You remember the pods. That weird, gray-walled experiment where people fell in love with a voice. Back in 2020, everyone was convinced Matthew Barnett and Amber Pike wouldn't last six months. She had $20,000 in student debt she wasn't paying, he was a straight-laced engineer who seemed terrified of her "wild child" energy, and then there was the whole Jessica Batten triangle. It was a mess. Pure reality TV gold, sure, but a stable foundation for a lifelong marriage? Nobody was betting on it.
Honestly, they’ve spent the last few years proving just about every skeptic on the internet wrong.
As of early 2026, the Barnetts aren't just "still together." They’ve actually become the blueprint for making a reality TV marriage work in the real world. They didn’t do it by being perfect, either. They did it by being kind of messy, very loud, and surprisingly disciplined about their private lives once the cameras stopped rolling.
The Secret Life of the Barnetts After the Pods
Most couples from Love Is Blind flame out within a year. The "reunion" episodes are usually a graveyard of broken engagements. But Matthew and Amber hit their seven-year wedding anniversary in November 2025. That’s an eternity in reality star years.
What changed? Basically, they stopped performing.
After the show aired, Amber took a lot of heat. People called her a "gold digger" because of the debt conversation. It was brutal. But what viewers didn't see—or what the edit skipped over—was the actual work. Amber didn't just sit around. She went back to school recently to pivot her career, a move she discussed on Lauren and Cameron’s podcast, The Love Seat. She wanted to be in a place where she felt she was contributing equally, even though Matt has always been her biggest cheerleader.
They also didn't rush into the "Influencer" lifestyle full-bore. While they certainly use their platform, Matt kept his foot in the construction and engineering world for a long time. They lived in a modest apartment, saved money, and actually paid off those debts everyone was so worried about.
The 2025 Milestone: Baby B Finally Arrives
For years, the biggest question in their Instagram comments was: "When are you guys having a baby?" It’s a pushy question, but fans were invested. Amber had been open about some health scares, including a frightening seizure incident that had people speculating about epilepsy.
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Then came April 2025.
The couple welcomed their first child, a daughter, on April 6, 2025. They’ve kept the little one’s life relatively low-key compared to other stars, but the joy was palpable. Amber posted a photo from the hospital bed that looked... well, real. No full face of makeup, no staged professional lighting. Just a tired, happy mom and a dad who looked like he hadn't slept in three days.
"Baby Barnett has arrived and is more perfect than anything I could’ve dreamed," Amber shared.
It’s a huge shift from the "party girl" image the show pushed on her. Parenthood has a way of doing that. It grounds you. For Matthew and Amber Barnett, this wasn't just another milestone; it was the final proof that their "whirlwind" romance had real roots.
Why They Succeeded Where Others Failed
It’s easy to look at Lauren and Cameron as the "gold standard" of the show. They’re polished. They’re calm. But the Barnetts are the "scrappy standard." They fought. They had real-world financial stress. They dealt with the shadow of a third party (Jessica) hanging over their early marriage.
- Emotional Transparency: Amber didn't hide her flaws. She laid the debt on the table before the wedding. It was ugly, but it was honest.
- The "Wild" Match: Matt isn't as boring as the show made him out to be. He’s just as adventurous as she is. They spend their time off-roading, traveling, and doing things that actually build a bond outside of red carpets.
- Ignoring the Noise: They stopped engaging with the haters. Early on, Amber would clap back at every comment. Now? She’s too busy raising a human and finishing her studies.
There’s a lesson here about not judging a relationship by its "edit." Reality TV is designed to find the cracks. It turns out, if you just keep filling those cracks with actual effort, the house stays standing.
Looking Ahead: What’s Next for the Barnetts?
If you’re looking for drama, you’re probably going to be disappointed. The Barnetts seem to have settled into a comfortable, domestic rhythm in Georgia. They still hang out with the Hamiltons, but they’ve carved out a life that feels more "neighbor next door" than "Netflix celebrity."
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Expect to see more of Amber's career transition and Matt’s continued growth in his professional field. They’ve talked about a second wedding—a "real" one away from the production schedules and the stress of a TV show—but with a new baby in the house, that's likely on the back burner.
The most important takeaway from their story isn't that love is blind. It’s that love is a choice you make every morning when you wake up next to someone who knows all your secrets and loves you anyway.
Next Steps for Fans:
- Check out The Love Seat Podcast: If you want the unfiltered story of Amber’s pregnancy and her return to school, listen to the episode where they guest-starred with Lauren and Cameron.
- Respect the Privacy: As they navigate their first year of parenthood, give them space. They share what they want, but the best way to support them is to celebrate their wins without demanding more access to their private life.
- Re-watch Season 1: If you haven't seen it in a while, go back and watch with fresh eyes. You’ll notice the small moments of support Matt gave Amber that were overshadowed by the "debt drama."