Love Overboard’s Val Stonewalls Questions on Offscreen Fallout After Cheating Scandal

So, after a finale that turned a yacht into a rumor mill, Val Zuluaga from Hulu 's Love Overboard has finally spoken — sort of. She addressed the off-screen cheating chatter by asking everyone to take a breath and give her some space. Which, honestly, fair.

Val breaks her silence (to say she is not talking yet)

Two days after the Season 1 premiere — on Saturday, March 28 — Val posted on Instagram and asked for privacy while she sorts things out. The key line:

'I will share my story when I am ready, and on my terms. Until then, I hope we can all respect each other’s journeys without trying to sensationalize them.'

Translation: yes, she knows you have questions; no, she is not giving you the play-by-play right now.

The triangle that fueled the season

The show literally introduced Val as a 'shipwrecker' — their word for the person who swoops in after connections are already formed. In this case, the connection was between David Fuhrmann and Lauren 'Lo' Henderson. David even asked Lo to be his girlfriend. Then he went on a date with Val, they shared an intimate moment, and he decided to stay paired with Val instead. Their castmates called it cheating. The audience called it messy. Both are true.

David and Val nearly pulled off the win, coming in second. Post-show, the two do not follow each other on Instagram, which fans clocked immediately.

How Love Overboard actually works

Hosted by Gabby Windey, Love Overboard tosses singles onto a very nice yacht and ties access to the fancy perks to how they perform in challenges and how the group sees their compatibility. It was filmed in June 2025 and premiered Thursday, March 26 on Hulu. The whole thing is built around navigating attraction, loyalty, and the social politics of a vote — and only one pair walks away with the prize.

The endgame: votes, exits, and a surprise self-elimination

By the penultimate episode, eight pairs were in the mix, and the cast had to vote for the most compatible couple — a mechanic that always reveals more about alliances than romance. The finale then tossed in a curveball: one pair quit on their own before the last votes.

• Tim Demirjian & Gia Aldisert — eventual winners; later secured the $100,000 trip around the world
• James Barranca & Lexi Borges — finalists; lost to Tim & Gia
• David Fuhrmann & Val Zuluaga — finalists; finished second amid infidelity backlash
• Christine Templeton & Jake Rath — a newer pairing; voted for themselves to bow out
• Delaney Kluger & Keif Kratochvil — self-eliminated in the finale
• Reece Kane & Sofia Bevarly — eliminated during the late-game voting
• Enna Schell & Andrew Petersen — eliminated during the late-game voting
• Leela Ambrose-Fleck & Koray Easterling — eliminated during the late-game voting

The final voting got petty fast. James & Lexi and Tim & Gia both voted for David & Val. David & Val fired back by voting for Tim & Gia. Christine & Jake basically tapped out by voting for themselves. When the dust settled, Gia & Tim won the whole thing over James & Lexi and David & Val.

Where everyone landed after the credits

Gia and Tim still follow each other on social media and seem on good terms, but they have not planted a flag on their current relationship status. David and Val, as mentioned, are not following each other anymore. And Val is keeping her side of the story for a later date — her terms, her timeline.

Love Overboard is currently streaming on Hulu.