Karen and Nicola reveal they split up just days after getting married on Love Is Blind Italy
This is shocking
If you thought Karen and Nicola were heading for a smooth post-pod fairytale… same, until the reunion came along and chose chaos.
Their Love Is Blind Italy journey had everything. A shaky start, big feelings, family nerves, and then a surprisingly solid “sì” at the altar.
But the reunion episode adds a whole new layer to what actually happened once the cameras stopped following them around.
So where do they stand now: totally done, quietly complicated, or one of those “never say never” situations? Let’s unpack the tea carefully.
Nicola and Karen got married
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Against the odds, Karen Norman, a Brazilian-born aesthetic tattoo artist living in Rome, and Nicola Botticini, a salesman from Brescia, ended the season as one of the only couples to say ‘yes’.
In the lead-up, they’d already been stress-tested.
Nicola’s slower, less demonstrative style left Karen craving more reassurance, and they had to figure out real-life logistics like distance and blending into Karen’s world as a mum.
Still, by the time the wedding episode rolled around, they looked surprisingly aligned, emotional, committed, and ready to give it a real shot.
They shockingly split early on
The reunion flips the whole vibe. Apparently, the relationship fell apart almost immediately after the wedding, and there was even a twist about the marriage itself.
Hosts Fabio Caressa and Benedetta Parodi explain that the marriage was never officially finalised due to missing documents, meaning they weren’t technically husband and wife on paper.
And emotionally? It sounded even messier. The reunion recap describes how things “went badly right away,” with tensions that escalated fast enough to kill the newlywed glow before it even had a chance.
Fabio asked what led to the couple’s break-up, and they gave us the answers.
Karen said: “Unfortunately, once the wedding was over, her was in Milan and I was in Rome and we had to somehow bridge these distances.
“I decided at this point to book a hotel for him… while we were talking and organising these three days in Rome, he said ‘Karen, don’t get anything fancy, don’t worry, get something normal, and I still got a hotel that was five stars because I didn’t care.”
She continued: “This argument arose over an issue, from what I could gather, was as if he felt somewhat belittled by this whole financial matter, and then, from there, a truly nasty argument came up in which he said some very, very mean things.”
Karen explained that “back then” she “loved him so much,” and added how she’d spoken to her son about Nicola.
She said she expected “at least a call to apologise,” and didn’t get one, adding: “It was over for me.” Apparently, what Nicola said was “way too serious,” and something she couldn’t forgive.
Nicola admitted he might’ve taken the financial situation the wrong way.
Where Nicola and Karen stand now
As of the reunion, they are not together, and the vibe is “closed door” from Karen’s side, “please crack it open” from Nicola’s.
The episode reportedly includes videos of Nicola expressing that he still has feelings and wants another chance, while Karen stays firm that certain accusations were too serious for her to move past.
The couple apparently “still look at each other with love” during the reunion, according to their co-stars.
Karen said: “I love him,” adding: “I always loved him,” but reiterated that he never apologised.
Nicola said he regretted not apologising to Karen when he should have and for using “strong, harsh words.”
He said: “I didn’t mean any of the words that I said, they don’t describe you at all… You really are an amazing woman. I really feel like an idiot.”
Nicola also said his feelings towards Karen haven’t changed and that he still loves her.
He continued: “I feel like I’ve understood my mistakes and I want to try to win her back.”
All in all, Karen then revealed she wants to keep him in her life forever, but added: “In what way, we don’t know.”
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