Love Is Blind star Shayne Jansen reveals dramatic body transformation after drug-and-alcohol spiral

Shayne Jansen, a former Love Is Blind contestant, has unveiled a dramatic body transformation after a period of drug and alcohol abuse fueled by sudden reality-star notoriety. The 36-year-old Georgia native, who grew up in Wisconsin, said he hit rock bottom amid post-show fame, then rebuilt his life from the ground up. He trimmed from about 230 pounds to roughly 210 pounds of lean muscle and has since shared a lean, defined physique that his followers have celebrated online. Ahead of Love Is Blind Season 9’s premiere on Oct. 1, Jansen told The New York Post he took drastic steps to regain control over his life and career, moving from Chicago to Austin, Texas, to reduce temptations and focus on a healthier routine.

In his first big on-the-record discussion about the turnaround, Jansen described the years after the 2022 season of Love Is Blind, when he also appeared on the Netflix dating show The Perfect Match the following year, as a whirlwind that brought a half-million new Instagram followers but also intense scrutiny. He recalled a low point in April 2023 when he went on TikTok Live with hundreds of thousands watching and appeared disheveled and erratic, saying he felt he was self-sabotaging everything. “And all I kept seeing was that number [of viewers] climb,” he said, recalling the moment he realized something was wrong and that he was losing touch with people he cared about. “I got 10 phone calls right after. People I hadn’t heard from in years. That’s when you knew it was bad.”

Jansen decided to take control of life and quit drugs and drinking. He relocated from Chicago to Austin, where he said there are fewer temptations, and quadrupled down on the gym, training up to four times a week. He has since documented his progress, sharing July posts of his shirtless, post-recovery physique and noting the development of washboard abs. The updates drew attention from a fan base that he said is predominantly female; he estimates that 95 percent of his followers are women, many of whom reached out to hire him as a personal trainer. He described his new clientele as including a large number of 40-year-old moms, joking that he is “in a massive group text with 50 moms,” which he finds both humorous and validating of his broader appeal beyond traditional reality TV star status.

Despite the celebratory tone around his physical comeback, Jansen acknowledged lingering scrutiny and negative comments online. Some followers have criticized his transformation, with a recurring remark about his therapy choices. “Men will do anything but go to therapy,” one common refrain he encounters. He pushed back on the notion that his routine is simply about vanity, emphasizing that therapy and mental health discipline have complemented his physical regimen. “It shows that I got discipline, structure from therapy, and it’s a habit that got me away from my other stuff,” he explained. He also underscored that his focus on health goes hand in hand with personal growth, rather than being a quick fix or a showman’s ploy.

Jansen has not spoken to his Love Is Blind ex-fiancée Natalie Lee in about three years, a detail he noted when asked about the possibility of finding love again on TV. He has not ruled out the idea entirely, suggesting that while he once swore he’d never seek romance on television, the lessons from his journey have altered his perspective. “Before, I’m like, ‘I’m never going to find love on TV. What’s the point?’ [But] you can’t find love in the real world either; it’s so toxic. There’s no difference! It’s not good either way right now. It’s just not,” he said, signaling a tempered openness to future opportunities if they arise.

Jansen’s rise, fall, and resurgence underscore a broader conversation about fame, personal accountability, and the role of therapy and structure in rebuilding one’s life after a public meltdown. He said he’s not seeking to rewrite his narrative, but to offer a path for others facing similar pressures: a combination of physical discipline, safer environments, and ongoing mental-health work.

As Season 9 of Love Is Blind approaches, Jansen emphasized that he has learned to balance accountability with resilience, and he remains hopeful about the possibility of new connections while staying grounded in the realities of his growth.