Is Colton Underwood Engaged After 'The Bachelor' Finale?

You're going to want to sit down. (Spoilers ahead.)

Event, Audience, Suit, Performance, Conversation,
(Image credit: Eric McCandless)

The Bachelor season 23 had a bunch of firsts. First virgin Bachelor. First fence jump. But apparently the finale, and the episodes leading up to it, has another first in store for all, and it all comes down to the mega-important question we've all been wondering: Is Colton Underwood engaged (and if so, to whom)? Warning: Major spoilers ahead.

So, the short answer is...probably not. According to Reality Steve, who is the expert on all thing Bachelor spoilers, Colton picked Cassie Randolph, and they're together, but they are not engaged. Based on what we saw of previous episodes, Cassie started to balk at the idea of saying yes to an engagement so early in to their relationship. (Note: Reality Steve is not always correct. But...he is right a lot of the time.)

If you'll remember waaaaaay back to their first one-on-one, Cassie told Colton that the fact that she isn't a virgin might not sit well with some of her conservative friends and family once she goes back home. We also now know that Cassie even starred on a conservative Christian reality show Young Once. In the hometown dates where Colton met her family, he didn't get the "blessing" he wanted from Cassie's dad, and Cassie pointedly didn't tell Colton she loved him.

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(Image credit: Getty Images)

Reality Steve had originally posted that Cassie was the one that Colton picked, but that it happened in a very interesting way that was a first for the the show: After the overnight dates with Cassie and Tayshia, Colton decided he wanted to get engaged to Cassie and sent Tayshia and Hannah G. home (so, no final three rose ceremony). But then he got some more information on exactly what went down, and it's a WHOLE POT of dramatic tea.

Update: The fence jump hath happened! Read our full recap of last night's episode below.

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So after the overnight date with Tayshia, I guess Cassie got cold feet, told Colton she wasn't ready to be engaged (I believe before their overnight date even happened), and essentially just quit the show. Cue: fence jump, and Colton freaking out. So, then Colton sent home both Tayshia and Hannah G. and also essentially quit the show without selecting a bachelorette or getting engaged to anyone. No final three rose ceremony, no final rose ceremony, no engagement, no final decision. OMG.

Then, Colton went to Cassie, and The Bachelor shot some footage that shows, apparently, Colton telling her he wants to be with her. He's okay with not getting engaged so soon, and they decide they would be fine just having a normal, non-show-based relationship. So: Colton "picked" Cassie, but as of this writing (and potentially after a few months of having a secret post-show relationship) they're still not engaged.

Soooooo WOW. That is quite a dramatic ending—turns out that fence-jump wasn't overblown after all. I can't WAIT for After the Final Rose. Give me all the deets, people.

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Katherine J. Igoe
Contributing Editor

Katherine’s a contributing syndications editor at Marie Claire who covers fashion, culture, and lifestyle. In her role, she writes stories that are syndicated by MSN and other outlets. She’s been a full-time freelancer for over a decade and has had roles with Cosmopolitan (where she covered lifestyle, culture, and fashion SEO content) and Bustle (where she was their movies and culture writer). She has bylines in New York TimesParentsInStyle, Refinery29, and elsewhere. Her work has also been syndicated by ELLEHarper’s BazaarSeventeenGood Housekeeping, and Women’s Health, among others. In addition to her stories reaching millions of readers, content she's written and edited has qualified for a Bell Ringer Award and received a Communicator Award. 

Katherine has a BA in English and art history from the University of Notre Dame and an MA in art business from the Sotheby's Institute of Art (with a focus on marketing/communications). She covers a wide breadth of topics: she's written about how to find the very best petite jeanshow sustainable travel has found its footing on Instagram, and what it's like to be a professional advice-giver in the modern world. Her personal essays have run the gamut from learning to dress as a queer woman to navigating food allergies as a mom. She also has deep knowledge of SEO/EATT, affiliate revenue, commerce, and social media; she regularly edits the work of other writers. She speaks at writing-related events and podcasts about freelancing and journalism, mentors students and other new writers, and consults on coursework. Currently, Katherine lives in Boston with her husband and two kids, and you can follow her on Instagram. If you're wondering about her last name, it’s “I go to dinner,” not “Her huge ego,” but she responds to both.