Behind The Roses: A Closer Look At Scandalous Feuds In The Bachelor And Bachelorette Franchise
The Bachelor and Bachelorette reality TV shows aim to help contestants find love, but drama is never scarce because, without it, they aren’t worth watching. From getting into fistfights to stabbing each other in the back, there is nothing these contestants won’t do to get that rose at the end of the night.
And while most Bachelor Nation (fans) tune in to embark on a journey to find love, we can’t deny that we are there for the explosive fights and arguments! From how much these contestants drink to what goes on in those scandalous fantasy suites, it’s hard not to get caught up in their steamy shenanigans.
If you are as big of a fan as we are, you won’t want to miss this. To refresh your memory and keep you updated, we’ve compiled the most notable feuds in the history of the iconic franchise.
Taylor Nolan vs. Arie Luyendyk Jr.
The drama between Taylor Nolan, a contestant from season 21 of Bachelor, and former bachelor Arie Luyendyk Jr. started because of an Instagram post. Taylor called Arie out because he posted polls about people’s presidential preferences during the 2020 election.
Arie was offended by Taylor’s comments towards him and decided to clap back with some unfriendly words because of one of her recent Instagram posts. Taylor, a licensed sex therapist, had just shared an ad for sensual toys on her IG and didn’t like Arie’s view on the topic. She called Arie’s words laughable and him a bully.
Andi Dorfman vs. Juan Pablo Galavis
The problem with the Bachelor and Bachelorette show is that not everyone gets the happy ending they want. Only one contestant does. In season 18 of The Bachelor, star Juan Pablo and contestant Andi Dorfman were getting serious, but it wasn’t going in the direction they hoped.
After spending an intimate night in the fantasy suites with Andi Dorfman, Juan Pablo still didn’t seem any more interested than before. He kept saying, “It’s OK,” but Andi was tired of hearing it. So, she decided to leave the show to find love elsewhere. Andi got another chance at love as the star of The Bachelorette season 10.
Nick Viall vs. Katie Thurston
Former Bachelorette star Katie Thurston doesn’t have the best relationship with Nick Viall. But most people don’t. According to her, Nick has made too many odd comments about her on his infamous Viall Files podcast. She even blocked him from contacting her because of his remarks.
When Katie confronted Nick about what he said, he supposedly responded very passive-aggressively. Nick’s girlfriend defended him, saying he had only tried to help Katie by offering advice she didn’t bother to take. Most people feel Nick should be more careful what he says on his podcast.
Nick Viall vs. Blake Horstmann
Nick Viall got into another feud with Blake Horstmann for some of his comments on his podcast, The Viall Files. As a Bachelor in Paradise member, Blake slept with another contestant on the same day he hooked up with contestant Caelyn Miller Keyes. Caelyn called Blake a womanizer.
When Nick commented about the whole situation, Blake got mad and attempted to defend himself by sharing screenshots of texts with Caelyn. Blake said he would rather not when asked whether he would appear on Nick’s podcast because Nick talks wrong about almost everyone.
Shanae Ankey vs. The House
Shanae Ankey got on everyone’s wrong side during The Bachelor Season 26. If you’re wondering what the drama was about, it was food, specifically shrimp. Another contestant, Elizabeth Corrigan, had made some tasty shrimp for all the other girls in the mansion.
Unfortunately, Shanae ended up eating it all alone. The other girls were rightfully furious, so she decided to make amends and cook some more shrimp. When none of the other contestants wanted anything to do with it, Shanae got mad. The drama led to Elizabeth leaving the show, making everyone in the house turn on Shanae.
Chad Johnson vs. Evan Bass
As heated as The Bachelor can get, it’s almost nothing compared to The Bachelorette drama when men fight for a beautiful woman’s love. During the 12th season, Chad Johnson and Evan Bass got into a physical altercation after some comments the latter made during a group date.
Evan had commented on Chad taking steroids. But it seems the joke didn’t go over very well. Chad attacked Evan and ripped his shirt. The feud continued in the Bachelor in Paradise season three when Chad said he wanted to harm Evan physically.
Clare Crawley vs. Yosef Aborady
Clare Crawley had to deal with a lot from contestant Yosef Aborady, who was the season’s villain. When Clare held a group date with shirtless contestants, Yosef wasn’t happy about it. He called it a classless display when he didn’t even attend the group date.
