Andrew Liu didn't just walk into the Love Is Blind pods; he sauntered in with a passport full of stamps and a vocabulary that felt like it was plucked from a Taoist manual and a National Geographic caption. Most reality TV villains are easy to spot. They’re the ones screaming in the kitchen or throwing drinks at a mixer. But Andrew? He was different. He was the guy talking about "sexual kung fu" and the transcendental nature of wildlife photography.
Then came the eye drops.
That single moment in Season 3 changed everything. It turned a somewhat pretentious suitor into a certified internet meme. You've probably seen the clip: Andrew, sitting in the confessional after being rejected by Nancy Rodriguez, asks the producer if the cameras are rolling. He then proceeds to squeeze Visine into his eyes to mimic tears. It was bold. It was weird. Honestly, it was one of the most honest "dishonest" moments in the history of the franchise.
The Eye Drop Incident: Pure Manipulation or Performance Art?
When we talk about Andrew Love Is Blind fans usually go straight for the jugular. They call him a sociopath or a narcissist. But if you look at the footage again, there’s a strange sort of transparency to what he did. He didn't hide the bottle. He literally asked, "Is it okay that I'm doing this?"
The producer’s response was a masterclass in "giving them enough rope." They told him that if his eyes were hurting, he should go ahead. Andrew then leaned into the camera and whispered, "Just a little bit," before delivering a line about how he never thought he could care for someone enough to be moved to tears.
It was a performance.
Nancy Rodriguez, the woman who had just turned down his proposal in favor of Bartise Bowden, eventually saw the footage like the rest of us. She wasn't impressed. Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, she called the moment "cringey" and felt it validated her intuition that something was "off" about their connection. For Nancy, the eye drops were proof that Andrew was playing a character.
Why the Producers Left It In
Usually, reality TV editors protect the "illusion" of the show. They want you to believe the emotions are raw and real. So why did they leave the eye drop scene in?
Creator Chris Coelen told Variety that it was simply too revealing to cut. It showed the essence of who Andrew was in that environment. By keeping it, the show broke the fourth wall. It reminded the audience that everyone in those pods is aware of the cameras. Andrew just happened to be the one caught trying to direct his own scene.
The Myth of Sexual Kung Fu
Before he was the "Eye Drop Guy," Andrew was the "Sexual Kung Fu Guy." This was his primary personality trait in the pods. He spoke at length to Nancy about his practices, which he described as a way to achieve more intense orgasms through Taoist techniques of "not ejaculating."
Nancy was initially intrigued. She liked his voice—which was deep and practiced—and she liked that he seemed financially stable and well-traveled. But the "cool, calm, collected" persona eventually felt like a barrier.
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It’s worth noting that "sexual kung fu" isn't something Andrew made up. It’s a colloquial term for certain Mantak Chia-style Taoist practices involving breathwork and energy circulation. But hearing it discussed in a purple-lit pod while someone is trying to find a spouse? It was a lot.
Where is Andrew Liu Now?
Since the show aired, Andrew has taken the "villain" label and run with it in a surprisingly self-aware way. He didn't show up for the Season 3 reunion—a move that left Nick Lachey mocking him with a bottle of eye drops on stage. Instead, Andrew stayed in his own lane.
The Professional Photographer
Andrew isn't just a guy who likes to talk about Kenya; he is a genuinely talented wildlife photographer. His Instagram, which goes by the handle @a.curious.ape, is a far cry from the typical influencer feed. You won't find many selfies or sponsored tea posts there.
- Black and White Mastery: He focuses heavily on high-contrast, black-and-white images of big cats.
- Conservation Efforts: He’s donated work to "Prints for Wildlife," raising thousands of dollars for African Parks Network.
- International Recognition: He has been nominated for awards like the Africa Geographic Photographer of the Year.
In his professional life, the "too cool" persona actually works. Wildlife photography requires the kind of detached patience he displayed in the pods.
The "Acting Job" Revelation
In a 2024 talk in Austin, Andrew dropped a bit of a bombshell. He claimed that he actually met "the love of his life," a woman named Kate, in the months between being cast and the start of filming. According to Andrew, he told her about the show and she allegedly gave him her blessing to do it—as long as he didn't end up married.
He described the experience as an "acting job for a background character role that paid minimum wage with free drinks." If this is true, it reframes the entire eye drop incident. It wasn't a man trying to win back a woman; it was a man trying to make "good TV" because he was already bored with the process.
The Reality of Andrew Love Is Blind Legacy
What most people get wrong about Andrew is thinking he was "caught." If he wanted to hide the eye drops, he could have. He was in a private room. He chose to involve the producer. He chose to make it a spectacle.
He was the first contestant to truly treat Love Is Blind like a simulation. While others were crying over people they’d never seen, Andrew was checking the lighting and asking about the frame. He was a glitch in the system.
Actionable Takeaways for Reality TV Fans
- Question the Edit: Andrew's story proves that "villains" are often the people who refuse to play by the unspoken rules of the production.
- Look for the Fourth Wall: When a contestant seems "too perfect" or "too calm," they are likely hyper-aware of the lens.
- Separate the Character from the Person: You can hate the eye drop scene and still acknowledge that Andrew is a legit photographer who does real work for conservation.
The next time you're watching a dating show and someone starts crying, just remember: sometimes the tears are real, and sometimes they’re just $5.99 at the local CVS.
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To get the full picture of the Season 3 fallout, you should look into Nancy Rodriguez’s recent business ventures in real estate, which show she's moved far beyond the pod drama.