Lea Cayanan is one of the 32 women who will compete for Joey Graziadei’s heart on season 28 of The Bachelor, which premieres on January 22, 2024.

Who Is Lea Cayanan?

Lea works as an operator territory manager for Pepsico in Los Angeles, California, according to her LinkedIn profile. She received a Bachelor of Business Administration in 2022, and will receive her Masters from the University of Arizona in May 2024.

Fans first met Lea during Charity Lawson’s finale of The Bachelorette. During the After the Final Rose special, host Jesse Palmer introduced Lea to Joey and the audience, and he gave the Hawaii native a chance to talk to the upcoming Bachelor star.

“I’m honestly really excited … I think you carried yourself with such grace,” Lea told Joey on stage.

Jesse also asked Joey about his first impression of Lea, to which the tennis pro replied, “Obviously beautiful. But just the fact that you can be here with so much poise says a lot…I’m excited.”

Lea is from Hawaii, which is where Joey was living before he left to film The Bachelorette in 2023. However, she relocated to Los Angeles after growing up in Oahu.

What Is Lea Cayanan’s Secret Letter on ‘The Bachelor’?

In a surprising twist, Jesse gave Lea a letter with instructions to not open it until she arrived at the mansion during the first night of filming.

“It’s not a date card. However, it is absolutely going to help you on your journey,” Jesse said. “And it will absolutely change everything.”

In a preview for the season 28 premiere, Lea admitted that it was “driving [her] crazy” to have the unopened card in her possession. “Everyone’s been, like, speculating and guessing what it could be,” she said. “I’m just, like, anxious to open it and see what it is. I’m really nervous. I definitely think it could be a little bit of a target on my back.”

who is lea cayanan the bachelor season 28
lea.cayanan/Instagram

While fans have to wait to see for themselves what the letter contained, Reality Steve revealed some spoilers about the situation.

The blogger announced in October 2023 that the letter reportedly gave Lea the opportunity to steal someone’s one-on-one date at any point throughout the season. However, Lea allegedly wasn’t too fond of the offer and ended up tossing the letter in the fire.

“She said she felt like she wanted to be chosen by Joey for a 1-on-1 and not have to steal one from someone else,” Reality Steve shared in a November 2023 blog post.

What Do Spoilers Suggest for Lea During Joey’s Season of ‘The Bachelor’?

Lea’s decision to not take the offer to steal someone’s one-on-one date didn’t go unnoticed by Joey. Instead, Joey reportedly respected her decision so much that he gave her the first impression rose.

However, Lea supposedly didn’t go on any one-on-one dates with Joey during her time on The Bachelor, and she was one of two women who didn’t get a date at all in week 2. She got to go on several group dates with Joey, including a talent show, a date that involved writing a poem and a scavenger hunt in Montreal.

Joey sends Lea home in week 6, according to Reality Steve.