To make matters worse, he called her one of the oldest bachelorettes in the series, which didn’t help his case. Because she had a daughter, Yosef said that Clare wasn’t the best role model. To Clare, that was all she needed to know: Yosef wouldn’t be the husband she wanted or the father of her daughter.
Thomas Jacobs vs. Aaron Clancy
There are always those contestants who won’t get along because, in the end, they are fighting for the love of one person. During season 17 of The Bachelorette, contestants Aaron Clancy and Thomas Jacobs fought hard for Katie Thurston’s love.
The other contestants accused Thomas of being on the show only to further his career and one day become a Bachelor. Thomas shared a kiss with Katie, which didn’t sit well with Aaron. Their feud continued in the Bachelor in Paradise show, where Aaron warned other contestants about Thomas’ ulterior motives.
Rachel Lindsay vs. Chris Harrison & Rachel Kirkconnell
Rachel Lindsay is best known for her role as a contestant during season 21 of The Bachelor. During an Extra interview with the show’s host, Chris Harrison defended the Bachelor winner, Rachael Kirkconnell, over her pictures attending a plantation-themed party in 2018.
The recently emerged pictures of the party bothered everyone, and Chris came under fire for defending Rachel’s actions. The interview kept getting worse because Rachel Lindsay was the franchise’s first black Bachelorette, so this wasn’t a good look for the host or the show.
Hannah Brown vs. Luke Parker
Luke Parker was one of the most talked about contestants in The Bachelorette, and all for the wrong reasons. His backward ideologies made his relationship with Bachelorette Hannah Brown very unpleasant. The fans thought he was arrogant and constantly argued with the other contestants.
During the fantasy suites episode, Luke gave Hannah an ultimatum. He said if Hannah believed in her faith, she wouldn’t be sexually intimate with any other man in the fantasy suites. Hannah didn’t care about his request and sent him home because she didn’t want that kind of husband.
Ashley Laconetti vs. Kelsey Poe
Every season of The Bachelor has a villain. And during season 19, it was Kelsey Poe. Like most villains, their exit from the show isn’t without some drama. During a two-on-one date with Bachelor Chris Soules, contestant Ashley Laconetti decided to spill the beans about Kelsey.
She took her chance during her date with Chris Soules to reveal Kelsey Poe’s true nature, which, obviously, Kelsey didn’t like. Unfortunately, both women were sent home and didn’t find love on the show. Luckily for Ashley, she found love on Bachelor in Paradise.
Katie Thurston vs. Thomas Jacobs and Becca Kufrin
After the show ends, most fans fall in love with certain stars and contestants and follow their daily lives through social media, so it’s not a surprise when feuds arise because of what someone posts on Instagram. That’s how this drama started.
Katie threw shade at her former contestants in November 2021 with a series of her stories titled 12 Days of Messy. She chose I Knew You Were Trouble by Taylor Swift as the soundtrack. She captioned day four as Thomas, but Thomas’ fiancé Becca didn’t find it funny. Becca later unfollowed Katie on Instagram.
Kelsey Weier vs. Peter Weber & Hannah Ann Sluss
One moment that will go down in Bachelor history is the champagne gate that occurred in season 15 of The Bachelor. Contestant Kelsey Weier once shared that she had a special bottle of wine she wanted to open during a special moment with Bachelor Peter Weber.
Kelsey burst into tears when she realized that Hannah Ann Sluss had opened the bottle during her one-on-one time with Peter. In her defense, Hannah didn’t know how vital the bottle was to Kelsey, but it didn’t matter. Peter tried to rectify the situation by opening another bottle of bubbly for Kelsey, but it wasn’t as special.
Everyone vs. Brendan Morais & Pieper James
Season 7 of Bachelor in Paradise was full of drama because of Brendan Morais and Pieper James. Although Brendan got to the beach and claimed to be single, rumors spread that he was in a romantic relationship with Pieper James. Brendan went ahead to form a connection with another contestant, Natasha.
Natasha Parker and the rest of the cast realized a sinister plan when Pieper James joined the show. They all discovered that Pieper and Brendan used the show to increase their social media following. Brendan only used Natasha to stay on the show until Pieper showed up later in the season.
