‘She was disfigured’: Mother of abused Love Is Blind bride speaks out with heartbreaking details

Last week, Love Is Blind groom Santiago Martínez was jailed for 15 years for the attempted murder, repeated assault, and unlawful detention of his reality TV bride, Emily Ceco.

Emily and Santiago got married in the most recent season of Love Is Blind: Argentina, but the relationship grew dark in the aftermath. She reported him for gender-based violence in February 2025, and following a lengthy trial, he was sentenced to over a decade in prison.

“I have 15 years of peace ahead. I don’t know what will happen when he gets out, but I hope the justice system continues to protect me,” Emily shared after the sentencing. “If he tried to kill me when I gave him everything, I can’t imagine what he might do to me or my family after 15 years of anger.”

Throughout many of her TV appearances, Emily was joined by her mother, Andrea, who admitted that Santiago “fooled me too.” She’s been very outspoken to Argentinian media.

She testified at the trial

As per Argentinian outlet Caras, Andrea testified at the trial of Santiago Martínez in support of her daughter, Emily Ceco.

Tearing up, she said: “I did see that Emily was withdrawn. If he thinks he can hurt her by calling her a mama’s girl, I’m proud of my daughter, that she’s with me and that she always trusts me enough to tell me everything.

“He lost out. He had the best woman, a real woman. He lost my beautiful daughter. She would have given him everything, just like she did. I’m so proud of you, Emily. You know I love you, and I tell you that every day, not just today. I love you, and I’m here for whatever you need. I’ll never let go of your hand.”

She felt responsible

Credit: Eltrece

In a TV interview on A la tarde, Andrea burst into tears as she admitted to feeling responsible for the ordeal her daughter went through after Love Is Blind.

“I collaborated. I collaborated to give it to that son of a b*tch. I never told you, but at that moment I thought it… I gave it to him with a bow so he could do whatever he wanted,” she said. “I received him in my house, I took care of him, we loved him.”

Emily was there as well, telling her mother that “You’re not to blame, he’s the one to blame!” as she sobbed.

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Recalling the moment her daughter told her about the breakup, she added: “She came into the house with the lights off so I wouldn’t see her, and she was wearing makeup, and she was completely disfigured. I saw her the same way. It was horrible, awful, I couldn’t believe it.”

Though Emily did not blame Netflix, her mother did

During another interview, this time on the Puro Show, Emily rejected the notion that Love Is Blind and Netflix were to blame. Again, she said it was Santiago and Santiago alone.

Despite that, her mother said: “They could have prevented Emily from suffering this beating and the abuse she endured for an entire year.”

Netflix have been approached for comment.

Credit: Netflix

She said that Santiago showed no remorse

Andrea was in attendance at Santiago’s trial, and she clocked the face he made during the sentencing.

“I don’t know if you saw the photos of him after he received his sentence. His face was closed, his lips sealed, he was straining,” she recalled in this interview.

“It clearly said: ‘I wish I had killed her.’ He never showed any real remorse, he never offered a real apology. Today he got what he deserved, he’s a son of a bitch. I hope he starts paying for what he did.”

That same day, former Love Is Blind groom Santiago was jailed for 15 years.

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Featured image credit: Netflix/Instagram