The 34 Most Controversial 'Bachelor' and 'Bachelorette' Contestants of All Time

Jesse Palmer ('The Bachelor' Season 5)

Every time I watch The Bachelor, I’m amazed at how they learn the contestants’ names so damn fast (shout out to the producers, who I’m sure quiz the bachelors and bachelorettes like crazy). That’s why I kinda feel for Jesse Palmer—the New York Giants quarterback who searched for love on season five. During his first rose ceremony, Jesse called the name Katie, when he meant to say Karen (which, like, classic.). “I’m very embarrassed to tell you this, Katie, I accidentally called out the wrong name giving that last rose,” he said as he literally asked for the rose back. Yikes!

Brad Womack ('The Bachelor' Seasons 11 & 15)

It's hard to forget Brad Womack, considering he was the bachelor not once, but twice. In his debut season in 2007, Womack became the first bachelor in the history of the franchise to reject all of his contestants. Even though Brad narrowed the search down to two finalists, he decided he couldn't rightfully propose to either (which, might I add, is probably the most sane thing a person has ever done on this show). Four years later, Brad was named the bachelor of season 15. And, although he did propose to Emily Maynard in the series finale this time, the couple split before making it down the aisle.

Jason Mesnick ('The Bachelor' Season 13)

Ah, before there was Arie Luyendyk Jr. (more on him later, of course), there was good ol' Jason Mesnick. After proposing to Melissa Rycroft in the 2009 series finale, Jason decided he'd made a mistake. During the couple’s After the Finale Rose special, Jason broke up with his fiancée right then and there—and reunited with his runner-up, Molly Malaney. As cringe-worthy as it was, Jason and Molly are now happily married, raising their own daughter and his son from a previous relationship.

Wes Hayden ('The Bachelorette' Season 5)

Wes Hayden's journey on The Bachelorette season 5 was—to put it nicely—bumpy. While competing for bachelorette Jillian Harris, Wes was accused of not only going on the show to promote his band (yes, his band), but he also let it slip that he had a girlfriend back home. After Jillian sent him packing, Wes said the franchise totally villainized him. "I've got tattoos, spiky hair, and I'm a musician. I think I was picked to be the guy people love to hate," he claimed.

Bentley Williams ('The Bachelorette' Season 6)

You can't talk about bad exes without mentioning this guy. On the sixth season of the show, contestant Bentley Williams was so pissed that Ashley Herbert was the bachelorette—he really wanted to meet Emily Maynard—that he decided to string her along just for the fun of it. Wasting Ashley's time for the three weeks he was on the show wasn't enough, though; he flew back to Hong Kong see the bachelorette (and waste more of her time) even after saying he'd rather "swim in pee" than be in a relationship with her.

Rozlyn Papa ('The Bachelor' Season 14)

Rozyln Papa's exit from The Bachelor season 14 was highly uncomfortable to watch. While competing for the love of bachelor Jake Pavelka, Rozlyn was accused of engaging in an "inappropriate relationship" with one of the show's producers. You can watch the whole confrontation between Rozyln and host Chris Harrison play out here.

Vienna Girardi ('The Bachelor' Season 14)

Sure, season 14 ended on a seemingly happy note when Jake Pavelka popped the question to Vienna Girardi—but after a quick three months, the couple called it quits. During a tell-all interview with Chris Harrison, Jake and Vienna hashed out the details of their breakup to the viewers' pure discomfort. Between the yelling and the verbal sparring, Giardi and Pavelka rightfully earned their spots amongst the franchise's most controversial contestants.

Justin Rego ('The Bachelorette' Season 6)

Justin "R Rated" Rego was the bonafide villain of The Bachelorette season 6. After promising bachelorette Ali Fedotowsky he was there for the right reasons, Ali discovered that Justin had a girlfriend at home in Canada and immediately sent him packing.

