You’ve probably seen the clips. The tension in the pods was thick enough to cut with a dull knife when 29-year-old oncology nurse Sara Carton started grilling Ben Mezzenga about his voting record. It wasn’t your typical "what’s your favorite color" reality TV banter. No, this was Love Is Blind Season 8 in Minneapolis, and Sara was looking for a partner who shared her fundamental soul, not just her taste in music.
If you’re wondering why everyone is still talking about Sara Carton and her journey on the show, it's because she did something most contestants are too scared to do: she made it political. Honestly, it was a vibe shift for the entire franchise. Usually, we see couples bonding over shared trauma or their love for brunch. Sara? She wanted to know where Ben stood on the Black Lives Matter movement and whether he’d show up for the LGBTQ+ community.
The Pods Were Messier Than You Think
What we saw on Netflix was just the tip of the iceberg. Sara recently dropped a bombshell on Elite Daily and The Viall Files—there was actually a "love square" happening that the cameras mostly ignored. While we saw Sara and Ben falling for each other, Sara was actually deeply connected to another guy named Joey Leveille until the second-to-last day in the pods.
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Basically, it was a whole mess.
Joey was Sara’s "Number 2," and Ben was talking to a woman named Monica Danús until the very end.
Sara ended up picking Ben because of their "flirting and dirty jokes," whereas Joey felt more like a safe, comfortable best friend. But looking back, that choice might have been where the trouble started.
Why Sara Carton and Ben Mezzenga Didn't Work
The central conflict of their relationship was a classic case of "values vs. chemistry." Sara is a progressive, headstrong woman whose worldviews were shaped by her sister, Lisa, who is gay. Ben, an account executive, was... well, apathetic.
When Ben admitted he didn't vote in the last election and "just kind of keeps out of it" regarding social justice issues, Sara’s face said it all. She famously told him she didn't want to be his teacher. She wasn't interested in "parenting" a grown man into caring about human rights.
- The Religion Hurdle: Ben’s Christian faith was a huge part of his life, and he wanted a wife who would be in church every Sunday.
- The Political Gap: Ben’s lack of interest in the George Floyd protests—right in their own city of Minneapolis—was a massive red flag for Sara.
- The Altar Shock: Despite the red flags, they got engaged. But at the altar, Sara ultimately said "I don't." She chose her values over a "maybe" future.
The Aftermath: Ghosting and "Find My Friends"
If you thought the drama ended when the cameras stopped rolling, you're wrong. After the wedding rejection, Ben actually suggested they keep dating. They even lived together for two weeks post-filming! Sara was ready to give it a real shot and was even planning to move to Nashville for a travel nursing contract.
Then, the ghosting happened.
Sara revealed that one day she noticed Ben had removed her from Find My Friends.
Total silence.
Ben claimed at the reunion that he thought they were already broken up, but Sara felt completely blindsided. It was a cold end to a relationship that started with so much "spark."
The Plot Twist: Sara and Joey Are Actually a Thing Now
Here is the part that has everyone screaming "Girl Code!"
Remember Joey? The guy from the love square?
In July 2025, Sara and Joey finally went Instagram Official with a series of PDA-filled photos. This came after months of them denying they were anything more than friends.
The messy part? Joey was engaged to Monica (Sara’s friend from the pods) on the show. Monica has since come out saying she felt betrayed because Sara was supposedly her support system while she was venting about Joey, all while Sara and Joey were secretly exploring a connection.
What We Can Learn From Sara Carton’s Experience
Sara’s time on Love Is Blind is basically a masterclass in why you shouldn't ignore your "gut feelings" for the sake of a reality TV ending. She received a lot of hate on Instagram for being "too political," but on Reddit, she’s mostly praised for standing her ground.
If you’re currently navigating the dating world, Sara’s journey offers some pretty solid takeaways:
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- Don't Settle on Core Values: If you care about social justice and your partner doesn't, that gap only gets wider over time. Chemistry can't bridge a fundamental difference in how you see the world.
- Trust the "Dirty Jokes" vs. "Best Friend" Balance: Sara chose the flirtatious connection (Ben) over the stable one (Joey) initially. Sometimes the "boring" connection is actually the more sustainable one.
- Watch the "Find My Friends" Clues: Modern ghosting has digital footprints. If they untrack you, they’re done.
- Friendships in Competitive Spaces Are Hard: The "Girl Code" drama with Monica shows that it's nearly impossible to stay "besties" with people who are dating your ex-fiancé.
Sara is back in Minneapolis now, working as an oncology nurse and seemingly very happy with Joey. She’s active on Instagram (@saracarton_), where she still keeps photos up of her past relationships—including Ben—because she says she doesn't believe in erasing her history.
What to Do Next
If you’re a fan of the show and want to keep up with the fallout, the best place to look is the Season 8 reunion or Sara's recent TikTok explainers where she shares "receipts" about the breakup with Ben. It’s a wild ride, but it proves one thing: love might be blind, but reality is 20/20.
Check Sara’s Instagram feed for the latest on her and Joey’s "Nashville chapter."
Re-watch the pod episodes to see if you can spot the "love square" clues now that we know they existed.
Research the Minneapolis casting calls if you think you could handle the "pods" better than this crew did.