From the moment Brittany Dodson met Devin Buckley in the “Love Is Blind” dating pods, the two shared an instant connection.
The Season 8 participants quickly bonded over their shared love of basketball and their father’s identical first names (Willy, not William), then seamlessly shifted to deeper conversations.
Dodson, a 35-year-old partnership executive, lent an empathetic ear to Buckley, a 29-year-old youth director/coach, when he opened up about a difficult time in his life. But she was disappointed that he wasn’t as understanding when she revealed that she had dated both women and men in the past.
Ultimately, Dodson walked away from the relationship before it progressed any further, leaving Buckley to pursue his connection with Virginia Miller, a 34-year-old health care recruiter who later became his fiancée.
With Season 8 of “Love Is Blind” officially out on Netflix, Dodson is ready to reflect on the conversation that made her realize Buckley wasn't the match for her. Read on for TODAY.com's exclusive interview with Dodson and a recap of her journey in the pods.
Why did Brittany and Devin break up?
In Season 8 Episode 4, Buckley recalled a challenging time in his life during his senior year of high school where he felt extreme pain in his legs and back. Eventually, Buckley had physical therapy and surgery to address the pain and began to feel much better. Still, he admitted that he still feels “ashamed” of abusing pain medication during that time. After listening intently, Dodson instantly reassured him that it was “no reason for you to be ashamed.”
"I appreciate you. I knew that if I told you, I wouldn't get any judgment," he replied.
Dodson felt empowered to open up about her own story at this point and told Buckley about a time in her life after college where she “realized things about my sexuality.”
Dodson said she's dated women in the past but has always seen herself marrying a man. When Buckley asked if she's still interested in women, Dodson offered the following response: “I think that people are beautiful all together.”
Dodson then reassured him that she's always been in a monogamous relationship and is loyal to whoever she's dating — whether that's a male or a female.
“I feel like it's a lot for me to process just because I've never been with someone that has been with the same sex, but it doesn't change how I feel for you as a person,” Dodson said.
“It would've been very comforting to hear on your side, ‘Oh, that don't matter. Oh, I don't care’ but at the same time I have to understand and respect your perspective,” she replied.
On their next date, Dodson called things off and said, “Just knowing that you may be a little more rigid than I would like in a partner, I just kind of feel like I don't think this is going to be good for me. We're not each other's person.”
Brittany Dodson reflects on her 'Love Is Blind' journey
Are you planning to watch this season when it premieres?
I’ll be away, but I definitely plan to tune in. I just have to be prepared for what other people will see.
We see you mostly talking with Devin on the show. Was there anyone else you shared a connection with in the pods?
(Devin) was one of the main connections for sure. Adam was definitely another connection, and there were a few more as well. I had a ton of fun with all the guys connecting and just chatting with them.
How did Devin’s response to your dating history make you feel and what kind of a response were you hoping for?
His response didn’t make me feel great in that moment, especially since I’ve never thought about (my experiences with women) as a really huge deal. Then after saying it and hearing his response, I realized that it could be a bigger deal to others, including my family. So I was like, “Ok, here we go. Let's strap in for this ride.”
It definitely didn’t make me feel the best, but hearing his response, I wanted more from him, more support. I wish that he could have had a little more confidence in himself to say, "That doesn’t matter. We’re here now. Where are we going?"
When Devin said he needed to process what you had just told him, did you have a feeling he had one foot out the door at that point and that the relationship had shifted?
In that moment I thought, “Let me give him his time.” But then I had time to go home and think about it and just reflect on how I responded to his situation. And in that moment, I wanted to be extremely open and understanding.
I kind of made up my mind by the time I went home and came back and got a restful night. I understand, yes, you can give people time to do things, but it sounded like he already had some very clear instilled views about things.
So, I thought, “I can’t change your mind and I don’t want to be the person to change your mind.”
While speaking with Devin, you said you’ve had a few dating experiences with women but still see yourself being married to a man. Does that still ring true for you, or have your feelings changed since appearing on the show?
I think I never had really said it out loud. I was just like, “Ok, is that kind of silly? Is it the social construct or what society has told me to do and be?” Of course I am open (to being with a woman), but I do like to be in my feminine energy and I do like a big, strong, loving man to take care of me.
I’ve had these experiences, and I think love in general is so beautiful, so I’m very open to it.
In Season 1 of “Love Is Blind,” Carlton told his fiancé Diamond that he was bisexual and the relationship ended. Given your experience with Devin, why do you think the topic of bisexuality has posed challenges for “Love Is Blind” couples?
I think people come into pretty much any situation with their own expectations of what the person they want to be with is going to be like. When you impose some of those views on people, you kind of mess yourself up a little bit. And again, (there are) societal norms, of course, but I think also we as people tend to just have this fairytale built up in our heads.
The next cast members should be open and understand that it's 2025. Anything is possible. Don’t have this mindset that just because someone loves someone else or a different gender or anything else that it will affect how they love you.
You were part of a love triangle with Devin and Virginia, yet you managed to handle it with class and no drama. You even spoke highly of Virginia while calling it off with Devin. Did you and Virginia have any conversations about how to handle the love triangle?
We actually didn’t have any conversations about how we wanted to handle anything. Virginia was a little more closed off and kind of kept her cards close to her chest throughout filming. She did know after I had broken up with Devin why I’d broken up with him.
There wasn't any room for any drama. I think we’re both very classy women and we are very confident in our own right and know and understand that there's room for everybody to find love and whatever happens, happens. We’re very emotionally intelligent people too. We don’t have to claw and scratch at each other for any of this.
What does your ideal partner look like moving forward?
I want someone a little more seasoned — someone that can teach me something. I'm definitely not interested in holding someone’s hand.
Now, if I fall madly in love with and we’re learning and growing together, that is such a beautiful thing. But I’m not 22 years old anymore. I certainly don’t want to carry the weight of a relationship.
- I’m interested in someone that’s well established, ready to be married and receive some beautiful love from me.
