Warning: This post contains spoilers for “The Ultimatum” on Netflix.
During the reunion of "The Ultimatum," a new Netflix dating show from the creators of "Love Is Blind," Lauren Pounds and Nate Ruggles revealed they are still engaged after that surprise proposal.
The couple left the show early, choosing to forgo with the show's experimental approach to marriage ultimatums. To decide whether or not to get married, couples split up and see other people for three weeks, only to reunite and re-evaluate their bond.
While their fellow cast members seemed somewhat surprised by the news, Lauren always saw her relationship with Nate leading to marriage.
“He told me that within like weeks of us being official, he was like, ‘I just know this is my person.’ And I felt the same way too."
Lauren Pounds
Speaking to TODAY, Lauren explained that she and Nate spent their lives orbiting each other. The Austin natives went to the same high school and college, before reconnecting as adults after both got out of long-term relationships.
"He told me that within like weeks of us being official, he was like, 'I just know this is my person.' And I felt the same way too," Pounds told TODAY.
Lauren described their relationship as natural and seamless. They have the same friend group. Both sets of parents live 15 minutes away. They enjoy the same outdoorsy activities, and both love dogs. "We have so much in common. It feels that he's the person that was made for me," Lauren said.
They only had one issue — and it was a big one. They couldn't agree on whether to have kids. While Nate knew he wanted children, Lauren was less certain.
So, when someone reached out to Lauren on Instagram with a flyer about a show for couples with intractable problems, she related. “This was during quarantine. We were locked up like drunk on a Wednesday night and I was like, 'Hey, this really does pertain to us,'" Lauren said.
However, not one for watching dating shows, she said she was "naive" when it came to what the show would entail. She said she felt depressed while filming the first portion and speed-dating other cast members.
Adding to Lauren's confusion was the scrutiny her fellow cast members placed on her relationship with Nate.
"On the show, people question our relationship so frequently. Outside of the show, our friends and family say, 'Y'all have the cutest relationship ever.' People admire our relationship. Going on there and having people say, 'They're the weak links. I don't think they're serious ... I was like, What?" Lauren said.
When Nate proposed, Lauren was reminded of the strength of their relationship. After the proposal on the show, Nate immediately planned a do-over. He contacted a diamond broker and had a ring made. Then, took Lauren to Austin's Zilker Park. "We ended up having a little redo," she said.
The wedding is planned for October in Breckinridge, Colorado, one of the couple's favorite vacation spots.
They also found another way to work through "the kid thing," as Nate put it: Couples therapy. Lauren said having a therapist act as a "middleman" was effective for problem-solving.
"It made us see more eye-to-eye. Before, a lot of him was like, 'I want you to understand my side,' and I was like, 'No, I want you to understand my side.' It became this very stubborn conversation where we both just like shut down," Lauren said.
For now, they've settled on trying for one child, as she revealed in the reunion.
Given the success of couples therapy, Lauren doesn't think they necessarily needed the show to reach a compromise, but she doesn't regret going on "The Ultimatum."
"I'm thankful for it because I think at the end of the day, it made us realize how much we want each other and want to make things work.
"This is a real, actual, good relationship."
Lauren Pounds
However, she's aware that the show puts her relationship in the spotlight – and not always in a good way. People on social media question the proposal's genuineness, as did the cast members.
Lauren hopes that skeptics will see, through their off-camera personas, the real Nate and Lauren. "Hopefully, by being authentic, people will see (that) maybe they did get in a bad light maybe for a moment, but this is a real, actual, good relationship," Lauren said.