By Wonderwall.com Editors
5:58am PST, Dec 24, 2020
Wonderwall.com is taking a look back at the Bachelor Nation stars who found love, suffered heartbreak or experienced some other major event in their love lives in 2020, starting with this exciting news… On the Dec. 22 finale of season 16 of "The Bachelorette," Tayshia Adams accepted a marriage proposal from Zac Clark. After the episode aired, the duo made it clear they're still an item. There were signs the former phlebotomist — who made it into the final three on Colton Underwood's season of "The Bachelor" before falling for John Paul Jones on the sixth season of "Bachelor in Paradise" — would get her happy ending: Fans caught her sporting what appeared to be an engagement ring in an early December social media post. She later hinted she might end up with Zac when she singled him out as the suitor from her season who was "future husband material" during an appearance on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show." She also told him she loved him early in the season — long before she started falling for anyone else. Tayshia became the first divorcée to headline "The Bachelorette" when she stepped in to replace Clare Crawley on season 16 after the hairstylist fell hard and fast for one of her suitors. (More on that later.) Tayshia was briefly married to her college sweetheart, who cheated on her toward the end of their marriage. He made headlines in mid-December when he dished on their relationship on Reality Steve's podcast and essentially pinned their breakup on her. Now keep reading for more Bachelor Nation love life updates…
RELATED: New celeb couples of 2020
On Dec. 23, Evan Bass and Carly Waddell — who fell in love on season 3 of "Bachelor in Paradise" in 2016 and tied the knot the following year — released a joint statement to People magazine announcing that they're calling it quits. "We have made the difficult decision to separate," they said. "We will always cherish our time together and continue to have the utmost respect for one another as we focus on what's best for the future of our family." The duo welcomed a daughter in 2018 and a son in 2019. Evan first competed for JoJo Fletcher's heart on season 12 of "The Bachelorette," while Carly vied for Chris Soules' affections on season 19 of "The Bachelor."
RELATED: Celeb splits of 2020
Marquel Martin — who competed for Andi Dorfman's heart on season 10 of "The Bachelorette" in 2014 and then appeared on "Bachelor in Paradise" — took to Instagram on Dec. 19 to announce that he and longtime love Kari Kaisner got engaged at the Red Rock Casino Resort & Spa in Las Vegas. Speaking of Andi…
RELATED: Celeb engagements of 2020
Bachelor Nation fans have been desperate to pair Andi Dorfman with someone new. On Dec. 16, the former star of "The Bachelorette" sparked rumors that there's a new man in her life when she took to Instagram to share a photo of herself sitting on the beach between a mystery man's legs. She later cropped and re-posted the photo, which only further fueled the romance rumors. (More later on the other men to whom Andi was linked this year…)
In late July, there were reports that Clare Crawley quit season 16 of "The Bachelorette" just 12 days into shooting after falling madly in love with one of her suitors: former professional football player Dale Moss. In early August, Life & Style reported that the pair were already engaged. The Nov. 5 episode of the ABC reality show revealed that the rumors were true: It was essentially love at first sight for the duo. On the fourth episode of the season, Clare accepted a marriage proposal from Dale after breaking up with the rest of her suitors. Although there were whispers that they'd called it quits before the proposal aired on television, Clare insisted in early November that she and Dale — who were snapped smooching in Sacramento, California, on Nov. 6 — were still going strong, had recently celebrated their three-month anniversary and were house-hunting together. Toward the end of the month, the couple faced another hurdle when OK! magazine reported that Dale had been seen kissing another woman in New York City. But he and Clare continued to present a united front as they reunited to celebrate Thanksgiving together. At the time, TMZ reported that Clare didn't believe the rumors about her man. In fact, in mid-December, she sparked rumors they'd quietly tied the knot already, though she quickly clarified that wasn't the case.
On the Sept. 1 episode of her "Bachelor Happy Hour" podcast with Rachel Lindsay, Becca Kufrin confirmed widespread reports that she and her fiancé of two years, Garrett Yrigoyen, had called it quits. In June, the former star of "The Bachelorette" admitted that they were on the rocks in the wake of his headline-making comments in support of the police amid Black Lives Matter protests. But Garrett didn't stay single for long…
Garrett Yrigoyen debuted his new girlfriend, yoga instructor Alex Farrar, on Instagram on Oct. 31.
Meanwhile, Becca Kufrin and her runner-up from season 14 of "The Bachelorette," Blake Horstmann, shot down reconciliation rumors in late November and early December. She called him "a great friend," said they're "on great terms" and admitted that there's "a soft spot" in her heart for him, while he wrote on his Instagram Story that they're friends and that she doesn't need a man to be happy. Becca also said that she's not quite ready to date yet following her split from Garrett Yrigoyen and expressed doubt she'd ever sign on to star on "The Bachelorette" again. "I haven't actually dated since my breakup," she added on Dec. 3.
On Oct. 14, former "The Bachelorette" couple Ashley Hebert and J.P. Rosenbaum took to Instagram to announce that they're throwing in the towel after nearly eight years of marriage. "Our differences have taken a toll on our relationship and after years of attempting to repair the damage, we've decided that it is in our family's best interest to create new and separate lives for our children," the mother of two wrote.
On June 28, Tyler Cameron was snapped heading out for pizza in the Miami area with 22-year-old swimsuit model Jilissa Ann Zoltko. An E! News source said that the duo "initially connected through social media" and were "casual" but "definitely into each other," though he wasn't look for "anything serious" at the time. Ultimately, it proved to be just a fling between the twosome. In mid-November, Tyler was linked to another blonde beauty: model Elizabeth Turner, who previously dated "New Amsterdam" and "The Blacklist" actor Ryan Eggold. In early December, Tyler was linked to Instagram model Ireland Borba, though he told Page Six they're "not dating." Also in early December, he copped up to sliding into women's DMs to make potential love connections.