Courtney Robertson ('The Bachelor' Season 16)

Bachelor Ben Flajnik proposed to the villain of his season—Courtney Robertson—and fans were not happy about it. When Courtney arrived to the After the Final Rose special, the audience let out loud boos. "When you bring someone out, you assume there'll be the obligatory applause. There was more a smattering of boos than applause so it was really awkward," Chris Harrison said of the episode. Following her split from Ben, Courtney came out with an appropriately titled book, I Didn’t Come Here to Make Friends: Confessions of a Reality Show Villain.

Juan Pablo Galavis ('The Bachelor' Season 18)

This. Fucking. Guy. Juan Pablo Galavis's season of The Bachelor was super, duper problematic. Sure, he started off strong—he's a hot single dad, for crying out loud!—but things quickly went downhill. In sum: He made some really disappointing comments about sexuality, caused contestants to cry, was incredibly rude to his runner-up, and wouldn't put a ring on his final contestant (or use the word "love"). Bye.

Chris Soules ('The Bachelor' Season 19)

Interestingly enough, Chris Soules' controversy came after his season aired. In April 2017, Chris was arrested for fleeing a deadly car accident in Iowa. In November 2018, Soules plead guilty to the charge of leaving the scene of an accident resulting in serious injury and faces up to two years in prison. The Bachelor alum is due in court for sentencing in  late May.

Kelsey Poe ('The Bachelor' Season 19)

Kelsey Poe initially felt like the front-runner of season 19, but things quickly flipped when she opened up to Chris Soules about her late husband. As she told Chris about her husband's death, she exclaimed, "Isn’t it amazing? Tragic, but amazing. I love my story!" Needless to say, fans were taken aback by her unusual behavior.

Ben Higgins ('The Bachelor' Season 20)

Although he spent much of season 20 being the dorky-but-hunky bachelor of my (and definitely your) dreams, things got a little dicey when he said "I love you" to two of his final three women. "I didn't know there were rules to this," Ben confessed after the Women Tell All episode.

Olivia Caridi ('The Bachelor' Season 20)

Olivia, Olivia, Olivia. Despite winning Ben Higgins' first impression rose, her blatant feuds with the women of the house ultimately led to her demise. Her highlight of the season? Olivia told fellow competitor Amanda Stanton that her life was like an episode of Teen Mom. Cue The Bachelor's iconic villain music.

Chad Johnson ('The Bachelorette' Season 12)

It was genuinely impossible to ignore Chad Johnson on The Bachelorette season 12. While competing for the affection of JoJo Fletcher, Johnson became known for his outrageous verbal threats (most of which stemmed from his beef with castmate Evan Bass, which even got physical at one point). Here's his best line of the season: "I'm gonna cut everyone here's legs off and arms off and there's gonna be torsos and I'm going to throw them in the pool and then I'm gonna fuck up this entire damn thing." Poetic!

Nick Viall ('The Bachelor' Season 21)

Honestly, the fact that Nick Viall has appeared on four seasons of The Bachelor franchise is enough to make him controversial (to wit: he was the runner-up on both Andi Dorfman's and Kaitlyn Bristowe’s seasons of The Bachelorette and appeared on Bachelor in Paradise before becoming The Bachelor in 2017). But, Nick's shadiest move was definitely blasting Andi on After the Final Rose. “If you weren’t in love with me, I’m just not sure why you made love with me,”  he said on national TV. Not cool, dude.

Corinne Olympios ('The Bachelor' Season 21)

As much as I wanted to hate Corinne Olympios, the breakout star of Nick Viall's season of The Bachelor, she was too damn entertaining to dislike. In addition to having a penchant for "cheese pasta" and power naps (she literally left rose ceremonies because she was too tired), Corinne made it known that she—a living, breathing 24-year-old woman—has a nanny. "She's kind of like my everything," Corinne says. But Corinne's controversy definitely peaked during her time on Bachelor in Paradise (more on that, next).

