In It for the Wrong Reasons: ‘Bachelor’ and ‘Bachelorette’ Contestants Who Came on the Show in a Relationship

Wes Hayden

On Jillian Harris’ season of The Bachelorette, Wes Hayden was accused of coming on the show to promote his music while having a girlfriend at home.

“I’m the only guy in Bachelor history who’s made it to the top four with a girlfriend,” Wes said after he was eliminated. Afterward, he claimed that editing made everything look way more dramatic. “They can take whatever they want and just play what they want. It’s not rocket science. I promise you,” he told Buddy TV.

Rozlyn Papa

During Jake Pavelka’s season, Rozlyn Papa didn’t have someone at home — she actually had someone in the mansion! After it was revealed that she had an “inappropriate relationship” with a staffer, she was sent home. Viewers later learned that the producer, who ended up getting fired, had visited Rozlyn’s hometown with his father.

Frank Neuschaefer

Frank Neuschaefer revealed to Bachelorette Ali Fedotowsky that he was still in love with his ex-girlfriend Nicole in Chicago.

“There’s something that was holding me back, and basically, it was unresolved feelings for an ex-girlfriend,” he admitted. “Before I came to Tahiti, I went to Chicago to see Nicole. The second I saw her, all the old feelings kinda came rushing back. Ali, I’m sorry.”

Later on, Ali told Chris Harrison that Frank was the “biggest jerk I’ve ever known.”

Justin “Rated R” Rego

Poor Ali! The reality star found out Justin “Rated R” Rego had a girlfriend in Canada when the producers put her on the phone with his girlfriend, Jessica. As soon as Ali confronted Justin, he got up and ran away instead of defending himself.

“I was not in a relationship before I went on the show, and I am still single now,” he claimed on Facebook after the episode aired. “I went on the show to experience an opportunity with possibilities of meeting the love of my life.”

Casey Shteamer

Close call! Chris told Ben Flajnik that Casey Shteamer was involved with a man named Michael.

“From Michael’s perspective anyway, he said you guys are still in a relationship, and he said that you guys spend practically every day and night together,” the host shared.

“I was completely in love with him, and he told me from day one that he might not want to get married,” the contestant explained. “A year ago, I broke up with him and got back together because I still love him. Obviously, my perfect scenario would be to be in love with Ben.”

Kaitlyn Bristowe

Kaitlyn revealed that she was already in a relationship when she agreed to meet Chris and become a contestant on the ABC hit show in 2015. “I had a boyfriend when I went on The Bachelor!” the Spade and Sparrows founder confessed on an episode of the LadyGang on E! in 2019. “His name was Trevor. He was great!”

DeMario Jackson

DeMario Jackson was greeted by a lady who claimed to be his girlfriend during a group date on Rachel Lindsay’s season of The Bachelorette. The woman explained that their relationship was serious, and he had a key to her apartment. He denied it, but Rachel wasn’t having it and sent him home ASAP.

Tayshia Adams

Tayshia Adams was seemingly in a relationship with Chase Olswang — a runway model from Huntington Beach, California — right before Colton Underwood’s season premiered.

“I started calling her my girlfriend right off the bat,” Chase exclusively told Life & Style. The former couple began to see each other around November 2017. “We started hanging out right away and just realized we liked each other a lot. I guess you would call it a serious relationship.”

Things didn’t work out with Colton, and Tayshia went on to become the Bachelorette in 2020. She is now engaged to Zac Clark.

Scott Anderson

During night 1 of The Bachelorette, Scott Anderson was exposed for having a girlfriend back home, and Hannah Brown epically called him out once she heard the news.

“So, I know you were nervous coming in, and it could be because you have a girlfriend,” the Alabama native told Scott, who immediately denied it.

“She messaged me on Monday but that doesn’t mean like … Everything that I have said to you has been honest and real at this point,” he said. “I had no idea how this was going to go. Yes, I was dating a girl up until I got on the show, yes on Monday, I am sorry if that bothers you. Do I think this is long-term? No, I don’t.”

Jed Wyatt

Jed had been the frontrunner on Hannah’s season of The Bachelorette, but his ex-girlfriend Haley Stevens claimed that the two were dating before he left to be on the show.

“We spent the night together the night before he headed to L.A.,” she told People in June of their four-month relationship. “He told me [the show] was just an obstacle, and we’d be stronger on the other side because of it.” Hannah actually picked Jed as her winner, but they split before the ATFR special due to his lies.

Brendan Morais (and Pieper James)

Brendan Morais was called out for his pre-show romance with Pieper James by his fellow contestants during season 7 of Bachelor in Paradise. The former contestant from Tayshia’s season downplayed their relationship.

“Pieper and I, we’ve hung out. We spent some time together. We’ve communicated. We’ve enjoyed each other’s company. And that’s that … There’s no relationship,” he said at the time. However, the two reportedly continued hanging out after Paradise, so it seems there may have been *something* there.

Erich Schwer 

The Bachelorette’s Erich Schwer found himself in some hot water during Gabby Windey’s season when his former girlfriend Amanda Taylor leaked alleged text messages between her and him. In the alleged messages from Erich, which were first shared by Instagram page @Bachelornation.Scoop, included the contestant claiming he was “sad” about their breakup to go on the show.

Another alleged text from Erich also revealed he sent her flowers and wrote to her, “I hate to play with your emotions, I just went home for a while, and I couldn’t stop thinking about you. I wanted to send you flowers to maybe make you smile.”

Not only that, but Erich also allegedly texted Amanda he “won’t ever forgive” himself for what he did to her.

Amanda claimed during a phone call with Reality Steve that Erich wanted to stay in a relationship while he went to compete on the show, but she decided t send their relationship, according to the blogger’s September 16, 2022, podcast episode.