Corinne Olympios vs. Taylor Nolan
Former bachelor contestants Corinne Olympios and Taylor Nolan did not get along. They were fighting for Nick Viall during The Bachelor, so it seemed they might still have some animosity and competition to get over. It started when Taylor claimed that Corinne lacked emotional intelligence.
Corinne retaliated and said that Taylor was a bully. The producers, sensing the tension between the two women, planned a two-on-one date with Nick Viall. Nick ended up giving Corinne the rose, and Taylor went home. The two still hadn’t resolved much by the reunion show for Nick’s season.
Hannah Brown vs. Caelynn Miller-Keyes
Hannah and Caelynn had become friends because they attended pageants together. Things, however, got intense a while before appearing on Colton’s season of The Bachelor. While the show was careful not to reveal details about the drama, Colton wasn’t.
He revealed that off camera, the ladies told him their friendship ended because of a tasteless joke about a family member. It seems that as contestants on the show, they reopened these old wounds, which didn’t make their experience as good as they thought it would be.
John Paul Jones vs. Derek Peth
The drama between John Paul and Derek Peth climaxed during an episode of Bachelor in Paradise. After Paul Jones noticed Derek was making moves on Tayshia Adams, whom he had been wooing during the series, he couldn’t help himself and snapped.
During the cocktail hour, Jones decided to take matters into his own hands. He confronted Derek about his intentions with Tayshia. They got into a shouting match where Jones accused Derek of taking advantage of fans sexually. Derek vehemently denied the accusations, but the damage was done.
Rachel Lindsay vs. Raven Gates
As contestants, Rachel Lindsay and Raven Gates became great friends. Sadly, their friendship didn’t last as long as people thought it would when the show ended. None of them wanted to reveal what happened to their friendship, which further confused the situation.
Although Rachel admitted that she wouldn’t reveal what happened, she said it was enough for them to stop being friends. Raven wasn’t invited to Rachel’s wedding, which shocked most of their fans. Raven says the news saddened her, but she couldn’t do anything because it had already happened.
Rachel Lindsay vs. Colton Underwood
While fans were shocked that the relationship between Rachel Lindsay and Raven Gates was over, they didn’t know that the real tension started when Colton Underwood got into the drama. And he was siding with Raven Gates if his comments were anything to go by.
Colton insinuated that Rachel had also caused problems with him. They do not get along either. When US Weekly posted that Rachel and Raven were going through a rough patch, Colton commented that it was not a shocker because Rachel hardly likes anyone. He was mad because she allegedly spoke poorly about him multiple times.
Kenny King vs. Lee Garrett
The beef between Kenny King and Lee Garett started during Rachel Lindsay’s season of The Bachelorette. Kenny said that Lee was aggressive, which other men of color in the house didn’t like at all. But It didn’t end there.
The producers set up a two-on-one date between Kenny, Lee, and Rachel. Lee lied that Kenny was physical with him and dragged him from a van. Rachel didn’t believe him and ended up keeping Kenny on the show. Lee was eliminated and went home.
Chad Johnson vs. Alex Woytkiw
Another feud that happened because of social media was between Chad Johnson and Alex Woutkiw. Alex and Chad were both contestants in The Bachelorette, but they took their drama off the screen and to the internet. These grown men started talking about each other on Twitter.
Ever since they were sent home from the show and it began airing, they started subtweeting each other. Although it was mostly immature, it clearly showed how childish these two contestants were. Picking a side would be pointless because they both lost and ruined their reputation.
Courtney Robertson vs. Emily O’Brien
During most seasons of this scandalous reality show, some contestants always feel they should tell the star about the other contestants’ true nature, you know, in order to protect them. During Ben Flajnik’s season, the woman who chose to do this was Emily Obrien.
Emily told Ben that Courtney behaved differently around him than she did with the other contestants and that she didn’t want him to be with someone like her. Courtney obviously wasn’t happy and told the cameras that Emily should watch her back.
Jef Holm vs. Arie Luyendyk
Jef and Arie became fast friends during Emily Maynard’s season of The Bachelorette. Sadly, their friendship didn’t last long. The two fell out soon after Sean Lowes’s wedding in 2014. The drama was all because of the date Jef brought to the wedding.
On a podcast, Arie said that Jef didn’t handle his date very well, and he wouldn’t keep quiet about it. When Arie spoke up, Jef felt that he had chosen the wrong side by not sticking up for him instead. No love was lost because Jef didn’t have lovely comments about Arie either.
