Just when you finished the first season of Love Is Blind, and you thought nothing could be wilder than the roller coaster that was Giannina and Damian or the love triangle of Amber, Jessica, and Barnett, season 2 comes along, and takes the cake for twists, turns, and of course, absolute cringe. Perhaps the person on whose behalf we all felt the most cringe was Deepti Vempati, a 31-year-old information data analyst from Chicago.
Deepti was a fan favorite in season 2. Her positive attitude made her plenty of friends among the gals and a popular date among the guys. But things took a turn when she met Abishek “Shake” Chatterjee, a 33-year-old veterinarian. Shake immediately became the villain of the series with his sexist comments. Luckily, the couple didn’t make it past the altar. On the day of their wedding, Deepti left Shake, saying, “I deserve somebody who knows for sure. So, I’m choosing myself and I’m gonna say no.”
What is Deepti doing now?
In the aftermath of Love Is Blind, Deepti is thriving in a new career. Before the show, Deepti worked for seven years for Allstate Insurance, after graduating from Bradley University with a degree in psychology and business management. However, since the show aired, she’s left corporate life and pursued a new passion for connecting with fans on social media as an influencer.
Before the show, her yearly salary was just over $100,000 (via Fortune). When the show ended, she went back to her job but struggled to manage her old 9 to 5 with her new gig as an influencer. She finally decided to leave Allstate, saying of the career move, “I decided to take a risk and to quit my corporate job. Honestly, I think it was the best move because without taking risks, you are not going to advance in life.”
Now, she and fellow Love Is Blind season 2 alum Natalie Lee have their own podcast, called Out of the Pods. Hosted on Acast and available on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube, the show has weekly episodes that “deep-dive into the reality TV world of Love is Blind.” The uncensored, behind-the-scenes view gives fans a chance to understand how the show is really made and what the experience is truly like for contestants. Each week features a guest, usually another former Love Is Blind alum, who reveals “never-been-told stories from across the seasons.” Additionally, the show tackles common dating and relationship issues, from how to manage long-distance relationships to what it’s like when a good friendship comes to an end.
The career shift has proven lucrative for the former analyst. Deepti said in an interview with Fortune, “As influencers after the show has aired, we both made over half a million dollars each.” Deepti has also had many brand partnerships in the years since the show aired. Some of the brands she’s worked with include high-profile beauty and fashion companies, such as Fenty Beauty and Stitch Fix. She’s also worked with TaskRabbit, Eventbrite, and even Lay’s potato chips. These influencer deals have proven extremely profitable, and Deepti is open about her finances, telling followers that for just a single Instagram reel, she’s earned $60,000.
Another source of income for Deepti is her burgeoning writing career. In 2022, she released her first book, I Choose Myself. The title is a nod to her iconic line on the finale episode of the show. Deepti says she wrote the memoir because she “wanted the opportunity to share my truth.” In the book, she details her highlights and happy times on Love Is Blind, but she also doesn’t shy away from the low points. She is candid about the challenges she faced with Shake and discusses his sexism as well as the ways he body-shamed her throughout the show.
In addition to chronicling her time on the series, the memoir also discusses her childhood, family life, and her own struggles and triumphs with identity and self-esteem. Deepti discusses how she was born in India, but immigrated to America with her family when she was a kid. As a child, she felt conflicted about her identity, feeling like she was torn between two cultures. She is also candid about her issues with body image, and how she lost and gained more than 70 pounds in an effort to conform to societal standards before coming to a place of self-acceptance and love.
While her book sales undoubtedly gave Deepti a good source of revenue, she opted to donate a percentage of the proceeds to charities supporting mental health and survivors of domestic abuse. Deepti’s kind and open personality are perhaps why she is still able to connect so well with fans and have a flourishing career beyond the pods.