On April 15, Bachelor Nation super-sleuth Reality Steve broke the news that former "The Bachelor" star Chris Soules was dating and quarantining with Victoria Fuller — who competed for Peter Weber's heart on season 24 of "The Bachelor" and previously romanced country music star Chase Rice. (More on that next.) According to an Us Weekly source, Victoria and Chris connected when he slid into her DMs, and by late May, they were an exclusive couple. In September, Victoria indicated that they'd called it quits. But then in late November, Chris said they were "still working" on their relationship. As for Chase…
Victoria Fuller's history with Chase Rice was revealed on the Jan. 27 episode of "The Bachelor." After she and Peter Weber had their first one-on-one date at his private concert at an Ohio amusement park, Victoria described the country crooner as her "ex-boyfriend" and called their forced reunion "weird," "awkward" and "uncomfortable." She even told a producer that Chase didn't want her to appear on the show. Ultimately, she confronted Chase, who played it cool and encouraged her to be honest with Peter about their past. She did just that, telling the pilot that she and the singer dated but that she "broke it off with him because his lifestyle doesn't really match up to what" she wants. She then made it clear that she no longer has feelings for him. Chase, meanwhile, painted a slightly different picture of his past with the brunette beauty, saying that they "spent a night together in Charlotte" and have know each other "for a little while now." But he stopped short of saying they dated or that she's an ex-girlfriend.
Katie Morton — who competed for Colton Underwood's heart on season 23 of "The Bachelor" and then got engaged to Chris Bukowski on season 6 of "Bachelor in Paradise" — revealed in mid-November that she's dating someone new: A man she first met two years ago "randomly on the street" — just weeks before she left to shoot "Paradise." At the time, they "didn't talk at all" because she "was not in the headspace to be meeting any men," she said. Following a "not so good relationship that obviously everyone saw" — her engagement to Chris — she spent some time healing and focusing on herself. It was right when she was starting to feel normal again that her mystery man slid into her DMs.
On Oct. 30, Bachelor Nation's Krystal Nielson — who competed for Arie Luyendyk Jr.'s heart on season 22 of "The Bachelor" in 2018 before falling in love with Chris Randone on season 5 of "Bachelor in Paradise" — took to Instagram to debut her new boyfriend: surfer Miles Bowles. Less than two weeks later, she revealed that they're expecting a child together. It's been quite the whirlwind for the blonde beauty, who separated from Chris in February after less than a year of marriage, marking Bachelor Nation's first divorce. (More on that next!)
On Feb. 14, "Bachelor in Paradise" couple Krystal Nielson and Chris Randone released a joint statement announcing that they'd separated after less than a year of marriage. At the time, however, it was unclear if they were calling it quits for good or simply "taking some time apart," as the blonde beauty — who was noticeably wearing her engagement ring — said on her Instagram Story on Feb. 18. The following day, she shed some more light on their "conscious separation" — Chris relocated to Florida to "begin an exciting adventure" while she stayed in San Diego with their two dogs. She also noted that they "care so deeply about one another" and hadn't quite "processed what this new 'chapter' actually IS." On March 9, Chris created more confusion about the status of their relationship when he tweeted, "On a side note…I miss my wife," while watching the finale of season 24 of "The Bachelor." Two days later, when a fan asked if he and Krystal were, like, "over over," the Bachelor Nation star replied, "no lol, not even close." By August, though, Krystal had filed filed for divorce. In November, Chris called the news that she's expecting a baby with her new boyfriend "icing on the cake for feeling truly broken." He added that he'll "never be okay about it" and noted that he's still "working through the trauma" from their breakup. In spite of that, Krystal said in early December that her estranged husband has been surprisingly supportive of her pregnancy news. She later said that although they're "on really good terms," finding out she was pregnant with another man while still legally married to him caused "a lot of anxiety and worry."
Bachelor Nation's Emily Ferguson — who competed for Ben Higgins' heart on season 20 of "The Bachelor" in 2016 — announced on Instagram on Dec. 13 that she's engaged to Swedish hockey player William Karlsson, who plays for the Las Vegas Golden Knights.
In other postponed Bachelor Nation nuptials news… Caila Quinn — who romanced Ben Higgins on season 20 of "The Bachelor" in 2016 — and her boyfriend of two years, Nick Burrello, got engaged during a family vacation in Sarasota, Florida, on Jan 2. In October, the bride-to-be announced that they'd canceled their big plans to tie the knot amid the coronavirus pandemic. The following month, she revealed that they now plan to wed at the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota, Florida, on May 29, 2021.
In March, Osmariel Villalobos took to Instagram to announce that she and former "The Bachelor" star Juan Pablo Galavis (Clare Crawley's ex) called it quits after just two years of marriage. "We are divorced," she concluded a lengthy since-deleted post explaining that their relationship was no fairy tale.
Bachelor Nation's Courtney Robertson — who got engaged to Ben Flajnik on the finale of season 16 of "The Bachelor" in 2012 — married attorney Humberto Preciado in Sedona, Arizona, on Oct. 16. The couple welcomed son Joaquin Ramon in June.
John Graham — who competed for Becca Kufrin's heart on season 14 of "The Bachelorette" in 2018 — took to Instagram on Nov. 8 to announce that he and Brittni Nowell are engaged.
Tierra LiCausi — who competed for Sean Lowe's heart on season 17 of "The Bachelor" in 2013 — took to her private Instagram account on Nov. 4 to announce that she accepted a marriage proposal from her boyfriend, Tyler Brooks Brown.
