Warning: this story contains spoilers from episodes 1-5 of "Love Is Blind" Season 11, now streaming on Netflix.
It didn't take long for one engaged couple to hit rocky waters on "Love Is Blind" Season 11.
The new season premiered on Netflix Oct. 14, introducing fans to a new batch of singles from Boston who are hoping to find their happily ever after. And for six lucky couples, their time in the pods resulted in an engagement. But things took an unexpected turn for Scott "Stew" Stewart and Jacqueline "Jax" Guelli after they got engaged sight unseen.
Following their reveal, which was undeniably awkward, Jax, 31, decided that she wanted to go home. When producers asked her if she wanted to speak to Stew, 32, before departing the show, she declined.
This left producers with the uncomfortable task of breaking the news to Stew (on camera, no less). He was understandably confused and blindsided, especially because Jax told producers "not to provide any" sort of way for him to contact her.
"So are we still engaged? Or did she dump me?" he awkwardly asked, later noting, "I guess the feelings were not mutual."
Now Jax is setting the record straight, telling USA TODAY that the reveal was "so overwhelming" that she immediately went into fight or flight mode.
"It just didn't feel right, and that's OK," she says. "You're computing all of these things at the same time, like the voice and the body, and 'do we have a connection?' You're freaking out, and then you're like, 'Do I look okay? Cameras are here.' There's so much going on that you're, like … I need a beat. And then, he is an intense person."
The entrepreneur admits that she went into "defensive mode" following their exchange and "fired back in the way that I know how to."
From Stew's perspective, he agrees that the reveal was overwhelming, though he had no inclination that anything was off with Jax.
"No, I didn't pick up on anything," he says. "There was so much going on during the reveal that, like, that was the last thing in my mind. It was such a crazy experience with the doors opening, seeing this person that you've proposed to, that you're engaged with for the first time."
"I don't think either of us presented our best selves," he adds. "And I think both of us would have done it differently … it was such an unprecedented experience. Neither of us could prepare for it."
Fans have speculated that part of the breakdown of their relationship was due to the fact that Stew didn't seem ready for marriage. In the pods, he admitted that he had never been in a relationship before and even told Jax that he wouldn't be able to say "I love you" before proposing.
But Jax says she wasn't phased by that, noting that she could understand where he was coming from because she also wanted to preserve the special moment.
"That was totally fine with me. I was expecting the same from me before I even met him," she explains. "I had this idea that I don't think I want to say 'I love you' behind a wall. I want to save that for in person, and with all the emotions and all the beauty that comes around with that moment … and then when he agreed, I was like, oh, my God. It was a plus for me."
However, the fact that Stew had never been in a serious relationship was a concern for her.
"I think all of your experiences add up in life, and if you don't have those experiences, how do you have the toolkit to deal with things?" she says. "I think he's very smart. I think we vibed on a lot, and I was happy to go through that, and I always say, 'Who wouldn't want to be somebody's first love?' That's exciting. But, yeah, it was a red flag."
Though the two went their separate ways, it appears they eventually reunite seeing as the end of Episode 5 teased Jax and Stew meeting up again at a restaurant in Boston. Will they rekindle their love? Only time will tell.
"Love Is Blind" Season 11 is now streaming Episodes 1-5 on Netflix. The next batch of episodes are set to drop on Wednesday, Oct. 21.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Love Is Blind' Season 11 star Jax explains why she blindsided Stew