DeMario Jackson ('The Bachelorette' Season 13)

Shit got awkward for front-runner DeMario Jackson when a woman claiming to be his girlfriend decided to have a little chat with bachelorette Rachel Lindsay. Although he denied the woman's claims, some super telling receipts proved otherwise. After Rachel eliminated him, DeMario had a very brief stint on Bachelor in Paradise season 4—which unfortunately ended in an even bigger scandal involving him and Corrine Olympios. After the two drunkenly hooked up on set, accusations of sexual misconduct caused the entire production to be (momentarily) halted. DeMario and Corinne have since cleared their names.

Peter Kraus ('The Bachelorette' Season 13)

Years after the final rose ceremony of season 13 of The Bachelorette, hearts are still broken over the breakup between Rachel Lindsay and Peter Kraus, a.k.a. the best looking man to ever grace the franchise (we're not debating this). From the start, Rachel and Peter's chemistry was undeniable, and fans were sure that what they had was built to last. But towards the end of the journey, Peter's nerves about popping the big question created a strain in his relationship with Rachel, and everything came to a screeching halt during their emotional overnight date. Tears were shed, "I love you" was exchanged, and eyelashes were tossed to the ground in what was without a doubt  the most devastating breakup in the show's history. Peter's decision not to propose still haunts us to this day. Brb, crying.

Lee Garrett ('The Bachelorette' Season 13)

While competing for Rachel Lindsay's affection on The Bachelorette season 13, it was discovered that Lee Garrett had a nasty Twitter presence (think: racist, sexist, and homophobic Tweets). When confronted by his castmates at the Men Tell All, Lee responded, "I’m facetious. I make jokes when I’m uncomfortable in inappropriate times. It doesn't always come off right, and I definitely learned that about myself." Eh, apology not accepted.

Dean Unglert ('The Bachelorette' Season 13)

Dean Unglert (a.k.a. Deanie Babies) was the baby-faced cutie of The Bachelorette season 13, but the tables turned after his stint on Bachelor in Paradise season 4. Dean juggled (and, ahem, manipulated) two women throughout the course of the show, promptly becoming a certified fuck boy.

Eric Bigger ('The Bachelor' Season 14)

Eric Bigger was another contestant from Rachel Lindsay's season of The Bachelorette who won over the hearts of women across America with his perfect smile and incredible revenge-beard. However, Bachelor Nation's admiration for him quickly turned to disappointment when Eric arrived to season 5 of Paradise; his shady, fuck boy–lite behavior with both Angela Amezcua and Cassandra Ferguson while in Mexico definitely made audiences look at him differently.

Arie Luyendyk Jr. ('The Bachelor' Season 22)

Where does one even begin to describe the train wreck that is Arie Luyendyk Jr.? Not only did Arie change his mind after popping the question to Becca Kufrin in the season finale, but he chose to film their breakup in real time. Better yet, he openly broke off his engagement with Kufrin to pursue his runner up, Lauren Burnham. Moments after Becca's teary-eyed interview on After the Final Rose, Arie got down on one knee for Lauren. You can't make this shit up!

Chris Randone ('The Bachelorette' Season 14)

Watching the downfall of Chris Randone on The Bachelorette season 14 was honestly kind of sad. After forming a fairly solid connection with bachelorette Becca Kufrin, Chris got totally in his head and made some enemies in the house. Suffice it to say, Becca didn't even need a rose ceremony to kick Chris to the curb (and he refused to let her walk him out—yikes!).

Colton Underwood ('The Bachelorette' Season 14)

Colton Underwood—he who is literally dumb hot—was accused of being ~shady~ after it was revealed that he had a brief fling with Tia Booth (The Bachelor, season 22) before joining the ranks of men fighting for bachelorette Becca Kunfrin's heart. Considering Tia was the rumored Bachelorette before Becca was announced, the timing is definitely iffy (like, he was maybe, probably trying to play his cards right with the future Bachelorette). 

Colton went on to become the bachelor on the 23rd season of the show where he was also...problematic; he skipped out on 2/3 fantasy suite dates to chase down Cassie Randolph (by jumping a fence, mind you) even after she rejected him. The result? An engagement-less final rose ceremony.

