6 Iconic ‘Bachelor’ Franchise Villains — Where Are They Now? (PHOTOS)
Chad Johnson (The Bachelorette, Season 12)
Let’s just get right into it. This Luxury Real Estate Agent/meat lover only lasted four weeks on JoJo’s season, but he had a much longer-lasting impact as one of the most undeniable villains in history. Honestly, we probably should have seen it coming — what else could we expect from a guy who listed his greatest achievement as “being born good looking”? Classy and modest.
In theory, he was competing for JoJo’s heart, but the Chad Bear spent most of his time on the show eating cold cuts, working out, and threatening the other guys with physical harm, culminating in the two-episode spectacular referred to as “Chad-ageddon” — who could forget his ominous whistle as he walked through the forest? You know, your average Bachelorette-contestant behavior. Also, he called JoJo “naggy,” which feels a little counterproductive in the quest for her love, but no one asked us.
Chad (NOW)
Since being vanquished by Alex on the 2-on-1, it’s been more of the same for Chad. The milk lover has appeared on the same number of reality shows as he did episodes of Bachelorette. Members of Bachelor Nation will remember his wild one-episode stint on Paradise, but may be less familiar with his time on Extra, Celebrity Big Brother UK, and, fittingly, Famously Single.
Of course, our Protein Powder Prince has kept up his figure and — get this — is here to help you with yours! That’s right, Chad is the man behind not only many gym selfies but a full fitness and diet program. (If you’re trying to find his website, try going to www.derekpeth.com or www.robbyhayes.com — Chad, you prankster!) We’re assuming there are no suitcase-based workouts in Chad’s Flagship Fitness, but honestly, who knows? You do you, Chad.
Courtney Robertson (The Bachelor, Season 16)
If we learned one thing from Courtney’s time on The Bachelor, it’s that women really can have it all — if by “have it all” you mean “be the villain and still lock down the Bachelor at the end.” Which she did. A rare achievement worthy of acknowledgement.
Courtney used her ~feminine wiles~ (and a certain disregard for the rules) to win Bachelor Ben’s heart, but not without making a few enemies along the way. She also famously had ocean sex on national TV. Not quite the Fantasy Suite, but it seemed to work for her.
Courtney (NOW)
She might not be here to make friends, but she’s certainly here to make ~content~. Since her engagement to former Bachelor Ben Flajnik ended in 2012, Courtney has penned a New York Times bestselling tell-all (the aptly-titled I Didn’t Come Here to Make Friends: Confessions of a Reality Show Villain) and launched a blog.
She also works as a realtor and, as far as we can tell, drinks a lot of wine. Plus, ex-boyfriend and current pal Arie Luyendyk, Jr. is probably the second most-hated Bachelor in franchise history right now, so she has a lot of supporting to do.
JJ Lane (The Bachelorette, Season 11)
Really, all we need to say here is that JJ is the man responsible for the iconic phrase “villains gotta vil.” Everything else kind of seems trivial next to that monumental contribution to the Bachelor Nation lexicon (right up there with “here for the right reasons” and “not here to make friends”).
But that wouldn’t really be fair to JJ and his journey, so in the interest of fairness, we should mention a few other highlights from when JJ competed for Kaitlyn’s love. Namely, his whirlwind bromance with Clint (hello, Brokeback Bachelor) and that one time Amy Schumer called him a “turd” (tough break). Luckily, Bachelor in Paradise gave him just the opportunity he needed to redeem himself…
JJ (NOW)
JJ has been something of a ladies’ man since leaving the show on that fateful 2-on-1 — and we’re not just talking about his daughter, Gemma. We thought he found love with Juelia Kinney on Paradise, but even their time on WE tv’s Marriage Boot Camp wasn’t enough to save their love.
Not to worry. JJ is back on the horse in a big way with his new girlfriend, former NFL cheerleader Kayla Hughes. And he works, too! He’s a color commentator for Denver University hockey games — guess he didn’t get his fill of talking about grown men fighting during Kaitlyn’s season.
Kelsey Poe (The Bachelor, Season 19)
Oh Kelsey. Sanderson Poe’s widow, with her little bob haircut and her tank tops and jeans, doesn’t look like a Bachelor villain. But oh, did she deliver the crazy (and the straight-up scary) on Chris’ season. When she said “Isn’t my story amazing? It’s tragic but it’s amazing. I love my story,” Bachelor Nation was (and we’re not trying to be melodramatic here) shook to its core. And her shiver-inducing “I know what you did” to Ashley I. on their 2-on-1 certainly gives Chad and his whistling a run for its money on the creepiness front.
