Some Bachelor Nation “villains” are there for the wrong reasons … and others are simply misunderstood.
Courtney Robertson, for example, took back the narrative in her 2014 book, I Didn’t Come Here to Make Friends: Confessions of a Reality Show Villain. Michelle Money, meanwhile, won over Bachelor Nation after she returned for Bachelor Pad and Bachelor in Paradise.
“The producers really had to convince me [to come back],” the season 15 Bachelor contestant said on Us Weekly’s “Here for the Right Reasons” podcast in July 2020, adding she had a list of requirements for production to return for the spinoffs. “I had emails from the executive producer apologizing about over-editing me and you know, it was just a lot of trust and wanting to be able to be seen for who I really was. And I knew I wouldn’t get that opportunity again. … I’m just a human living this beautiful experience of life. And, I am a ‘villain.’ I am many other things too.”
For Olivia Caridi, justice was served when Ben Higgins and Chris Harrison apologized for her experience on season 20 of The Bachelor.
“There was so much pain associated with it,” Olivia explained on the June 2020 episode of The Bachelor: The Greatest Seasons Ever. “Seeing what people really thought of me and what people were saying, that was really hard. … I’m sure a lot of it was deserved, but I did feel like some of it was a little ruthless. It affected me. It was, like, making fun of my physical attributes that I can’t change.”
After the host said he was “truly sorry” for what Olivia went through, Ben joined the chat.
“I don’t know if you remember this Olivia, [but] my only request and my only hope was, if all else fails, everybody that participated in the experience left saying they’re glad they did it,” he said. “As I look back on that time, I think my lack of wisdom and maturity and standing up for you publicly, while I knew this was hard for you, I think the way that I navigated the confrontations and issues of the show, could have been better to help you. Mostly, I wanted to speak to you and say I’m sorry. … This girl is a rock star. She laid her heart on the line for love and she tried her best. It didn’t come off perfectly all the time but none of us did.”
Olivia was grateful for their kind words, but also noted during the catch-up interview that she had no regrets.
“The person I am now is so resilient,” she declared. “I am proud of the person that I am today. I’m not ashamed anymore because I know that I am not that person.”
Scroll through for an update on the most infamous “villains” in Bachelor history:
The season 16 winner documented her relationship – and split — from Ben Flajnik — in her 2014 book, I Didn’t Come Here to Make Friends: Confessions of a Reality Show Villain. And while she had an on-again, off-again fling with Bachelor Nation’s Arie Luyendyk Jr., Courtney settled down with Humberto Preciado. Us broke the news in December 2019 that the real estate agent was engaged and pregnant with the couple’s first child.
“There was just a level of comfort and connection that I’ve never felt before. I never believed in that feeling of when you know, you know until I met him,” she gushed to Us at the time. “Nor have I been with someone that I so clearly wanted to start a family with.”
Courtney gave birth to their baby boy, Joaquin, in June 2020.
Courtesy of Craig Sjodin/ABC; Courtesy of Courtney Robertson/Instagram
The Bachelorette season 7 bad boy received a lot of backlash after he openly admitted he didn’t have any interest in Ashley Hebert. As a result, Bentley ditched the Men Tell All taping and has kept a low profile ever since. He married blogger Meghan Mitchell in 2018. They share a son named Zephyr.
Courtesy of Craig Sjodin/ABC; Courtesy of Bentley Williams/Instagram
Luke and his family were open about how hard it was for him after he was accused of slut-shaming Hannah Brown on season 15 of The Bachelorette. While Us confirmed in January 2020 that Luke was seeing Caitlin Beadles, who dated Justin Bieber in 2008, the twosome’s fling fizzled out after several months. Luke works as a personal trainer and hosts a podcast called “The Unbroken Mentality.”
News broke in October 2020 that Luke was ordered to pay producers $100,000 for unauthorized media appearances he made before his contract with NZK Productions Inc. had expired.
Courtesy of Ed Herrera/ABC; Courtesy of Luke Parker/Instagram
Nick Viall’s bad girl had a short stint in Mexico before production on Bachelor in Paradise season 4 was shut down during the summer of 2017 due to an incident with Corinne and DeMario Jackson. After a two-week investigation into claims made by a producer, Warner Bros found no evidence of misconduct.
Corinne didn’t return to the beach, however, and started dating Jon Yunger. While the influencer thought she found The One, they split in December 2019. Corinne subsequently started seeing builder Vincent Fratantoni.
Courtesy of Mitch Haaseth/ABC; Courtesy of Corinne Olympios/Instagram
After fighting with several men on JoJo Fletcher’s season of The Bachelorette, Chad filmed a short stint on Bachelor in Paradise season 3 before he was sent home for belligerent behavior. He went on to appear on Celebrity Big Brother UK, Famously Single and Ex on the Beach. Chad’s tumultuous relationship with on-again, off-again girlfriend Annalise Mishler resulted in his arrest for domestic violence in 2020. He pleaded not guilty to the charges against him that March. Chad makes his living on OnlyFans, a content subscription service.
Craig Sjodin/ABC; Courtesy of Chad Johnson/Instagram
Ian left Kaitlyn Bristowe’s season 11 of The Bachelorette after he accused her of being a ”surface-level person.” According to LinkedIn, he’s a partner at consulting firm One Bridge Partners in San Francisco.