On May 29, Colton Underwood and Cassie Randolph — who opted to continue dating rather than get engaged on season 23 of "The Bachelor" — took to social media to announce that they'd called it quits after about a year and a half of coupledom. Although initial reports indicated the breakup was amicable, things soon turned nasty between the duo, who first sparked split speculation when they suddenly decided to spend some time apart after previously quarantining together amid the coronavirus pandemic. (Cassie and her family memorably nursed Colton back to health after he became extremely sick with COVID-19 in March — the same month he admitted that he and Cassie briefly split back in August 2019.) In July, the former couple publicly feuded on Instagram. Things got dramatically worse in September when Cassie accused Colton of stalking and harassing her and sought a restraining order against him. (A Colton-friendly source, meanwhile, alleged that Cassie had been "in touch with her ex," Caelan Tiongson, the entire time she's known Colton … and recently started seeing him again.) By early November, they'd settled their differences (in the eyes of the law, at least) — Cassie dropped the restraining order. As for the 2019 breakup revelation…
During an interview with People magazine that hit the Internet on March 25, Colton Underwood revealed that he and Cassie Randolph briefly split in August 2019. (At the time, there were rumors — which they denied — that there was trouble in paradise for the duo.) Sadly, the former professional football player also told multiple media outlets in mid-March that he and his then-girlfriend planned to get engaged sometime soon (after she completes her master's program in May 2021) and that they hoped to have a short engagement. Later that month, Colton's memoir, "The First Time: Finding Myself and Looking for Love on Reality TV," debuted. In the book, he wrote that his brief 2019 split from Cassie "boiled down to me wanting to get engaged, wanting to set a timeline, and simply putting too much pressure on her when, in reality, none was needed." Wrote Colton, "I wanted more. She wanted me to relax and smell the roses. In other words, don't push. Don't pressure. I interpreted that to mean she didn't care about our relationship."
Also in his memoir, Colton Underwood opened up about his ex-girlfriend, Aly Raisman, writing that the Olympic gymnast dumped him just two weeks after she told him she loved him for the first time. "Aly said she felt overwhelmed, confused, and in need of a break. Afterward, I sat in my car and cried. I was numb for days," wrote the former professional football player, adding that he even reached out to Aly's best friend, Simone Biles, "hoping she could offer an explanation or insight" into the split. Finally, Colton shed some light on his relationship with fellow Bachelor Nation star Tia Booth, explaining in his book how he connected with her via Instagram while she was in the running to star on "The Bachelorette" … while he was in the midst of applying to compete on the show. Ultimately, Tia's pal Becca Kufrin was chosen to star on the 14th season of "The Bachelorette." According to Colton, Tia told him to go for it and if he didn't end up with Becca, she'd see him on "Bachelor in Paradise." That's exactly what happened, though Colton dumped Tia early in the season when he realized he couldn't see her as his wife.
Colton Underwood was linked to another famous face over the summer… On July 15, he was seen hiking in the Los Angeles area with Lucy Hale. At the time, TMZ's sources claimed that they'd "been seeing each other a lot" after she reached out to him following his split from Cassie Randolph. A People magazine source added that the former star of "The Bachelor" and the "Pretty Little Liars" alum were "very casually dating." The actress, meanwhile, responded with a curt "no" when a paparazzo asked her if it's true she and Colton were an item. She also described herself as "more single than ever" during a July interview with "Entertainment Tonight." Then in mid-August, Colton described himself as "happily single."
Meanwhile, Cassie Randolph sparked rumors that she was dating Brighton Reinhardt when he was seen spending time with her and her family in Huntington Beach, California, several times in August. But during an interview with Us Weekly that popped up online on Aug. 27, the handsome musician insisted that he and the blonde beauty "are just friends and have been for over four or so years."
On Oct. 10, Michael Porter Jr.'s sister revealed on Instagram that the Denver Nuggets power forward is dating Madison Prewett, who dated Peter Weber on season 24 of "The Bachelor."
On Sept. 1, Bachelor Nation's Jef Holm — who got engaged to Emily Maynard on season 8 of "The Bachelorette" in 2012 — confirmed reports that he's dating "Too Hot to Handle" alum Francesca Farago. They met through their mutual friend Casey Boonstra "a few weeks" earlier, he told E! News. Since then, the new couple has been snapped smooching several times.
Bachelor Nation's Derek Peth — who competed for JoJo Fletcher's heart on season 12 of "The Bachelorette" in 2016 and then got engaged to Taylor Nolan on season 4 of "Bachelor in Paradise" in 2017 — took to social media on Nov. 8 to announce that he and Saffron Vadher are engaged. Although it's unclear when exactly they became an item, the British model first started posting videos featuring the reality star — indicating they were dating and in quarantine together — on TikTok in late March.
Bachelor Nation's Amanda Stanton took to Instagram on Aug. 1 to introduce her new boyfriend: attorney Oren Agman, whom she reportedly met through mutual friends and started dating in March.
Bachelor Nation's Katrina Badowski took to Instagram on Aug. 30 to introduce her new boyfriend: Robert Freeman. She later told Us Weekly that they first met two years ago at a wedding and started dating after they crossed paths again in Florida over the summer.
In late 2019, Taylor Nolan started spending time with a Canadian mystery man. They soon fizzled but reconnected in mid-2020 — as the Bachelor Nation star revealed on Instagram in June, noting that she'd recently gone on a romantic vacation with "a previous lover" with whom she'd "maintained a great relationship." In August, she described herself as "pretty single and safely mingling," though by September, her social media posts about her mystery man had become increasingly lovey dovey. On Sept. 8, she described him as her "favorite person" while marking the first anniversary of the day they met. Then on Oct. 5, she finally revealed that her man's name is Zachary. She also described him as her boyfriend, though she hinted on an early October episode of her podcast that they may be in an open relationship.
On Sept. 10, former Bachelor Nation villain Chad Johnson was caught on camera making out with realtor Jen Harley — "Jersey Shore" star Ronnie Ortiz-Magro's off-and-on love of several years — at a restaurant in Las Vegas. According to TMZ, which published photos and video of the PDA-fest, the duo actually met through Ronnie, who's friendly with Chad, and then "hit it off recently at a lunch." Jen's rep later released a statement to TMZ insisting that she's "not dating Chad or anyone for that matter" … and that she only kissed him because she was "extremely intoxicated." She also accused Chad of setting her up so he could sell the photos to TMZ. Chad, meanwhile, called her allegations "crazy ridiculous."
Professional wrestler and Bachelor Nation alum Kenny King — who competed for Rachel Lindsay's heart on season 13 of "The Bachelorette" in 2017 and then briefly appeared on season 5 of "Bachelor in Paradise" — took to Instagram on Sept. 12 to announce that he proposed to his girlfriend of nearly two years, hairstylist and makeup artist London Ferris, on a boat in Southern California's Big Bear Lake.
