Bachelor Nation might need had its most dramatic yr but in 2023.
The yr kicked off with Zach Shallcross’ Bachelor stint. The season was stuffed with drama, thanks partly to his finale confrontation with Gabi Elnicki over their fantasy suite date.
“It’s truthfully worse watching it again,” Gabi mentioned in the course of the reside finale, reliving their breakup and calling it “violating” that Zach had revealed to the “whole nation” that that they had intercourse. After their onscreen cut up, Zach proposed to Kaity Biggar, to whom he’s nonetheless engaged.
Zach and Kaity weren’t the one Bachelor Nation success story of the yr. Charity Lawson grew to become the Bachelorette in June, and when her season got here to an finish in August, she was engaged to Dotun Olubeko. The couple stayed sturdy whereas Charity competed on Dancing With the Stars, and so they’re nonetheless collectively.
Come September, the first-ever Golden Bachelor season premiered with Gerry Turner on the helm. Bachelor Nation watched as he fell in love with three ladies — Theresa Nist, Religion Martin and Leslie Fhima — however in the end proposed to Theresa. The couple has a Golden Wedding ceremony particular set to air early subsequent yr.
Bachelor in Paradise season 9 lastly premiered in September, with tons of former contestants hitting the seaside. The finale premiered in December with three completely satisfied {couples} — Kylee Russell and Aven Jones, Eliza Isichei and Aaron Bryant and John Henry Spurlock and Kat Izzo — however all of them introduced their respective breakups days later.
Even when the cameras weren’t rolling, former leads and contestants had been making jaw-dropping headlines. Preserve scrolling for a full breakdown of the largest Bachelor Nation moments of 2023:
Podcast Shakeups (January)
The yr kicked off with Natasha Parker saying that she would not be a part of the “Click on Bait” podcast — or the franchise in any respect. Not lengthy after that, the Bachelor-produced podcast stopped releasing episodes altogether. Warner Bros. ended the present and subsequently moved host Joe Amabile to “Bachelor Completely happy Hour” with spouse Serena Pitt, which means Becca Kufrin and Michelle Younger had been out of a gig. Becca’s now-husband, Thomas Jacobs, later slammed the present on-line, however Joe advised Us in July that the {couples} are nonetheless on good phrases.
Gabi Confronts Zach (March)
Season 27 of The Bachelor might have began off slowly, however issues actually picked up when Zach had intercourse with Gabi — after which picked Kaity — after declaring earlier on that he wasn’t going to be intimate with anybody on the sequence.
Peter Weber and Kelley Flanagan Break up for Good (Could)
Peter, the season 24 Bachelor, and Kelley, one in every of his contestants, dated on and off for 3 years after he ended his engagement to winner Hannah Ann Sluss in 2020. The twosome referred to as it quits for good in 2023, with the pilot lastly confirming his single standing in Could. Kelley, for her half, has since began relationship Ari Raptis.
Brandon Jones and Serene Russell Don’t See Eye to Eye on Their Break up (Could)
Brandon and Serene introduced their “painful” breakup in Could, splitting lower than one yr after he proposed in the course of the Bachelor in Paradise season 8 finale.
“We’re deeply hurting and might solely ask that there be no hate,” the exes wrote in a joint social media assertion. “The perfect path for us presently is to try to transfer ahead and heal from this as people.”
In October, Serene addressed the rumored infidelity surrounding their breakup. She claimed {that a} video surfaced that confirmed Brandon had cheated on her previous to their cut up. Brandon, in the meantime, took a stand towards the “false” narrative however “took possession” for his actions.
“She felt that I had cheated and wished to make this information recognized,” he alleged in an Instagram Story assertion. “For the file, within the early days of our official breakup, I shared one dance with a lady … nothing else, only a single dance earlier than leaving with my pals.”