Plus, there was that (allegedly) faked panic attack to secure a rose. You know, serious villain stuff.
Kelsey (NOW)
This is a big one, y’all. Settle in for Kelsey’s Amazing Story, Part Deux.
After her elimination during arguably the Most Dramatic 2-on-1 date in history, Kelsey geared up for a lawsuit against the show for the “emotional damage” it caused her — honestly, we believe it. The next thing we knew, Kelsey was crossing the pond to live in Paris with a new, unnamed boyfriend. Kelsey and the boyf posted a couple of cute “we live in Paris now” pictures on Instagram (and her blog!) before — and this is shocking for a former contestant — she dropped completely off the grid in August 2015. No Instagram, no blog, nothing (except, in the interest of full disclosure here, a couple of retweets in early 2016).
Lucky for us, Kelsey’s sister Taylor (above left) is still active on social media, and she posted this photo in early 2017, along with another one where she called the baby her “favorite niece.” Is it Kelsey’s baby? It sure looks like it, and Lord do we hope so! But looks can be deceiving. Whatever the case, Kelsey looks really happy, and we’re really happy for her.
Juan Pablo Galavis
Season 18
During the most infamous season in Bachelor history, former soccer star Juan Pablo asked winner Nikki Ferrell — who he never said he loved — to be his girlfriend post-show. He explained that he “didn’t even know her,” but wanted to. After months filming a dating show where the whole point is to get to know someone, why was Juan Pablo so uncertain? “I didn’t feel the need to propose to somebody if I don’t feel 100%,” he revealed. Yawn!
He and Nikki called it quits for good after seven months together.
Juan Pablo (NOW)
Four years after what had to be the most unpleasant season to hit the airwaves, this fan favorite turned fan foe is still rocking the fauxhawk in a big way. And that’s not all! Since the lights went down on his season and his brief relationship with “winner” Nikki, Juan Pablo has settled into a slightly more low-key life, prioritizing being a family man over being a jerk on TV (probably a good call, TBH).
According to his Instagram bio, he is now a “Sports & Music Consultant,” which kind of sounds like a job title Bachelor producers might come up with, but also kind of sounds like a real job, so we’re gonna roll with it. Things are looking up on the romance front, too. In 2017, he married TV host/model/former Miss Venezuela Earth Osmariel Villalobos, and we can only assume that marriage is going well — this past Mother’s Day, JP called her a “great second mom” to his daughter Camila (who is now very old; we can’t believe it!) in an Instagram post. Honestly, very sweet. #amomforcamila
Corinne Olympios (The Bachelor, Season 21)
The woman herself. She of the platinum vagine and cheese pasta. Lover of naps and nanny(!) Raquel.
Corinne kept Bachelor Nation on its toes during Nick’s season, taking off her clothes and napping through rose ceremonies (#neverforget). Her hometown date was basically just a big shopping trip, which feels about right. Corinne was bold and confident and kind of an icon, to be honest.
Corinne (NOW)
Everyone’s favorite nap queen is honestly so lovable we almost forgot she was the villain — and she’s certainly taken the non-villain post-Bachelor path. Like many of her fellow contestants, Corinne has made herself into a brand (#teamcorn). She partnered with Riot Society on a clothing line and started her own podcast, the well-named So Random.
Of course, we can’t forget her brief, scandalous time on Bachelor in Paradise with DeMario, but Corinne has moved past that moment in her life. Word on the street is she’s working on a book and maybe even a scripted TV show. And we’re waiting with bated breath, bowls of cheese pasta in hand.
You know them, you love them — or, at least, you love to hate them. The villain is a Bachelor franchise staple, and for good reason. What’s a season of The Bachelor(ette), after all, without someone who might not be there for the right reasons? (Answer: not a very interesting one.)
But what happens once the cameras stop rolling? After they give their final tearful/angry/bleeped-out interview and take that limo ride back to the airport? How does a Bachelor villain re-assimilate to the real world? And where are our favorite villains now? Most importantly: Do villains still gotta vill?
We did the research so you didn’t have to (you’re welcome), and caught up on the current lives of some of Bachelor Nation’s most controversial contestants in the only way that felt right: a deep dive into social media. So sit back, relax, and check back in to see how a couple of our favorite villains are faring in the gallery above!