On June 24, "Big Brother" star Holly Allen took to her Instagram Story to share a video of herself out drinking with Bachelor Nation's Blake Horstmann, sparking rumors that she'd already moved on from Jackson Michie following their split earlier in the month. According to Us Weekly, however, she and the controversial "Bachelor in Paradise" alum are just friends. "Blake actually knew Holly before she went on 'Big Brother,'" said a source. "They have mutual friends in Denver and were just out with friends catching up."
On the Oct. 21 episode of Bryan Abasolo's "drabshealthcast" podcast, the chiropractor and wife Rachel Lindsay hit back at whispers speculating that their long-distance marriage isn't built to last. (He lives and works full-time in Miami, and she's currently living in Los Angeles while working as a correspondent for "Extra.") The former star of "The Bachelorette" explained that they have "a timeline" for their future plans and are living apart for now "to eventually bring ourselves together." Added Rachel, "I'm not putting my career over my husband. I'm putting my family first."
On the July 21 episode of Us Weekly's "Here for the Right Reasons" podcast, Bachelor Nation star Michelle Money said that she and her boyfriend, professional golfer Mike Weir, have no plans to wed, though he gave her a ring and asked her to be his "forever girlfriend." Added the former "The Bachelor" season 15 contestant, "Mike and I have this mutual beautiful commitment with each other, where we just want to be life partners."
It was a whirlwind year for Demi Burnett — who competed for Colton Underwood's heart on season 23 of "The Bachelor" before becoming half of Bachelor Nation's first same-sex couple on season 6 of "Bachelor in Paradise." After alluding to a new man in her life on Twitter in late January (at the time, fans speculated that she was seeing "The Bachelorette Australia" star Ciarran Stott), Demi took to Instagram on Feb. 22 to debut her relationship with Slater Davis, whom she met through former "BiP" co-star Katie Morton. But it wasn't meant to be: On June 20, Us Weekly broke the news that Demi and Slater called it quits. The reality star first hinted that there was trouble in paradise on a late-May episode of her "Big Demi Energy" podcast, revealing that she and the musician had been fighting "a lot" while in quarantine with his family. Not long after that, they unfollowed each other on social media and deleted photos of themselves together in happier times.
On June 13, "The Bachelor Presents: Listen to Your Heart" runner-up Jamie Gabrielle took to Instagram to announce that her showmance with partner Trevor Holmes had come to an end. Winners Chris Watson and Bri Stauss, meanwhile, are still going strong. The same day Jamie revealed that she and Trevor were done, Bri and Chris posted two PDA-packed photos of themselves reuniting in Malibu.
On June 12, "Good Morning America" announced that Matt James will headline the upcoming 25th season of "The Bachelor." The 28-year-old real estate broker, who's best friends with Bachelor Nation's Tyler Cameron, will become the series' first black male lead. Originally, he'd been cast to compete for Clare Crawley's heart on her season of "The Bachelorette," but the duo seemingly got off on the wrong foot before they ever had a chance to meet in person. Amid the pandemic-forced delay in shooting her season, Matt became a star in his own right thanks to his friendship with Tyler. When Matt created a Cameo account and started conducting interviews with various media outlets to raise money for a charity project, Clare took offense. "If you are doing interviews and creating Cameo accounts before you are even on my season… you are in it for the wrong reasons… #dontwasteyourtime," she tweeted on April 25 — purportedly of Matt, though she didn't name names. The following day, he took to his Instagram Story to seemingly address Clare's allegations, reminding "those of you who may have missed the message earlier this week" that he pledged his Cameo earnings to the Robin Hood Foundation. Earlier that month, he told Us Weekly that he'd been "looking forward" to meeting the hairstylist.
On March 25, Peter Weber stepped out in Chicago with Kelley Flanagan, who made it into his final five on season 24 of "The Bachelor." It was the first indication that the duo were quarantining together amid the coronavirus pandemic. In early April, the pilot insisted they were just friends and that he wasn't ready to "jump into another relationship" following his messy breakups from Hannah Ann Sluss and Madison Prewett — though he also acknowledged that he was "definitely crushing" on Kelley. (According to one mid-April report, she was really into him too — and had been "since the day they met" … before she even competed for his heart on "The Bachelor." Said one Us Weekly source, "She was genuinely hurt, upset and confused when she was eliminated.") By the end of the month, they'd taken their relationship to the next level. Peter confirmed as much when he made their relationship Instagram official on May 2. Later that month, he said that he and Kelley have "a beautiful love story" and implied that their relationship was meant to be. Then in early June, he said that they're considering moving to New York City together after the pandemic has abated. In November, they denied rumors they'd gotten engaged and said they're still planning a move to NYC. It was a surprisingly happy ending for Pilot Pete, who spent the first half of 2020 embroiled in drama…
Early in season 24 of "The Bachelor," there were signs that things would not end well for Peter Weber. In late January, Hannah Brown took to her Instagram Story to shoot down rumors that she and Pilot Pete — who vied for her heart on season 15 of "The Bachelorette" last year — were dating again following her surprise appearance on the first two episodes of his season. (Later, Pete insisted that he and Hannah are just "very supportive of each other" and share "a really good mutual respect.") Then in mid-February, there were whispers that he'd been secretly dating "The Bachelor" producer Julie LaPlaca since late last year after failing to find love with any of the women who competed for his heart. (On Feb. 19, Peter and Julie were caught on camera dancing and sharing a bottle of wine with his mother at a winery in California — lending credence to the romance rumors, which an Us Weekly source denied at the time. It took until March 13 for them to make it clear that they were never an item.) In mid-March, it became obvious why the rumors were able to gain traction: Peter was no longer involved with either of his finalists. Season 24 of "The Bachelor" ended on March 10 with him popping the question to Hannah Ann Sluss in Australia right before the holidays … after Madison Prewett walked away from the competition over her realization that her devoutly Christian lifestyle is just too different from the pilot's. Hannah Ann happily accepted Peter's proposal but called things off with him a couple months later (in January) when she realized he couldn't fully commit to her emotionally because he still had feelings for Madison. (She later described herself as "very blindsided" by the breakup.) In February, following his split from Hannah Ann, Peter briefly attempted to reconcile with Madi. On the live portion of the finale — their first time seeing each other since she left the show — they presented a united front and said that they intended to continue dating and working on their relationship. But then just two days later, they announced on Instagram that they'd "mutually decided to not pursue our relationship any further." In early April, Peter finally shed some light on what went wrong, saying that he legitimately fell in love with both Madison and Hannah Ann and isn't sure who he ultimately would've picked if Madi hadn't walked away from the competition — although he was heartbroken when she left the show, he wasn't necessarily set on choosing her over Hannah Ann, he said. He also noted that he and Hannah Ann ultimately didn't work out because they aren't compatible — not just because he had unresolved feelings for Madison. As for Madi, he added that they probably wouldn't have tried to give it another shot if Bachelor Nation host Chris Harrison hadn't reached out to her, and like Hannah Ann, they simply aren't compatible. Madi, however, had a slightly different take on things…