Michelle Money vs. Everyone on Brad Womack’s Season
Season 11 of The Bachelor was as dramatic as the seasons before, primarily because of the eager contestants fighting for a rose. One of the contestants who didn’t get along with almost anyone was Michelle Money, but not many people were shocked by this.
Most other women saw her as unfriendly and aggressive, while she thought she was firm and confident, even sarcastic. Most women also attacked her for her parenting style, and she broke down in tears during the Women Tell All.
Luke Parker vs. Everyone
Luke Parker was an unforgettable contestant primarily because of his aggressive nature and arrogance, making him disagree with almost everybody, including contestants Jed Wyatt and Luke Stone. Sadly, Hannah didn’t see his true nature sooner.
Hannah felt it was love at first sight when she first saw Luke Parker, or Luke P. as he was commonly referred to. After making demands of her and his opinions of sex, Hannah also realized that he wasn’t the person he claimed to be and sent him home.
Nick Viall vs. Shawn Booth
It was clear from when Shawn showed up on The Bachelorette season 15 that he wasn’t a fan of Nick Viall. Kaitlyn Bristowe’s season was drama-filled when it was revealed that she became intimate with Nick even before the overnight dates. This only made what Kaitlyn felt for both men even more confusing.
Shawn wasn’t happy with Kaitlyn’s decision. In the end, Kaitlyn chose Shawn, but they broke up after only two months together. Kaitlyn said that she felt like Shawn was shaming her because she decided to be intimate with Nick, which she didn’t like because she felt no shame over her actions. So why should he make her feel that way?
Josh Murray vs. Evan Bass
On Bachelor in Paradise season 3, Josh clarified his intentions for Amanda Stanton. But not everyone on the show was happy about that. Even Bass decided to tell Amanda what Andi Dorfman said about Josh in her book. This didn’t go over well with Josh.
Andi Dorfman’s book carried much weight because she was engaged to Josh Murray for a while. So, there must have been some truths to her words, right? Josh told the camera that you just don’t go around talking about people behind their backs.
Jordan Kimball vs. David Ravitz
It’s hard to forget David Ravitz because he came dressed up as a chicken on the first night. That was one way to ensure you leave a lasting first impression, so maybe he knew what he was doing. Right off the bat, he had a problem with fellow contestant Jordan Kimball.
So, he did what he could to make Jordan look bad in front of The Bachelorette, Becca Kurfin. David told Becca that Jordan had over 4000 matches on Tinder. And when looking for a husband, this isn’t going to add any points. Becca, however, sent David home because all he wanted to talk about was Jordan.
Krystal Nielson vs. Bekah Martinez
Krystal and Bekah had one of the most famous feuds in The Bachelor’s history. They were both contestants during Arie Luyendyk Jr.’s Bachelor season. This time around, the villain was Krystal Nielson. The other contestants, including Bekah, didn’t get the right vibes from her.
But Bekah had no problem saying what was on her mind. She called Krystal a sore winner during the group date and told her to go home. During an interview, Martinez said that she wished she had handled the situation much differently and she should have been more in the moment.
Tia Booth vs. Bekah Martinez
The drama with Bekah Martinez didn’t end there. Even after Krystal was sent home packing, someone else was out to get her off the show- Tia Booth. Tia told the Bachelor, Arie that she didn’t think Bekah was ready for marriage.
At the time, Bekah Martinez was only 22 years old. Whether she was right or not, Bekah didn’t appreciate Arie hearing those comments about her from another contestant. Bekah was pissed. Sadly, she didn’t get a chance to prove to Arie otherwise and was soon sent home, too.
Blake Elarbee vs. Lucas Yancey
Most viewers thought that the drama between Blake Elarbee and Lucas Yancey, aka ‘Whaboom,’ was because they both wanted the attention of Bachelorette star Rachel Lindsay. But their conflict became stranger when Lucas accused Elarbee of watching him sleep while eating a banana.
Elarbee denied these statements because he was on a keto diet that didn’t allow him to eat bananas. Unfortunately, their feud only led them to be sent home on the same night. It was revealed that Elarbee had hooked up with Lucas’ ex-girlfriend before they appeared on The Bachelorette show.
