Carlton Morton, star of the Netflix hit reality series Love is Blind, sparked fears of suicide this week after posting a cryptic response to backlash over his identity as a bisexual Black man.
Morton, whose explosive blowup with short-lived fiancée Diamond Jack became one of the most talked-about moments of the show, took to his Instagram on Tuesday to address the lack of support he’s received since the show’s airing.
“I’m really done,” Morton said in the post. “Black lives matter until it’s an LGBT Black life.”
For those who don’t know, the binge-worthy series sees singles participate in a blind dating experiment to determine if they could find love after getting to know each other in just ten days. The catch is, however, they do so while in walled rooms called “pods” — never getting the chance to meet their soon-to-be fiancé(es) until they’ve already agreed to an engagement.
Morton chose not to tell Jack that he was bisexual until they were already engaged and enjoying their pre-honeymoon. Their fairytale quickly spiraled into a hard-to-watch shouting match that ended with Jack quoting Beyoncé lyrics and Morton making disparaging comments about Jack’s “wig.”
Reactions on social media have been nonstop and have led to heated debates online about bisexuality, specifically bisexual men. In particular, many have accused Morton of leading Jack on. Others have outright said he’s not actually bisexual, but gay.
In his Tuesday post, Morton — who’s also appeared in the Real Housewives of Atlanta years go — said he would no longer talk to the press and claimed that his so-called “celebrity” friends on social media did nothing to defend his “character.”
“I’ve argued for tons of people. Ya’ll see ANY of those people speaking up for me? I’M DONE,” Morton wrote.
“Thanks for the 3 of ya’ll who supported me in this. I feel alone and don’t want any of this life anymore. I’m fighting ALONE. And it HURTS.”
Morton’s post quickly caused some people to fear that his use of words suggested that he was maybe having thoughts of suicide. Comments of support came pouring in.
“You are LOVED!” commented Chicago radio and TV personality Kendra G., apparently a friend of Morton. “Please please please reach out to me if you ever need to talk. I just tried to text you but not sure if your number is the same. Mines is. Send you love and a huge hug.”
“Mannnnn, keep staying true to yourself! You are an inspiration to so many. Nothing but respect!” wrote Instagram user @richasbrandon.
“I hate that that you have to endure this. I wish there were some words of comfort that I could render to get you out of this headspace,” another person commented.
“We can’t change ppl but we can continue to live and be our authentic selves. I will pray for your strength this evening. May you be guided on this journey.”