On the April 21 episode of Kaitlyn Bristowe's "Off the Vine" podcast, Madison Prewett shared her side of the story concerning her ill-fated romance with Peter Weber: Her feelings for the pilot were the real deal, and they both fought hard for their relationship, she said, calling her decision to leave the show "a selfless act." (In spite of how she felt about Peter, she thought that he and Hannah Ann Sluss made "more sense" together, she explained.) She also implied that Peter told her he definitely planned to pick her over Hannah Ann — directly contradicting what he said earlier in the month. As for their brief reconciliation after Peter and Hannah Ann split, Madi insisted that they weren't officially back together when they reunited on camera for the "After the Final Rose" special. The disastrous results played a direct role in her decision to walk away from Peter for good, she said. After that, she told Kaitlyn that she and Kelley Flanagan "were best friends" and "inseparable throughout the entire process" of shooting season 24 of "The Bachelor." She then dropped two major bombshells: First, she heard rumors that Peter and Kelley were talking and meeting up while he was still working on his relationships with both her and Hannah Ann, and second, Peter tried to get back together with her just two days before he and Kelley were seen together in Chicago for the first time. "He was, like, calling me and texting me being like, 'I miss you, let's get back together,'" Madi claimed, adding that she was completely caught off guard seeing Kelley and Peter spending time together and really hurt that neither gave her a heads up. She recalled telling Peter, "Two days ago, you were telling me how much you loved me and wanted to get back together and now you're with the one person that was my best friend." Despite her confusion and disappointment, she shared encouraging words for both her ex and her former pal, whom she noted she hasn't spoken to "in a really long time." But her support seemingly fell on deaf ears: Peter cryptically addressed Madison in the comments section of a Bachelor Nation fan account on Instagram: "You'd think you'd have a little more respect for this situation given we both know there's more to the story," he wrote. Earlier in the month, Hannah Ann also appeared on Kaitlyn's "Off the Vine" podcast. She was slightly kinder to her ex: She said she was "very committed to making it work" with him but acknowledged their breakup "definitely didn't come out of nowhere."
In late April, Hannah Ann Sluss was snapped on a "lovey dovey" coffee run with NFL star Mason Rudolph. (It was the third time the model and the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback had been seen together.) Earlier in the month, Hannah Ann said on Kaitlyn Bristowe's "Off the Vine" podcast that she'd been having "a nice little quarantine fling" with a "mystery man" who was not a member of Bachelor Nation. Fans quickly speculated that she was talking about the professional football player. Ultimately, nothing came of their hangouts: In October, Hannah Anna said that she was single and hadn't been on a date since May.
Bachelor Nation's Clay Harbor had "a Zoom date" with Fernanda Flores on the May 25 episode of "90 Day Fiancé: Self-Quarantined." Fernanda revealed that she and Clay met "over social media" and went on their first date "a few months" before the coronavirus pandemic. At the time, she wasn't ready to date again following her divorce from Jonathan Rivera. "Now, we wanna date again, but now we're stuck home with quarantine and we figure we could have a virtual date," she said. She later added during a confessional, "I can't wait for this quarantine to be over and be able to have a real date with [Clay], where I can be physically touching his muscles, and have physical contact."
Bachelor Nation's Sydney Lotuaco — who competed for Colton Underwood's heart on season 23 of "The Bachelor" before appearing on season 6 of "Bachelor in Paradise" — took to Instagram on June 18 to reveal there's a new man in her life. "2020 ain't all bad," she captioned two photos of herself and new boyfriend Nick Wehby. She later told Us Weekly that they met on Instagram after he watched her season of "The Bachelor" with his mom.
DRAMA. On Feb. 23, Annalise Mishler took to her Instagram Story to accuse her boyfriend, "Bad" Chad Johnson, of punching a hole in her wall during a drunken rage after she confronted him when she saw that he'd received "a bunch" of notifications from Hinge — the same dating app through which they met. She also shared videos in which the former Bachelor Nation star could be heard yelling at her from outside her apartment. (Ultimately, police arrested him over his behavior during the altercation.) During a Feb. 24 Instagram Live, the YouTube personality said that she and the reality star have actually broken up more times than she can count. Two days later, Chad claimed in a since-deleted Instagram video that he started drinking because he was "devastated" when he and Annalise decided to call it quits in the midst of an argument — he added that they briefly reconciled, but she broke up with him again when she realized he'd been drinking. (He claims he joined a dating app before their short-lived reunion.) "I still love her very much," he said. Less than a week later, however, he publicly accused her of working as an escort — and she publicly questioned his mental health. That wasn't the end of Chad and Annalise, though: On March 8, they told TMZ (while holding hands) that they were "working through things," though the blonde beauty insisted they hadn't officially reconciled. Later, in joint interviews with "Extra" and Us Weekly, the volatile duo said that before they could get back together, Chad would have to change his relationship with alcohol — among many other things. He also made it clear that the accusations he made against her were incorrect: "I accused her of escorting, but I was wrong," he said. "I also accused her of other things because I was mad." In late April, Chad told DailyMail.com that although he and Annalise had been co-starring in explicit content for their OnlyFans accounts, they'd yet to officially reconcile. "It's just constant turmoil," he said of their ups and downs as a couple. "I still love her. We're just working through problems, trying to figure out if it would work." They've since broken up for good.
