Ser Baffo/Netflix (2)
Natalie Lee and Sal Perez Spark Dating Rumors After Their Multiple Instagram Exchanges
New love on the horizon? Netflix’s Love Is Blind stars Natalie Lee and Salvador “Sal” Perez definitely didn’t end up together during the season 2 finale, but fans are convinced the two are dating because of their recent Instagram activity. And, Natalie’s former fiancé Shayne Jansen appeared to further fuel romance rumors!
On Thursday, March 10, the real estate broker, 32, answered fan questions via Instagram Stories, and one response raised some eyebrows. When a fan asked, “Do you and Natalie hate each other now?” He replied, “Ask @salvdioro8,” tagging Sal.
Natalie and Sal continued sparking romance speculation on Saturday, March 5. At the time, the consulting manager, 29, shared a stunning image of herself wearing a red, floor-length, sleeveless dress, and Sal, 31, took the opportunity to comment on her post.
“Casual Wednesday?” the tourism sales executive assistant commented, while adding several camera emojis. “Pssh, my goodness.”
Countless fans of the reality series then encouraged Sal and Natalie to fall in love — if they haven’t already.
“You and @natalieminalee would be perfect together!” one follower commented. “Can y’all date?” another boldly asked, meanwhile a separate fan even alleged, “You two have something going on and I would f—king love to see [you] guys together.”
Five days before the Chicago native shared her alluring photo, fans noticed that she had commented under one of Sal’s posts as well.
“WRITE ME A SONG,” Natalie wrote underneath his Instagram carousel on Sunday, February 27, as Sal is also a songwriter and ukulele player. His post featured one shot of him smiling while standing against a brick wall and a video of him walking away. As a result, Netflix viewers, of course, took her message as a sign of a budding relationship.
“Please date, I love you two,” one fan wrote in the comments section. “OMG, I would love you and Sal together! You were both my favorites,” another chimed in, whereas a separate user directly told both of them to strike up a romance. “Dear Natalie, please date Sal. Dear @salvadior08 please date Natalie. Thank you for coming to my Ted talk.”
Despite what fans think about the Love Is Blind season 2 alumni, Natalie set the record straight during a Wednesday, March 9, episode of Barstool Sports’ “Tea With Publyssity” podcast.
“I know there’s been speculation that me and Sal are dating. We are not. We’re just really, really close friends,” she explained, noting that he’s a “great guy.”
Sal split from his ex-fiancé Mallory Zapata after he wasn’t able to say “I do” while they were exchanging vows at their wedding in the finale.
As for Natalie, she told Us Weekly on Friday, March 4, that she and former fiancé Shayne Jansen gave their relationship “another shot after [their] wedding” but ultimately split and are just “friends.”
Despite their breakup, Natalie said she has “no regrets” from the “unique” experience starring on Love Is Blind, in an exclusive interview with Life & Style that day.
“I think things worked out as, you know, it should have been,” she said. “I learned so much about myself through it.”