Kaitlyn Bristowe and Jason Tartick Name Off Their Engagement (August)
In maybe probably the most jaw-dropping Bachelor Nation breakup of the yr, Kaitlyn and Jason introduced their “heartbreaking” cut up after 4 years along with a joint Instagram assertion in August.
“I feel folks assume if folks break up, one thing dangerous occurred. And I feel that’s the toughest a part of this entire breakup — nothing dangerous occurred,” Kaitlyn shared throughout an August episode of her “Off the Vine” podcast. “We’ve got each not made one another a precedence. And that is what occurs.”
The pair haven’t any dangerous blood — the exes reunited for the primary time at Chris Harrison and Lauren Zima’s marriage ceremony in November — however Jason has since admitted to crying extra over the breakup than something in his life.
“Kaitlyn meant a lot to me and nonetheless at present does,” he shared on Chris’ “The Most Dramatic Podcast Ever” in December.
Charity and Dotun Get Engaged (August)
The season 20 couple are nonetheless going sturdy after Dotun popped the query in the course of the August finale, making Charity the primary Bachelorette since Rachel Lindsay on season 13 in 2017 to nonetheless be together with her last rose winner.
Gabby Windey Finds Love With Robby Hoffman (August)
Throughout an look on The View, the season 19 co-Bachelorette revealed she is in a relationship with the feminine comic. The announcement got here lower than one yr after she ended her engagement to winner Erich Schwer in November 2022.
“The perfect factor [about our relationship] is that we’re each ladies. I imply, I really feel like we’re greatest pals and we are able to speak for hours,” Gabby later gushed to Us. “We’ve got lots of the identical views. We’ve got related experiences. So, it actually appears like a great relationship the place you’re pals first, but in addition with a connection and an attraction. It doesn’t get a lot better than that.”
Josh Seiter Is Alive After Loss of life Hoax (August)
Josh — who appeared on Kaitlyn’s Bachelorette season in 2015 — made headlines in August when a since-deleted Instagram assertion falsely introduced his loss of life. The next day, Josh revealed that he was nonetheless “alive and properly” in a separate Instagram video.
“My account was hacked for the final 24 hours. I had been making an attempt desperately to get into it,” Josh mentioned. “Anyone was taking part in a merciless joke and mocking my psychological sickness and the struggles I’ve gone via with despair and suicide makes an attempt. I’m sorry for the ache they prompted once they made that submit.”
Josh’s ex Monica Beverly Hillz (actual identify Monica Dejesus-Anaya) alleged to Leisure Weekly that “there’s no means in hell” his account was hacked. Josh subsequently denied Monica’s claims. (Actuality TV superfans may bear in mind Monica from her season 5 activate RuPaul’s Drag Race.)
Weeks later, Josh introduced that he had checked himself right into a psychological well being facility after receiving “lots of of hateful messages” relating to the loss of life hoax.
Clayton Echard Is Not Going to Be a Father (September)
Former Bachelor Clayton made headlines in September after information broke that an unnamed girl filed court docket paperwork one month prior alleging that she was pregnant along with his twins. Within the docs, filed on August 1, the lady claimed she had “engaged in sexual exercise” with Echard in Could and hadn’t “hadn’t been with anybody since March of 2022.”
In a response to the preliminary submitting, Clayton claimed that the case was “groundless and missing in benefit.” He additionally alleged in an announcement to Us Weekly that he “didn’t have sexual activity” with the lady. He subsequently agreed to take a paternity check.
In an October Instagram video, Clayton introduced to Bachelor Nation that he’s not the daddy of the twins. “I obtained the excellent news immediately,” he mentioned. “The check outcomes got here again early, and so they mentioned little to no fetal DNA current. Let’s go, child!”
The girl subsequently claimed in an announcement to Us that Clayton was “mendacity” in regards to the outcomes.
Danielle Maltby and Michael Allio’s Breakup Turns Messy (September)
After weeks of hypothesis, Michael confirmed his and Danielle’s unplanned breakup throughout an episode of Jason’s “Buying and selling Secrets and techniques” podcast in September.
