Nick Amato is clearing the air.
After raising eyebrows with his comments about LGBTQIA+ children during a pod conversation with connection Annie Lancaster, the Love Is Blind season nine star clarified what he meant by his remarks, which he alleged were heavily edited.
"That conversation was very heavily sliced and diced," Nick said in a video shared to Instagram Oct. 3, "but call me shallow and call me horny and that I have no depth of character. I can take that. It's reality TV. It's fair game."
And while the luxury watch dealer said he was willing to take responsibility, he also condemned the show's production copany, Kinetic Content, for editing the conversation to "agitate."
"Don't put something together that's going to agitate an already marginalized group of people," he said, addressing the streaming platform directly. "But I'm taking accountability for that too, because there's a lot that I didn't understand."
E! News reached out to Kinetic Content for comment but has not heard back. Netflix did not respond to E!'s request for comment.
And Nick also spoke out on one comment he made in the pods in particular, where he seemingly told Annie that kids who identify as LGBTQIA+ at a young age are doing so as a "fad."
"When kids start having those thoughts too young," he said during episode four of the ninth installment, "maybe I'm old-fashioned, but that's a concern for me because who's telling you that?"
According to Nick, however, the fad that he and Annie were referring to was "introducing sexual content and material to kids' shows at a young age."
And though he noted that he believes "being gay is perfectly normal," he also admitted that he "wasn't normalized to that" growing up.
"The way I grew up and the culture I was raised in was that you have experiences, and you make decisions based on those experiences, and we all love you regardless for that," he continued. "But if I had a kid that only grew up seeing a prince and princess get married—never was introduced to the idea of two moms or two dads—then yes, I bet they would have to defend themselves and feel really awkward for having gay thoughts."
Ultimately, Nick expressed feeling grateful that his discussion on the show "provoked this discussion and my learning."
"I now recognize how that shaped certain blind spots (I’m thankful for the support of my friends recently for helping me learn this)," he added in the caption of his Instagram. "That’s not an excuse, just part of the work I’m doing to grow and be better. I love and respect my LGBTQ+ friends deeply, and I’m committed my growth and to be a better ally."
New episodes of Love Is Blind season nine drop on Netflix Oct. 8. In the meantime, read on to learn more about the Denver contestants looking for love.
Alie
Age: 29
Occupation: Nurse
Anna
Age: 28
Occupation: Hairstylist
Annie
Age: 31
Occupation: Hair Salon Owner
Anastasia
Age: 29
Occupation: Nurse
Anton
Age: 29
Occupation: Transportation/Logistics
Ashley
Age: 35
Occupation: Director of Compliance
Aza
Age: 32
Occupation: Events Manager
Blake
Age: 34
Occupation: Accountant
Brenden
Age: 32
Occupation: Finance Manager
Chase
Age: 29
Occupation: Water Treatment Consultant
Chyna
Age: 39
Occupation: Marketing Manager
Dayo
Age: 30
Occupation: IT Advisor
Dylan
Age: 32
Occupation: Financial Analyst
Edmond
Age: 29
Occupation: Realtor
Hilary
Age: 39
Occupation: Medical Device Sales
Jensen
Age: 29
Occupation: Data Analyst
Joe
Age: 29
Occupation: Sales
Jordan
Age: 30
Occupation: Service Manager
Kacie
Age: 34
Occupation: Hair & Makeup Artist
Kait
Age: 32
Occupation: Registered Dietitian
Kalybriah
Age: 29
Occupation: Social Worker
Kaylen
Age: 29
Occupation: Account Executive
Logan
Age: 35
Occupation: Account Executive
Madison
Age: 28
Occupation: UX/UI Designer
Megan H.
Age: 36
Occupation: Property Manager
Megan W.
Age: 35
Occupation: Entrepreneur
Michael
Age: 41
Occupation: Medical Sales
Mike
Age: 38
Occupation: Real Estate Investor
Nick
Age: 28
Occupation: Luxury Watch Dealer
Patrick
Age: 31
Occupation: Construction Manager