Former "The Bachelor" star Ben Higgins proposed to his girlfriend of a little more than a year, Jessica Clarke, in the backyard at her parents' home in Franklin, Tennessee, on March 27, they told "Entertainment Tonight," which published exclusive photos of the question-popping. Back in January, Ben told Us Weekly that he "definitely" planned to propose to Jessica sometime before the end of the year. "I don't think that's a question," he said at the time. In April, Ben made headlines when he revealed that he and his future missus are abstaining from sex. Then in mid-June, he made it clear that Jess would "not be watching" his season of "The Bachelor" when it re-aired as part of "The Bachelor: Greatest Seasons — Ever!" He told Us Weekly that he's thankful the show put him on the "way to Jess" but that it's ultimately "not healthy" for her to watch for herself.
Before she reconnected with Peter Weber, Nick Viall (seemingly intentionally) sparked speculation that he and Kelley Flanagan were an item when he took to Instagram on March 12 to share a photo of them posing together at a launch party for Bachelor Nation host Chris Harrison's Seagram's Escapes Tropical Rosé. (Chris further fueled the rumors by commenting on the photo, which the brunette beauty also shared, "Loved seeing you guys get so cozy last night. Here for it.") After a week of whispers about their relationship status, Nick cleared things up on his "The Viall Files" podcast. "I met Kelley at Chris's event. She's a nice person. She didn't disappoint in person. I thought she'd be cool in person. Everyone likes to think that there's always something going on — and there's not," he said. He then admitted that he was "totally aware of what people might say" when he posted the photo of them together. "I really enjoyed getting to meet Kelley — she's wonderful in person," he added.
In other Nick Viall news… After years of claiming he was only ever just a "friend," January Jones finally admitted that she and the former star of "The Bachelor" briefly dated after they first connected in late 2017: "Nick slid into my DMs, and he's like, 'I'm so sorry that your perception of me is so negative. I'd love to take you out to coffee and see if I could change your mind,'" the "Mad Men" actress — who'd been tweeting negative comments about Nick at the time — said on the Jan. 13 episode of Dax Shepard's "Armchair Expert" podcast. "I was like, 'I hate that guy!' [But] my sister was like, 'If you don't go, you will forever regret it.' So I agreed to go on a date with him — or to drinks or whatever. As I met him, I was rounding the corner and I saw him, and he has a very distinct walk, and I had this instinct to run up to him and wrap my legs around his waist like they do [on 'The Bachelor']. [But] I stopped myself." She went on to say that their first date was "good" but that all she did was "grill him about the show." After that, they "went on a couple of dates," she said. "The thing that attracted me to Nick was that he seemed — I mean, he was cast as the quote-unquote 'villain,' but he had a bit of a brain, so there was something else there. That's all we were talking about, really. But I got a lot of juicy inside stuff," she concluded. In late April, Nick made headlines when he revealed that he attempted to shoot his shot with Olivia Munn by sliding into her DMs on New Year's Day. He was emboldened by his previous success with the method, he said.
Kaitlyn Bristowe and Jason Tartick, who went public with their romance in January 2019, have talked about tying the knot, he told Us Weekly in January 2020. "The next sequence for us is that step, so it's exciting times," he said, adding that "there could be" an engagement for them sometime later this year. In May, the former star of "The Bachelorette" said that she "wouldn't have been surprised" if her beau proposed last year, but he'll now have to wait to pop the question because she doesn't want a "quarantine engagement." Then on the June 18 episode of her "Off the Vine" podcast, Jason revealed that "The Bachelor" producers offered him a Neil Lane engagement ring if he would propose on the June 15 episode of "The Bachelor: The Greatest Seasons – Ever!" … which chronicled Kaitlyn's relationship with her ex-fiancé, Shawn Booth. Jason considered their offer for a "day or two" but ultimately declined. "It just hit me, like, I just don't want our story — our next step — at all aligned with this part of [Kaitlyn's] life," he said. "This part of [her] life was five years ago, and it's cool that they're replaying it — greatest of all time seasons. But our story and our chapter don't need to have any type of tie into what that was." Speaking of Shawn…
On the July 1 episode of Becca Tilley and Tanya Rad's "Scrubbing In" podcast, Kaitlyn Bristowe opened up about her painful split from her ex-fiancé, Shawn Booth. "I didn't feel safe in the relationship," she said, adding that she "felt a lot of insecurities" and "a lot of shame" following her time on "The Bachelorette." Explained the reality star, "[It was] three and a half years of feeling shame and like I don't deserve love from him." (She's previously said that she felt like Shawn "couldn't love" her because "the show was too hard for [him] to get over.") "I truly think he just will never understand me or respect certain decisions, and I think he's just gonna hold onto anger with me," she continued. (Shawn, meanwhile, has said that he struggled with how quickly Kaitlyn moved on with her current love, Jason Tartick, after they split.) Kaitlyn went on to say that she would be "nervous" to run into Shawn because "he hurt me so terribly and [did] things I've never even talked about." She added that she actually reached out to Shawn after his dog died in April, but he never got back to her. She was disappointed to learn the news from Instagram, she said — and surprised that Shawn responded to her cleaning lady about his dog's death but not to her.
On the April 16 episode of his eponymous podcast, Bachelor Nation blogger Reality Steve officially retracted his September 2018 reporting that Jenna Cooper cheated on Jordan Kimball, to whom she got engaged on the finale of the fifth season of "Bachelor in Paradise," calling the story "the biggest misstep" of his career. (She's long maintained that the evidence against her — including purported text messages between her and her "sugar daddy" — was fabricated.) On the podcast, Jenna described the "massive campaign of misinformation" against her and the steps she took to prove her innocence, including hiring forensic investigators to look into her phone and other electronic devices. She attributed the scandal to several individuals — specifically two female superfans of Jordan — but she couldn't say whether or not her ex played a role in its orchestration. "He didn't really act surprised," Jenna said of Jordan's reaction to the scandal back in 2018. "He said, 'I can be on your side in private, but publicly I can't because it's too bad for my image if this was true. I just can't handle that right now.'" She later told Us Weekly, "I thought that Jordan would defend me and we would get through it together, but it turned out very different. … I don't know if that was me being manipulated. The problem is he didn't share information with me. Our communication wasn't open. There wasn't a lot of trust there."
