Lydia, from “Love Is Blind,” Bids Farewell to Aaliyah’s ‘Great Friendship’ as the ‘Ship Sets Sail’ (Exclusive Interview)

Lydia Velez Gonzalez recently shared her experience with PEOPLE, shedding light on the complexities of her friendship with Aaliyah Cosby and how it eventually led to a complicated love triangle involving Uche Okoroha.

Exclusive from Netflix:
Attention: This article contains spoilers from the fifth season of Love Is Blind.
Lydia Velez Gonzalez wants to make it clear that despite the end of their close friendship, there are no hard feelings between her and Love Is Blind co-star Aaliyah Cosby.
In the early episodes of the season, viewers were shocked to discover that Lydia, 32, had previously dated another co-star, Uche Okoroha, before appearing on the show. This revelation was particularly surprising to Aaliyah, who had connected with Uche in the private pods and had also developed a strong bond with Lydia in the women’s quarters.
As the season progressed, it was finally revealed that Aaliyah, 29, made the decision to leave the experiment just before Uche, 34, was going to propose. Aaliyah explained that she had reached her breaking point due to Lydia’s constant commentary about Uche. What viewers didn’t see was the major falling out between Aaliyah and Lydia off camera, which further strained their relationship.
Speaking about their friendship today, Lydia reveals to PEOPLE that their bond was never able to recover after all that transpired. “Unfortunately, it seems like our friendship has sailed away,” she explains. “There is a lot of pain involved. As everyone saw, Aaliyah formed her own opinions about me without giving me a chance to show who I really am after the cameras stopped rolling.”
She further adds, “I respect her decision, and I don’t judge her for it. I have never spoken negatively about her, but I can’t say the same about her towards me. I genuinely wish her the best. She appears to be doing well. However, we are no longer friends.”

As per the Netflix documentary, Lydia has chosen to focus on the positive aspects of her friendship with Aaliyah, despite the unfortunate turn of events. She believes that the bond they formed early on, even before dating anyone, was the greatest thing they achieved. Lydia wants to cherish those moments and remain happy for Aaliyah, despite the sadness that followed. Aaliyah, on the other hand, tried to reconcile with Uche during a lunch meeting after leaving the show. However, Uche declined her offer due to Aaliyah’s inconsistent and unpredictable behavior throughout their time in the experiment. He expressed his lack of confidence in her and their relationship, leading to his decision to end things between them.

Netflix
Uche has recently revealed on the Miss Understood podcast that he and his partner did make an effort to continue their relationship off camera after that particular scene. However, despite their best efforts, their relationship didn’t work out in the end.
Uche wanted to clarify that the scene was edited in a way that made it appear as though he had dumped his partner, but that was not the case. He emphasized that they did continue their relationship after that moment.
Additionally, Uche shared that the producers of the Netflix series actually approached them about returning to the show after their reunion. However, both Uche and his partner declined the offer. Uche speculated that perhaps this decision led the producers to alter the narrative of what happened.
Furthermore, during their lunch date, Aaliyah expressed her doubts to Uche about whether he and Lydia had planned to be on the show together. There had been various speculations surrounding this issue. Although Uche denied it at the time, Aaliyah later mentioned to PEOPLE that she wasn’t certain if his response was genuine.

Courtesy of Netflix, Aaliyah expressed her uncertainty about the current situation involving Uche and Lydia. However, she hopes that they have found solace in better circumstances, as she believes that their personal experiences prior to the show may have little to do with her. Aaliyah acknowledges that if Uche and Lydia choose to share their past, it should be their decision. Although she was initially conflicted about her feelings, she feels that it would be better for them to shed light on the situation and collectively find closure and answers. Despite Lydia asserting that they are no longer friends, Aaliyah emphasizes that she maintains a positive relationship with both Uche and Lydia. Nonetheless, her main focus is moving forward and she is content with her current state. Aaliyah has the utmost respect for them as individuals, and she wishes nothing but happiness for everyone involved. She assures that she is living her best life and is genuinely happy. Stay updated on delightful stories like this by signing up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter. Remember, Love Is Blind season 5 is available for streaming on Netflix, and don’t miss out on the reunion episode airing on Sunday at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.