John Shannon has admitted he cheated on his wife Sarah Williams during the Love Is Blind season 11 reunion.
Shannon, who married Williams on the Netflix dating show, told hosts Nick Lachey and Vanessa Lachey that the marriage ended roughly six months after he “made a mistake” that represented a “major breach of trust.” The pair separated earlier this year after roughly one year of marriage.
“I would say nothing physical happened but I don’t think that really matters because you know I crossed a line, a boundary that she had set out, and I don’t blame her at all for leaving,” Shannon said during the reunion taping.
Williams revealed she had anticipated the outcome even before the wedding. She recalled telling fellow contestants Wilnie Louis and Aneha Singh the night before the ceremony that the relationship would ultimately end with “him cheating on me.” She also cited at least one instance where Shannon welcomed attention from another woman in a bar.
“I think there’s a lot clashing in my brain right now, because it’s very sad,” Williams shared. “I think the year was hard for me. I struggled a bit with how like John spoke to me in the marriage. I think he’s very great. He’s very insightful and he is self-aware. But it was a little bit of like a cycle of communication that was painful for me.”
Shannon later specified that the infidelity occurred during a “boys’ night” outing where he met a stripper who also worked as an escort. “Okay, it was a stripper. That’s who we met,” he elaborated. “She gave me her number, and I texted her later. She was also an escort, and nothing happened with it. And I can own that.”
He emphasized that his reluctance to discuss the matter publicly stemmed from professional concerns rather than deception toward his wife. “Sarah knows this. I’m not like—that’s who I want accountability with and from is Sarah. Like, I have a career. I just didn’t want to announce it on TV, and that’s the only reservation there,” he explained.
Shannon described the aftermath as deeply personal and difficult to move past. “I’m not hiding it from Sarah, and I’m devastated by the whole thing. It’s been really traumatic, and it’s not something I’m ever going to live down,” he continued.
Williams had expressed hesitation about marrying Shannon during the show’s filming, a doubt that proved prescient as the marriage unraveled over communication struggles and the eventual betrayal.
The reunion marked the first time both parties publicly addressed the separation, with Shannon taking full responsibility for the collapse of the relationship. “Unfortunately, Sarah and I are no longer together, which is my fault. We had a wonderful year of marriage together, but unfortunately, about six months ago, I made a mistake, and there was a major breach of trust on my part,” he told the Lacheys.
Shannon characterized his actions as “unhusbandly” and acknowledged the violation of boundaries Williams had established in their marriage.
The Love Is Blind season 11 reunion is streaming now on Netflix.