Stars of The Ultimatum Nate Ruggles and Lauren Pounds recently got candid about what went down behind the scenes of the show and how they felt that the producers were out to paint them in a bad light. The popular Netflix series features six couples at a crossroads about getting married. The partner that is ready to get married issues an ultimatum to the other who still has reservations, and if they do not come to an agreement at the end of the series, the couple parts ways. Out of the six couples, Nate is one of the only two men to offer ultimatums to their partners—the other being Colby Kissinger.
Nate's reason for the ultimatum was that he wanted children, and Lauren did not. They both seemed adamant, therefore, fans and the rest of the cast were surprised when Nate proposed to Lauren, prompting them to leave The Ultimatum without going through the social experiment. Lauren told fans that their reason for leaving was because they felt the show was toxic for them. Since leaving the show, Nate and Lauren claim to have received a lot of hate for how their relationship played out on the series, and they blame the producers.
The couple spoke about their time on the show on the Your Poor Dad podcast, where Nate revealed that the decision to issue Lauren with an ultimatum did not come from him but from the producers. The two told listeners they did not know anything about the show’s structure, and were surprised when they were told, one week before filming, that Nate would be the one issuing the ultimatum. Lauren said it made Nate out to be the bad guy. They also added that they were not aware of the trial marriages, which made them uncomfortable and contributed to their decision to leave the show early, which they felt the producers did not like.
Viewers were also curious why Nate and Lauren did not get a bachelor and bachelorette party on the show like co-stars Alexis Maloney and Hunter Parr. Lauren mentioned that the decision was entirely up to the producers who did not invite them back, "I think that just once they saw we didn’t trust in their experience, they were like, 'oh get them out of here.'" However, this is not the first time The Ultimatum couple clashed with producers. Shortly after the show aired, Lauren called out the producers for lying about her age. Lauren was 29 years old during filming, but the show put her age as 26. Lauren confirmed in the podcast that a producer has since reached out to her and resolved the issue.
Lauren and Nate want fans to know that they sought professional help and worked through their problems. The couple revealed in The Ultimatum reunion special that they have settled on having one child. The two are currently happy with their relationship and are enjoying their engagement, and their wedding date is set for October 1, 2022.
Source: Your Poor Dad/podcast
