The "honeymoon" phase of Love Is Blind Season 9 didn't just hit a speed bump; it drove straight off a cliff in Baja. Everyone was talking about Joe Ferrucci. Not because of a sweet romantic gesture, but because of a scene so bizarre it sparked a massive internet manhunt for the truth.
If you watched Episode 6, you know the vibe was off. Way off.
Joe basically short-circuited. He went from a seemingly normal guy in the pods to a man who couldn't remember his own fiancée’s face—or at least, couldn't remember what she was wearing three minutes prior. The internet immediately spiraled.
The search for joe love is blind season 9 drugs began before the credits even rolled.
That Bedroom Scene Was A Fever Dream
Let’s set the stage. The "Pod Squad" is at a pool party in Mexico. The drinks are flowing. Joe decides he’s had enough and heads back to the room for a "nap." When Madison Maidenberg goes to check on him, she finds a man who is physically present but mentally on another planet.
He didn't recognize her outfit. He kept asking the same three questions. He laughed at her tears.
It was painful.
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Madison told Entertainment Weekly that the behavior was "confusing" and that he seemed "not engaging." She even compared the experience to him having a "stroke." That’s a heavy word to use for someone who is just supposed to be a bit tipsy.
The Theory: Was It More Than Just The Opaque Goblets?
The most common theory floating around Reddit and TikTok is that Joe wasn't just drunk. Fans pointed to several "clues" that they claim suggest substance use:
- The "Salt" Comment: During the party, Joe made a joke to Jordan about "salt" on his nose. In the world of reality TV sleuthing, "salt" is often interpreted as a code word for something else.
- The Pupil Situation: High-definition cameras don't lie. Viewers noted that Joe’s pupils looked like dinner plates, even in well-lit rooms. Alcohol typically doesn't do that.
- The Memory Loop: He wasn't just slurring. He was "deleting memories in real-time," as one fan put it. This led to intense speculation about Benzos (like Xanax) being mixed with alcohol.
Honestly, the "Mexican Xanax" theory became a staple of the Season 9 discourse. People who have dealt with addiction in real life flocked to the comments sections saying Joe's behavior—the irritability, the confusion, the "lights are on but nobody's home" look—was a dead ringer for pill use.
What Joe And Madison Actually Said
Despite the mountain of theories, we have to look at the official record.
Joe has mostly stuck to the "I was just really drunk and tired" defense. He attributed the incoherence to a combination of the Denver altitude (before the trip), the Mexican sun, and a lot of tequila. He claimed that being woken up from a deep, drunken sleep caused the "delirium" we saw on screen.
Madison, for her part, hasn't explicitly accused him of using illegal drugs. But she hasn't exactly shut it down either. She described him as "overindulging" and mentioned that he was "f**ked up" in a way she hadn't seen before.
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She was scared. You could see it in her eyes. She was trying to navigate a dark room, bumping into furniture, while the man who promised to be her "seeing-eye person" (due to her real-life eye condition) couldn't even tell who she was.
The Production Problem
Why didn't the reunion address the joe love is blind season 9 drugs rumors?
This is where things get cynical. Production companies have massive liability issues. If a contestant is openly using drugs on camera, it’s a legal nightmare for Netflix. It’s much easier to edit it as "he drank too much" than to admit there might have been substances on set.
Some fans think the show "protected" Joe by not asking the hard questions at the reunion. Instead, they focused on the body-shaming comments Joe made about Madison's physique. While those comments were terrible, they felt like a distraction from the elephant in the room: his physical state in Mexico.
Reality Check: Alcohol vs. Substances
Could it really have just been booze? Maybe.
If you drink heavily in the heat, don't eat, and then pass out for four hours, waking up can be a hallucinatory experience. It’s called a "confusional arousal." But the sheer length of his incoherence—and the "salt" jokes—keep the drug rumors alive.
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There's also the "Jordan Factor." Jordan was acting equally strange at that party. When two guys are acting that "up," people assume they shared more than just a margarita.
What This Means For Future Seasons
The Joe and Madison saga changed how people watch Love Is Blind. It opened up a conversation about:
- Vetting: Does production actually do drug screenings?
- Safety: Should Madison have been left alone with someone in that state?
- Accountability: Why was Joe allowed to laugh off a literal mental breakdown?
If you're looking for a "guilty" verdict, you won't find one. There is no drug test result leaked to the press. There is no confession. There is only the footage, which remains some of the most unsettling in the franchise's history.
How To Spot The Red Flags
If you find yourself in a situation like Madison’s—where a partner's behavior suddenly shifts into total incoherence—the best move isn't to argue. You can't reason with a blackout.
Next steps for those following the drama:
- Watch the eyes: In the Episode 7 interview, look at the dilation compared to the Pod scenes.
- Listen to the "Salt" joke again: Context matters, and the reaction from Jordan is telling.
- Trust the gut: Madison’s "hysteria" wasn't random; it was a survival response to an unpredictable situation.
The Joe controversy isn't just about what he took. It's about how the "experiment" handles the very real issues of substance use and mental health when the cameras are rolling.