Demi Burnett vs. Courtney Curtis
During Colton Underwoods’ season 23 of The Bachelor, the feud was between Demi Burnett and Courtney Curtis. After the group date, when the ladies were waiting for some one-on-one time with Colton, Courtney seemed mad that she wasn’t getting time alone with him.
Burnett advised her that she just had to act and not wait patiently. Burnett even got to talk to Colton twice that night as Courtney kept on waiting. The two contestants ended up in an argument. Curtis even told Colton that Demi wasn’t there for the right reasons.
Luke Parker vs. Luke Stone
Another feud that happened during Hannah Brown’s season of The Bachelorette was between the Lukes. The season’s villain, Luke Parker, claimed that Luke Stone had charged at him during a rugby game. In self-defense, Parker says he slammed him to the ground.
It came down to what he said/he said when they both took their version of events to Hannah. Parker also lied about Stone pushing his tequila brand on the show. When asked to tell the truth, he doubled down on his comments. Stone took the high road and decided to leave the competition.
Leo Dottavio vs. Everybody
Leo rubbed almost everyone wrong, earning him the title villain in season 5 of Bachelor in Paradise. It all happened when he kissed Chelsea, and Kendall Long didn’t know about it. When Kendall confronted Leo about the kiss, he got mad and lashed out at her.
After such a display, every other contestant on the show turned on him. Kissing Chelsea behind Kendall’s back didn’t earn him any points with members of Bachelor Nation either. When the show aired, he got into online battles with some members, like Tanner Tolbert.
Emily Maynard vs. Kalon McMahon
Emily Maynard was named The Bachelorette for season 8. But finding true love for the star involved kissing a couple of frogs along the way. Despite all the drama that season, the altercation between Emily and Kalon still stands out today.
Kalon couldn’t hide his actual feelings when Emily revealed that she had a daughter named Ricki. Kalon seemed to imply that the daughter was baggage, and Emily snapped. She told him to leave immediately, which ended his time at the mansion.
Clint vs. JJ
From bromance to enemies. What started as a budding friendship between Clint and JJ ended in a fight that would shame some amateur wrestlers. This was the last thing Kaitlyn expected in season 11 of The Bachelorette.
After an awkward physical touch, the two started shouting profanities. Clint was there for his own reasons and tried to convince Kaitlyn that he cared for her, but she saw right through his lies. She ended up kicking him out of the show. JJ ended up having a meltdown.
Kaitlyn vs. Ian Thomson
Kaitlyn Bristowe’s time on The Bachelorette was constantly filled with drama. She got into a nasty argument with one of her suitors, Ian Thompson. It began when Ian said Kaitlyn’s personality was shallow. Yes, he really went there.
Kaitlyn responded by kicking Ian out. And who wouldn’t after such a rude comment? He went on one knee, begging Kaitlyn for forgiveness, but she wasn’t having any of it. She ignored his apology and sent him packing.
Rachel Lindsay vs. Demario Jackson
With the drama between Lee and Kenny over, Rachel thought that everything would be smooth sailing from then on, but she was wrong. She was in for more spectacle in season 13. Rachel confronted Demario for giving off playboy vibes and acting like he didn’t want to be there.
He tried to defend himself but didn’t seem that invested in making his case. Rachel Lindsay made it clear that she didn’t appreciate being made a joke and played and told Demario to get out. She didn’t mince her words.
Luke Parker vs. Garrett Powell
Season 15 of The Bachelorette had its fair share of drama because of Luke Parker. After a half-hearted apology to Luke Stone, Parker started an argument with Garrett Powell. Parker was angry after a group date showed Hannah was getting close to Garrett.
Parker confronted Garrett with a finger in his face, saying that he would not mess anything up now that he had been truthful with Hannah. It was uncomfortable because the fight was one-sided, and Parker even dropped bologna on Garrett’s lap.
Cody Menks vs. Aaron Clancy
Most fans from the Bachelor Nation feel like this is the most random fight in Bachelor history. The Kaitlyn season of The Bachelorette started with drama on the first night. Everyone was nervous, but suddenly a fight started. Did the producers script it?
Aaron said he didn’t like Cody, but Cody didn’t feel like that was his problem. A yelling match began, and it seemed like the two had been brewing for a long time. That’s because they knew each other before the show. They supposedly even ran in the same circles.