Courtesy of Craig Sjodin/ABC
While fans — and Hannah — weren’t happy with Jed after she found out he wasn’t honest about his last relationship, the singer had no trouble finding love after his short-lived engagement to the pageant queen. Us confirmed in November 2019 that Jed has a girlfriend named Ellen Decker.
“This has been a good test for our relationship since we are used to distance,” Jed, who is based in Nashville, told Us about his romance with the Miami-based model in April 2020. “It’s been so nice to wake up to her every day and has made me even more excited for our future. She’s just so amazing, and I probably annoy her with how often I just want to smooch her face off. We definitely have come together more, and I’m thankful for that.”
Jed released two singles, “Risk” and “45’n,” after his time on the show.
Courtesy of Ed Herrera/ABC; Courtesy of Jed Wyatt/Instagram
Six years after he was confronted by Bachelorette Ali Fedotowsky for having a girlfriend, Justin broke his silence during an interview with Entertainment Tonight, alleging the producers were “puppet masters” and wouldn’t let him leave early. He has since stayed under the radar.
Courtesy of Craig Sjodin/ABC
Viewers weren’t charmed by Kalon after he referred to Emily Maynard’s daughter Ricki as “baggage.” After a brief stint on season 1 of Bachelor in Paradise, he returned to work as a financial wellness strategist in California.
Courtesy of Craig Sjodin/ABC; Courtesy of Kalon McMahon/Instagram
While Krystal didn’t win over Arie Luyendyk Jr. or season 22 Bachelor viewers, she did have a second shot at love on season 5 of Bachelor in Paradise. And while she got engaged and subsequently married Chris Randone in June 2019, the pair announced they were separating in February 2020.
Krystal works as a fitness coach and launched her “Best Summer Ever” body guide and health program in July 2020.
Courtesy of Craig Sjodin/ABC; Courtesy of Krystal Nielson/Instagram
Lee’s behavior made headlines on and offscreen on Rachel Lindsay’s season of The Bachelorette when his past racist tweets — including one that compared the NAACP to the KKK — resurfaced. While Lee lives in Nashville, he moved to Florida amid the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. According to E! News, the singer-songwriter has a girlfriend.
Courtesy of Craig Sjodin/ABC; Courtesy of Lee Garrett/Instagram
After appearing on season 15 of The Bachelor, season 2 of Bachelor Pad and season 1 of Bachelor in Paradise, Michelle found love with golfer Mike Weir in 2016.
“Mike and I have this mutual beautiful, commitment with each other, where we just want to be life partners,” the Money Method CEO told Us in July 2020, noting they have both been married before. “He gave me a ring and got down on a knee and asked me to be his forever girlfriend. We are committed to each other.”
Michelle’s daughter, Brielle, whom she shares with ex-husband Ryan Money, was hospitalized for nearly a month after a skateboarding accident in March 2020. The former Good Things Utah cohost confirmed to Us that Brielle was doing “great” with her recovery.
“Fortunately, we were lucky enough [that] Brielle walked out of the hospital alive and we got the chance to reparent her where a lot of people don’t get that opportunity and live with regret their whole life,” she told Us in July 2020. “She’s still struggling with short-term memory. She has funny side effects like she seems to have lost her filter. She’s … been extra funny and extra, like, inappropriate.”
Courtesy of Craig Sjodin/ABC; Courtesy of Michelle Money/Instagram
The season 20 contestant took back the narrative with her podcast “Mouthing Off,” which she launched in 2017. Olivia, who works for Delta, confirmed in June 2020 that she is single.
Courtesy of Craig Sjodin/ABC; Omar Vega/Invision/AP/Shutterstock
While the season 14 contestant maintained her innocence after Chris Harrison accused her of having an inappropriate relationship with a producer on Jake Pavelka’s season, Rozlyn’s alleged illicit romance with always be part of Bachelor history. And in 2019 when a similar story line went down on the Australian version of the show, she spoke out about the show for the first time in years.
“The show absolutely manufactured the entire scenario,” she alleged to the DailyMail. “They had the nerve to repeatedly ask me to come back on the show, as well as all of their spinoffs. They are relentless. I briefly considered it. They would send me contracts to sign, I would make a ton of changes, they would negotiate a bit. This happened several times over several seasons.”
Rozlyn works as a marketing director in Richmond, Virginia.
Courtesy of Craig Sjodin/ABC
Tierra notoriously didn’t get along with the other women on Sean Lowe’s season of The Bachelor, but she found love with boyfriend T. Brooks in December 2019. “I am forever grateful that our paths crossed. It still seems surreal, it feels like a lifetime of knowing you already!” she wrote in June 2020 via Instagram. “I love you honeyyy and so excited to see/fulfill our next adventures together! #worththewait #ily.”
Courtesy of Kevin Foley/ABC
The OG singer there for the wrong reasons, Wes, continued making music after competing for Jillian Harris‘ heart on season 5 of The Bachelorette. He released a self-titled album in 2019.
Courtesy of Kevin Foley/ABC; Courtesy of Wes Hayden/Instagram