Hannah Brown isn't the only former star of "The Bachelorette" to whom Tyler Cameron was linked this year. In late February, Andi Dorfman took to her Instagram Story to make it clear that she and the male model are "just friends." The duo have been seen together several times since they first sparked romance rumors last summer when Andi was photographed giving Tyler a friendly peck on the cheek. (See the photo here.) Andi made headlines again in late May when another Bachelor Nation star, Dean Unglert, revealed that before he appeared on season 6 of "Bachelor in Paradise" in 2019 — and fell for current love Caelynn Miller-Keyes — he attempted to shoot his shot with her by sliding into her DMs. "There was a point where I had a crush on [Andi]," he said. "I just thought she was cute." Then on June 17, one lucky Bachelor Nation fan captured a photo of the brunette beauty jogging along the beach in Santa Monica with former flame Nick Viall. (See it here.) The following day, the former star of "The Bachelor" took to Instagram to make it clear that he and his ex are just friends — not friends with benefits, as many speculated: "Sorry for the buzz kill … not dating. Additionally, the only benefits that come from this friendship is conversation and running tips." Confirmed an Us Weekly source, "Andi and Nick are friends; they've been friends for a while now." A few days earlier, Nick revealed on his "The Viall Files" podcast that he's dating someone new: "I recently had a conversation with someone that I'm dating and the question was, 'What if we're not compatible about this thing?' I was like, 'We're not compatible about that thing but I don't know what that means about everything else,'" he said.
Dean Unglert — who competed for Rachel Lindsay's heart on season 13 of "The Bachelorette" and Caelynn Miller-Keyes — who dated Colton Underwood on season 23 of "The Bachelor" — sparked marriage rumors on Feb. 14 when Caelynn took to Instagram to share a photo of herself and her beau in honor of Valentine's Day. A fan wrote in the comments section, "Get married!" The former pageant queen raised eyebrows when she replied, "We already did." Four days later, E! News reported that the pair — who fell for each other on season 6 of "Bachelor in Paradise" in 2019 — are "not legally married" but had some sort of "commitment ceremony" while traveling abroad that "really brought their relationship to a new level." On June 15, the duo took to Instagram to celebrate the first anniversary of the day he initially dumped her — which happened to be her birthday — while shooting "BiP." Ultimately, they reconciled and left the show to pursue their relationship away from the cameras.
On March 2, ABC announced that Clare Crawley would be looking for love on the 16th season of "The Bachelorette." The hairstylist previously romanced Juan Pablo Galavis on season 18 of "The Bachelor" in 2014 and then appeared on the first two seasons of "Bachelor in Paradise" before competing on 2018's "The Bachelor Winter Games," which ended with her accepting a proposal from Benoit Beausejour-Savard. (They called it quits less than two months after the finale aired.) In the wake of the casting news, both Benoit and Juan Pablo took to social media to show their support for Clare, though the blonde beauty and the former soccer star ended up exchanging words on Twitter after he joked that "it's gonna be interesting" watching her "get hit on by kids [in] their 20s" when the 38-year-old became the show's oldest female lead so far. (ABC drew backlash for casting so many younger men to compete for her heart.) Later, Juan Pablo told Life & Style that he hoped Clare would finally "see things from my perspective" now that she's in the driver's seat. He also told Life & Style that it "wasn't easy" for him to send her home back in 2014. "Every once in a while, I think of what could have been if I chose her instead of Nikki [Ferrell], but that's life. … You put your heart out there hoping to find 'the one' and the reality is sometimes it just doesn't work out and people get hurt," he said. "With Clare, it was one of the hardest decisions I had to make for sure. Now, some time has passed and looking back, I could have handled that and a few other moments better." He concluded by saying his "hope" was that his ex "finds what she has been looking for." A week earlier, Clare called her breakup from Juan Pablo "empowering."
Following her breakup from Peter Weber, Madison Prewett was forced to shoot down rumors that she and former "Bachelor in Paradise" star Connor Saeli — who competed for Hannah Brown's heart on season 15 of "The Bachelorette" — are an item after he cryptically alluded to something going on between them during a March 22 Instagram Live. "We are not together. I am not with anyone right now," she said during a March 27 Instagram Live. "I am just focusing on myself and taking it one day at a time. … He seems like a really sweet guy, and he, like, reached out right after the finale and just sent some encouragement and some support — really sweet, but that is it."
On Jan. 29, Bachelor Nation's Joe Amabile and Kendall Long released a joint statement announcing that they'd called it quits. A couple weeks later, Kendall — who competed for Arie Luyendyk Jr.'s heart on season 22 of "The Bachelor" in 2018 — said on her podcast that she "did not see" the breakup coming. She went on to explain that they split when Joe — who romanced Becca Kufrin on season 14 of "The Bachelorette" in 2018 — became homesick for Chicago after they moved in together in West Hollywood in April 2019. "Ultimately what happened was that Joe felt like he would have a better [life] in Chicago. In no way can I ever be upset with him and have [resentment] toward him changing his mind and choosing to move because I understand the stresses of living somewhere like L.A. away from your family," she said, adding that there's no bad blood between them. The following month, the blonde beauty told Us Weekly that she's ready "to get out there again" following the breakup — and she isn't opposed to dating another Bachelor Nation personality. As for Joe, Kendall said that "things are still amicable" between them. "[We] probably talk like once or twice a week if that. I think we've really made it a point to take the higher road with each other," she said, adding that her ex is "a great guy" and "so happy in Chicago" — which in turn makes her happy. She then said she hasn't ruled out the possibility of appearing on the next season of "Bachelor in Paradise," calling it "an amazing place to find love." Teased the reality star, "Never say never!"
Bachelor Nation's Lesley Murphy — who competed for Sean Lowe's heart on season 17 of "The Bachelor" in 2013 — took to Instagram on Feb. 5 to announce that she's engaged to her boyfriend of a year and a half, Alex Kavanaugh. In September, she revealed that they're expecting a baby together — a daughter who's due in 2021.
