’s a language barrier, and she’s used to being their helper — that responsibility weighed on her. She also admitted to feeling a twinge of guilt about even being there, like she might be blocking someone else’s shot at their fairy-tale ending.

The Patrick situation

Before she left, Anna was supposed to go on a date with Patrick. She didn’t show. She felt a little bad about standing him up, but she doesn’t regret the decision. In her view, none of the connections she had at that point felt strong enough to plausibly lead to a successful marriage, so why force it?

Then Blake bowed out too

Soon after Anna exited, Blake — another one of her connections — decided to leave as well. He supported her call, saying he thought she did what was right for her and he was proud of that. As for his own exit, he realized the process just wasn’t for him, and a proposal wasn’t realistically happening. He also made it clear he didn’t walk because she did.

How it unfolded, at a glance

• Season 9 heats up with the usual drama, but Anna’s exit is the curveball.
• She tells Tudum she left to protect her boundaries after feeling uncomfortably vulnerable on camera.
• Family concerns factored in: she couldn’t contact her parents during pods, and she’s typically their go-to helper.
• She felt guilty about taking up space if she wasn’t all-in and even worried she might block someone else’s shot at love.
• She skipped a scheduled date with Patrick; felt a little bad, but no regrets because the connections didn’t feel marriage-viable.
• Blake left soon after, backed Anna’s choice, decided a proposal wasn’t in the cards, and said his exit wasn’t because of hers.

It’s not the messiest twist the show has seen, but it is one of the more human ones: someone saw the red flags in themselves and opted out before the engagement speeches. Honestly, good for her.