“We’re not collectively anymore,” he mentioned on the time. “We each threw lots into this relationship, and it’s actually terrible when it doesn’t work out.”
Danielle spoke out in regards to the cut up days later, revealing it was “not a mutual choice” in an Instagram Story. Danielle additional mentioned the breakup on “The WoMed” podcast, revealing that she was “blindsided” when Michael broke up together with her “the day after” they froze her eggs.
Michael, for his half, claimed that he had beforehand expressed that he didn’t wish to have extra youngsters. (Michael shares 7-year-old son James along with his late spouse, Laura.)
Gerry Says ‘I Love You’ 3 Occasions (November)
The primary-ever senior Bachelor might have been older, however he wasn’t a lot wiser than the youthful Bachelors earlier than him. Whereas he’s now fortunately engaged to winner Theresa, Gerry needed to face the music when he mentioned “I like you” to all three of his finalists: Theresa, Leslie and Religion. Runner-up Leslie subsequently put him on blast throughout After the Closing Rose and in interviews that adopted, claiming that Gerry promised her she was The One throughout their in a single day date.
Brayden Bowers Debuts Shock Christina Mandrell Relationship (December)
Brayden from Charity’s season revealed that he’s relationship Christina from Zach’s season in the course of the Bachelor in Paradise season 9 finale in December. After the finale aired, Christina gushed over her “actually particular” relationship with Brayden.
“In one another, we now have an area the place being unapologetically ourselves is not only accepted however celebrated!” she captioned an Instagram submit. “One thing I by no means knew I used to be lacking till I did.”
All 3 ‘Bachelor in Paradise’ Season 9 {Couples} Implode … (December)
Bachelor in Paradise season 9 ended with three seemingly completely satisfied {couples}. Whereas Kylee and Aven left the seaside in a relationship, they — a lot to Kylee’s chagrin — didn’t get engaged. After the BiP finale aired, Aven posted a photograph saying that he and Kylee had been nonetheless collectively. Sooner or later later, nonetheless, Kylee introduced on social media that she and Aven broke up after their relationship “dissolved as a consequence of a number of infidelities.” Aven, for his half, apologized to Kylee in his personal assertion, noting that he’s in an “extraordinarily low place.”
Aaron proposed to Eliza in the course of the BiP season 9 finale. The duo stayed silent in regards to the standing of their relationship after the finale aired. Days later, Aaron introduced that he and Eliza had referred to as off their engagement with an “amicable cut up.” Eliza has but to handle the breakup.
Lastly, John Henry and Kat left the seaside engaged. On BiP finale night time, she performed coy in regards to the standing of their relationship, sharing pictures of herself and John Henry. Days later, nonetheless, they launched a joint assertion saying that they had referred to as off their engagement as a consequence of their “profession targets not aligning.”
… Whereas Former Leads Discover The One Off Display screen (All Yr Lengthy)
A number of former Bachelor and Bachelorette leads discovered their happily-ever-after off display screen in 2023. Season 14 Bachelorette Becca married Thomas and welcomed their first son, whereas season 16 co-Bachelorette Clare Crawley married Ryan Dawkins. The couple predict their first baby by way of surrogate. In Could, season 10 Bachelorette Andi Dorfman married Blaine Hart in Italy. Tayshia Adams, who took over for Clare on season 16, began relationship Summer season Home alum Luke Gulbranson, whereas season 15 Bachelorette Hannah Brown obtained engaged to longtime love Adam Woolard. Season 21 Bachelor Nick Viall goes to be a dad within the new put on when fiancée Natalie Pleasure offers delivery to their daughter, whereas season 16 Bachelor Ben Flajnik obtained married in November (and opted to not announce his bride’s identify). Season 23 Bachelor Colton Underwood and former host Chris Harrison rounded out the yr of Bachelor Nation weddings once they exchanged vows with Jordan C. Brown and Lauren Zima, respectively.