Bachelor Nation's JJ Lane — who competed for Kaitlyn Bristowe's heart on season 11 of "The Bachelorette" in 2015 — married Kayla Hughes in Denver on Feb. 29. Their guests included Tanner Tolbert and wife Jade Roper (and their daughter, Emmy, who served as the flower girl), newlyweds Jared Haibon and Ashley Iaconetti, Ben Higgins, Clint Arlis, Chris Bukowski and Katrina Badowski. Speaking of Chris and Katrina…
Two weeks after they first sparked romance rumors by stepping out together for a Valentine's Day dinner, Chris Bukowski and Katrina Badowski — who recently competed for Peter Weber's affection on season 24 of "The Bachelor" — seemingly made their rumored romance Instagram official. "The Owskis," Katrina captioned a photo of herself and Chris at JJ Lane and Kayla Hughes' Feb. 29 nuptials. An E! News source, however, insisted that the wedding was "not a date" and that the Bachelor Nation stars "are both single." In early February, Chris stoked speculation that he and former love Katie Morton had reconciled romantically when he left a flirty comment on her Instagram. (The duo got engaged on the finale of season 6 of "Bachelor in Paradise" in the summer of 2019 but called it quits just a few months later.)
Olivia Caridi — who competed for Ben Higgins' heart on season 20 of "The Bachelor" in 2016 — debuted her new boyfriend on Instagram on Feb. 26. "He's the reason I've been spending a bit of time in Amsterdam," she captioned a photo of her beau, whose name she's yet to reveal.
Kristian Haggerty — who broke off her engagement to Demi Burnett in late 2019 — took to Instagram on Feb. 14 to reveal that she and YouTube personality Taylor Blake are an item. "Will you be my valentine?" the "Bachelor in Paradise" alum captioned a mirror selfie showing herself and her girlfriend going in for a kiss. Kristian first expressed her affection for Taylor on Instagram on Jan. 16, though it was unclear at the time that they were more than friends. Taylor, meanwhile, started posting about Kristian on Instagram in mid-October — around the time that the music video producer and Demi announced that they were calling it quits. The YouTube personality rang in Valentine's Day by posting a photo of herself and Kristian kissing. "When I was 13 I wanted you to be my Valentine, but I was closeted and too scared to ask you- So, I asked your cousin Luke to be my Valentine instead. Here we are at 27, and I finally made you mine🥰 You were worth the wait," she wrote in the caption.
In January, there were reports that John Paul Jones — who dated Hannah Brown on season 15 of "The Bachelorette" and Tayshia Adams on season 6 of "Bachelor in Paradise" — was dating model Victoria Rose Strehlow. An Us Weekly source said the pair, who posted about each other on Instagram, were "getting to know each other," but there haven't been any sightings of them together since then.
In mid-January Us Weekly reported that Luke Parker — who notoriously sex-shamed Hannah Brown after competing for her heart on season 15 of "The Bachelorette" last year — and Justin Bieber's ex-girlfriend, Caitlin Beadles, had started spending time together. Whatever was going on between them didn't last long, though: Caitlin deleted her Jan. 5 Instagram slideshow of photos of them ice skating together, and they haven't been seen together since.
Bachelor Nation's Mike Johnson sparked rumors that he's dating Maurissa Gunn — whom Peter Weber sent home on the first episode of season 24 of "The Bachelor — when they were seen dining together in Atlanta on Jan. 6. But they're just friends, he told Us Weekly on Jan. 13. "That was not a date at all," he said. "She reached out to me and I was in Atlanta and she said, 'Hey, I just have some questions about the show and how the process works being off the show now.' And so I'm just being a friend — she's my sister and a 'Bachelor' alum. … Can two people just be friends and give advice? Really, that's all it was."
Jasmine Nguyen and Alexa Caves — who competed for Peter Weber's heart on season 24 of "The Bachelor" — accidentally sparked romance rumors on March 1 when Jasmine took to Instagram to share some cozy-looking photos from Alexa's birthday celebration. "Spoiler: we did find love after all🌹," Jasmine originally captioned the pics. Two days later — after receiving a ton of questions about the nature of their relationship — Alexa, who identifies as sexually fluid, took to her Instagram Story to set the record straight: They're "not dating" and are just "best friends." Jasmine later added on her Instagram Story that her misleading caption was meant to convey their platonic love for each other and the fact that it blossomed on "The Bachelor."
On the March 17 episode of Us Weekly's Bachelor Nation podcast "Here For the Right Reasons," Ali Fedotowsky revealed that it wasn't always a given she'd end up with Roberto Martinez on season 6 of "The Bachelorette." She was actually broken up over Frank Neuschaefer's decision to walk away from the show after making it into her final three back in 2010, she said. (Frank left when he realized he still had feelings for his ex-girlfriend, and Ali went on to get engaged to Roberto on the season finale.) "I was devastated. Frank and Roberto were my top two from night one — always knew it was going to be the two of them," she said, noting that Roberto got her first-impression rose, while Frank scored her first one-one-one date. "So I end up getting engaged to Roberto. We were together for a couple of years. He's a great person. And I told everybody after the show, 'Oh, I was always going to choose Roberto with no question. There's no question.' Well, now here I am — 10 years later — finally admitting I didn't know. If Frank had stayed, it might have been Frank." She revealed her long-held secret to "help people sympathize" with Peter Weber, who disappointed fans when he flip-flopped between Hannah Ann Sluss, who got his first-impression rose, and Madison Prewett — his first one-on-one date. "He was so heartbroken that Madison left that he convinced himself it was never her anyway," said Ali of Peter. "I get that because I did that." In mid-January — the same month she opened about her perfectly imperfect marriage to Kevin Manno — Ali publicly congratulated Roberto on his late 2019 engagement to Kristiana Elliott.
"Bachelor in Paradise" couple Dylan Barbour and Hannah Godwin are one step closer to tying the knot: The duo hosted their engagement party in Beverly Hills on Feb. 23. Guests included former "The Bachelorette" star Hannah Brown and her ex-fiancé, Jed Wyatt, and his new girlfriend, Ellen Decker, as well as fellow Bachelor Nation stars Katie Morton, Demi Burnett and Mike Johnson.
