The Mental Tug of War of Reality TV with Danielle Ruhl

Off The Cuff with Danny LoPriore

This week on Off The Cuff with Danny LoPriore, I had an amazing conversation with mental health advocate and one of the stars of season two of Love Is Blind Danielle Ruhl.

Danielle opens up about her prior issues with an eating disorder and the struggles she had and still has with her mental health. At one point, her eating disorder was so bad she regularly sprayed windex on her food in an attempt to stop from eating.

“I would eat chicken breast and I would keep windex by my desk in my sorority so that if I ever brought up anything from the kitchen that wasn’t, I would spray it, so I wouldn’t eat it.” Danielle (4:09)

While filming, Danielle explains that she pleaded with producers to let her and her partner at the time Nick go home, because she knew she was not mentally fit to be there.

“One of the first nights in Mexico we were like, we can’t do this. I was very transparent with telling them I wasn’t mentally fit to move forward, but unfortunately, my input was not taken very seriously.” Danielle (3:17)

Aside from Love Is Blind not having an on set mental health professional and ignoring Danielle’s pleas to leave, Danielle also told us that there are no STD screenings. The method in which the show chose to keep their cast members sexually safe is shocking.

“We had a sex training course and they had us look at a bunch of pictures of STD’s before filming the pods. But we didn’t get tested. But they heavily encouraged us to look at the other person’s genitals before having sex.” Danielle (38:44)

Tune in to hear more about Danielle’s mental health journey and some of the unfortunate mental tolls of being on reality TV.

In This Episode

• (02:08) The vetting process for Love is Blind

• (03:08) First night in Mexico

• (04:21) What it’s like to struggle with an eating disorder

• (05:40) American Culture and social media

• (10:48) A new diagnosis

• (12:36) How sensory stuff can set you off

• (13:43) BInge eating on the set

• (15:55) Something bad’s gonna happen

• (17:51) How group sessions can be powerful

• (20:09) What it’s like to have a panic attack on television

• (21:06) The fear of being used

• (23:59) Honeymoon vacation with a divorce

• (26:37) Rushing a sorority

• (28:16) Small town, big talks

• (31:42) Dead giveaway

• (36:15) The idea of a good body

• (38:43) Getting tested for STDs

• (40:09) The miracle of life

• (48:54) Shooting the shit

Our Guest

Danielle Ruhl is a mental health advocate and one of the stars of the second season of the hit Netflix reality show Love Is Blind. Danielle uses her platform to spread awareness about mental health and body image issues.

Resources & Links

Off The Cuff

• https://www.offthecuff.fm/

• https://www.youtube.com/c/OffTheCuffwithDannyLoPriore

• https://www.instagram.com/1and1otc/

• https://www.instagram.com/dannylopriore/

• https://www.tiktok.com/@1and1otc

Danielle Ruhl

• https://www.danielleruhl.com/

• https://www.instagram.com/dnellruhl/

• https://www.tiktok.com/@dnellruhl