The Bachelor Is Embroiled in Scandal, Even Before Colton Underwood’s Premiere

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Get those Champagne bottles into the fridge soon, Bachelor fans, because Colton Underwood’s premiere is fast approaching. On Monday, Season 23 (23!) will kick off with a supersize three-hour premiere—but the gossip and controversies have already come in piping hot. Though the season hasn’t even officially begun, it’s already been embroiled in controversy: a social-media scandal, an infamous fence jump, and at least one contestant who is certifiably bizarre. (Meaning, she fakes an Aussie accent—although it’s unclear how long the ruse lasts before it falls apart like a wilted rose.) Could this be the season that turns an ailing franchise around? Past precedent says “probably not”—but at the very least, the usual Bachelor spectacle seems to be alive and well.

This year’s contestants look pretty run-of-the-mill: clear-skinned, twinkly-eyed women who would qualify to star in a teeth-whitening commercial. There are two pageant stars in the mix this season, as well as a woman who claims to have never been kissed, and a girl simply described as “Sloth.” Also, yes, one of them—Californian model Brianna—fakes an Aussie accent on the competition’s first night in an attempt to stand out from the crowd. You have to admire her pluck; as of now, we’re rooting for her.


But those shenanigans aside, further controversy is also brewing: once again, this season, a contestant’s social-media history has gotten her into trouble. A pack of Redditors tracked down offensive tweets written by contestant Tracy Shapoff, whose posts included fat-shaming remarks and use of the r-word. Most oddly, in one of her posts, Shapoff also bashed reality shows like The Bachelor. Shapoff has already issued a mea culpa for her words, writing on Instagram, “I want to start by expressing my sincerest apologizes for the extremely hurtful words that I said many years ago. I’m so sorry for those who I have offended. I am beyond mortified that I ever had those thoughts and then proceeded to express them. By no means does this reflect the person who I am today. To the people who do not know me, I am a loving, kind, thoughtful, generous, and compassionate woman. I am not mean-hearted or hurtful.”

Colton responded to the news by saying, “I don’t believe in whatever Tracy liked and tweeted at the time. [But] I think that’s a growing thing. . . . As the Bachelor, it’s a good opportunity for me to get to really know these women and form my own opinions of them without really seeing that. That is a gift and a curse at times.”

Social-media scandals have become a recurring issue for the franchise, as contestants including Lee Garrett and last season’s Bachelorette winner, Garrett Yrigoyen, were found to have written or “liked” bigoted posts on social media. Longtime franchise host Chris Harrison told The Hollywood Reporter that the series has taken measures to shore up its background-check process—especially after it turned out that one of Becca Kufrin’s Bachelorette contestants had previously been convicted of assault and battery. When speaking about the difficult task of trying to vet everyone’s social-media history, Harrison said, “We’re evolving and changing and doing the best you can. But there will be things that come up. You hate to be reactive; you’d love to be proactive. But you can only be so proactive. Stuff is going to happen, so you just do the best you can with the information you have at the time.”

The bigger problem for this season, though, might be Colton himself. It’s no secret that the decision to select him as Bachelor was controversial: some fans share the classic concern that Colton’s not involved in the series “for the right reasons.” He’s dated a famous woman, Aly Raisman, before, and his fickle conduct on both The Bachelorette and Bachelor in Paradise painted the picture of a guy who, if not calculating, at the very least seems unsure about what he really wants.


And we should also mention the whole virgin thing, right? In case you haven’t heard, Colton is one. This fact is already a very big deal this season, as it has been throughout Colton’s time with the franchise. But while this season’s marketing has leaned heavily on mentions of Colton’s virginity, Harrison has promised that the subject won’t be beaten to death on the actual show. “It is a story line but it’s one of many,” Harrison said. “It doesn’t define Colton. It’s not, ‘Hey, Colton virgin.’ This is Colton the Bachelor who is a good man, who is sincere and looking for the love of his life.” Sure, Chris. Whatever you say.

In his own interview with T.H.R., Colton banged the same drum, so to speak: “I think people are going to have a better understanding not only of who I am, but the whole picture in regards to my virginity,” he said. And by the way—that wacky fence-jump in a promo clip from last year, in which a clearly overwhelmed Bachelor hurled himself over a tall barrier during what seemed like a bout of sheer anxiety? Colton confirmed that moment occurred during Fantasy Suite week. “The jump was the most emotional and the most physical that I had to be the entire season,” Underwood said. “I will also say that fence jump is the most pivotal moment. That was a game changer. That night changed how everything went.”

“I will say this also,” Colton said. “I pushed the production of this show just as much as they pushed me and allowed me to grow as a human being. I gave them a run for their money—quite literally—and I think they made me a better person. I hope at the end of this they can think that I made them better as well.”

The season premiere is on Monday, so we’ll find out how true that is very soon.

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