‘Love Is Blind’ Star Giannina Milady Gibelli on That Disaster Runaway-Bride Wedding

This post contains spoilers for Netflix’s Love Is Blind finale.

At long last, Love Is Blind fans finally know how Giannina Milady Gibelli and Damian Powers’ wedding turned out.

The answer? Not great.

Although Giannina poured her heart out in her vows, Damian was unable to say “yes.” As she realized what happened, Giannina told The Daily Beast, “Truthfully, I blacked out for a little bit.” Even talking about it now, she said, is wrenching. “Every single time I see me running into his arms or, you know, me running out of that house, it’s really hard for me to watch.”

We’ll have to wait until the show’s freshly announced reunion special to find out where Giannina and Damian stand now. In the meantime, however, she opened up about that runaway-bride moment, her explosive sex argument with Damian, and their heated political disagreements—which may or may not involve Donald Trump. Oh, and for those wondering: “Milady” is a family name, bestowed on both her mother and grandmother as well.

So going into your wedding day, did you have any suspicion that Damian might say no, or were you totally floored?

Giannina: I wasn’t floored, but I did—we had talked a couple days prior to that. He told me that he would know his decision at the altar. That drove me wild. I had no idea what was going to happen. But you know, he’s going to make a decision at the altar. He was telling me “yes” the entire time, and when you’re in a dress and all that stuff, you’re like There’s no way he’s gonna say no.

Of course.

But it happened. Just shows you: Anything can happen.

Netflix’s ‘Love Is Blind’ Is a Delightfully Weird, Chaotic Cousin to ‘The Bachelor’

Inside Netflix’s Reality-TV Invasion

What was going through your mind as you were hearing him? At what moment did you realize what he was about to say?

After I said my vows I kind of felt his energy and I started to panic a little bit internally. Truthfully, I blacked out for a little bit. So sad. And like, just even talking about it now just gives me a lot of emotions. Every single time I see me running into his arms or, you know, me running out of that house, it’s really hard for me to watch.

It was very hard, very tough, kind of this eye-opener of, Oh God, what’s happening? But just like he respected my decisions throughout the whole show... I kind of calmed down and said, “You know, I see where you're coming from. I don’t have to like it.” But you know, Hell hath no [fury], I guess, like a woman scorned. Really. That fury came out of me!

How do you feel about how both of you were edited? Do you feel like the show captured him and you and your relationship pretty accurately?

Right. So, that was so hard for me to watch.

It was a lot of things that weren’t pictured that made our relationship so beautiful, or just explained a lot of what was going on behind the scenes. But I mean, overall, I’m pretty comfortable with it. I understand it’s not The Giannina and Damian Show, right?

But I think it captured the essence of what we went through together pretty well. And I think there’s a lot of realness and just hardship that a lot of people go through, and we went through it. I think that’s why a lot of people relate. So I’m actually pretty happy with that. People don’t feel so much—like, so alone anymore.

One of the more memorable fights you two had involved you saying that the sex actually wasn’t that great for you. What led you to say that? And, I mean did it get any better after that?

Right! I’ve actually been waiting for somebody to ask me this. You’re the first one.

So, it’s interesting, right? Because I don’t know if you’ve ever been in this position—anyone that’s ever been in the position of, “The sex is great, you’re in a good place, but there’s just something that's kind of, like, missing, or that you wish you could communicate—or that you can’t really put your finger on it.” It’s not bad sex; it’s great sex. But like, you want it—especially when you’re marrying someone, you want it to be, like, the best sex that you’ve ever had in your entire life. Right?

And he took it so well. It’s not easy for a man to kind of take that constructive criticisms... And he really did. And I just thought he was gonna say, “You know what? I don’t need this.” Like, “I’m a man, hear me roar!” kind of thing. He didn’t; he really, like, he really heard me out, he, you know, we got into a groove, and I mean... I said yes, you know, so...

Fair enough! So, when did your family come here from Venezuela?

My mom, we came when I was 6 years old. We had a really good life in Venezuela. My dad’s a civil engineer. Not to sound bouji or anything, but like, we lived in a penthouse.

You’re from Caracas, right?

I’m from Caracas. So we were very easy targets. My mom got held up in the line at school, picking me up from preschool. So there was, you know, there was a lot of talk about what was happening in the country, because my dad, you know, was a civil engineer and we already had family here in Florida, he came, we came over and they gave him his citizenship with the construction company, and we were able to get our papers and get everything squared away.

I had no idea what a blessing that was up until, like, you know, a couple years ago, because my life would be completely different. And because my parents—my dad gave up owning his own company, you know, to bring us over here. And that just means the world.

You and Damian did have that fight tied to Venezuela where you sort of said you couldn’t change your politics. I’m wondering just what you disagreed about. It wasn’t super clear to me.

So our political beliefs are just very different. Sometimes you really need to hear someone out, of like, why they are maybe an activist in something or they don’t agree with certain policies. And that’s just kind of where that came about.

I told him that I wouldn’t change my beliefs because of personal experiences that I’ve gone through. And not because I’m just, like, assuming that this political party or that political party is better than the other. I don’t identify politically. I don’t. I just, if there is a cause or if there is a statement that I agree with then that’s fine. It doesn’t matter if it’s right or left.

But there’s just some things I just won’t budge on, and I can be pretty stubborn—and he just didn’t like me being a stubborn person.

I guess I’m just wondering what it is you won’t budge on.

I won’t budge on being an activist, really. I don’t mind putting myself out there and saying, like, “Hey, this is what I believe in,” and maybe—and I don’t agree with a certain political figure, and I will say that. And it doesn't matter if it’s—you know, someone that a lot of people admire. I just, I’ll stand my ground.

I don’t suppose you could tell me who it is?

I don’t want to! [Laughs.] I just don’t wanna get... I don’t want people to choose sides or to stereotype someone—me or him—just because of who we vote for. I just don’t wanna get to that battle.

Yeah. It kind of seemed like it might be an argument about the president, and potentially whether or not one of you is a Trump supporter.

I mean, if that’s what it seems like, that’s how people will take it.

Got it. So no comment on that?

Yeah, no comment.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here

Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!

Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.