Garrett Yrigoyen ('The Bachelorette' Season 14)

Front-runner (and eventual winner) of The Bachelorette season 14, Garrett reportedly liked a slew of controversial Instagram photos, including content that mocked liberal women, trans people, and undocumented immigrants. Garett has since apologized, deleting his old account and starting anew. "I am sorry to those who I offended, and I also take full responsibility for my ‘likes’ on Instagram that were hurtful and offensive," he wrote.

Lincoln Adim ('The Bachelorette' Season 14)

As season 14 of The Bachelorette aired, it was revealed that Lincoln Adim had been convicted of indecent assault and battery. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Adim groped and assaulted a woman on a harbor cruise ship in Boston. Despite claims of background checks, Warner Bros. (ABC's parent company) issued the following apology in June 2018: "No one on The Bachelorette production had any knowledge about the incident or charges when Lincoln Adim was cast, and he himself denied ever having engaged in or been charged with any sexual misconduct."

Leo Dottavio ('The Bachelorette' Season 14)

When Leo Dottavio stepped onto the Bachelor in Paradise season 5 scene after his run on Becca Kunfrin's season of The Bachelorette, it was obvious to all that he was ridiculously hot. It soon became evident that Leo had a temper to match. His time in paradise was marked by yelling and cursing, as well as an almost-brawl with Bachelor Nation's official sweetheart who deserves the world, Joe the Grocer Amabile. But the bad blood didn't end in Mexico; Leo declared war on various Bachelor contestants who were less-than enthused by his behavior on the show, including Bekah Martinez and Tanner Tolbert. He was later accused of sexual harassment by former co-workers, but dismissed the accusations in a non-apology that ended with "Love to my fans, love to my haters." He's canceled.

Demi Burnett ('The Bachelor' Season 23)

With her quick tongue and sharp clapbacks, Demi Burnett quickly became what many considered the villain of Colton Underwood's season of The Bachelor. To the chagrin of her fellow contestants, Demi pursued Colton aggressively, stopping at nothing to ensure that she would have the necessary alone time with him. Her personality and mean remarks (including ageism—yikes) rubbed a number of the women the wrong way, and she ended up in a particularly serious beef with Courtney Curtis. That tension exploded at the Women Tell All special when Courtney, still hurting over being called the "cancer" of the house, hurled a pacifier in Demi's face.

Caelynn Miller-Keyes ('The Bachelor' Season 23)

For much of the 23rd season of The Bachelor, viewers were convinced that pageant queen Caelynn Miller-Keyes had secured a special place in Colton's heart because of their obvious connection. However, a few whispers in the mansion about Caelynn not being on the show for the right reasons confused Colton, resulting in him ultimately sending her packing right after the hometown dates. When all of season 23's contestants gathered for the Women Tell All special, Caelynn's ulterior motives were put on blast by her accusers, who claimed that she'd bragged about sliding into former contestant (and friend of Colton's) Dean Unglert's DMs. Very, very messy.

Luke Parker (Season 15 of 'The Bachelorette')

Forget everyone else on this list. If you look up the word "controversial," you'll definitely find a picture of this guy there. Luke P. dominated Hannah Brown's season of The Bachelorette, to the ire of his fellow contestants. Between his physical aggression, arrogance, and slut-shaming, Hannah really had no choice but to kick Luke P. to the curb—twice.

Jed Wyatt (Season 15 of 'The Bachelorette")

After having to put up with Luke P.'s antics all season, fans were nothing short of relieved when Hannah ended up with Jed Wyatt. The couple bonded over the shared southern roots, with Jed hailing from the country musical capital of the world, Nashville, Tennessee. However, their love story was cut short when it was revealed that Jed had only signed up for the show to drum up publicity for his music career. And, what's worse, as of the day he left, whom he told he loved. A few weeks later, Hannah broke off their engagement and told the world on ATFR that the two are no longer together.

Blake Horstmann (Season 14 of 'The Bachelorette')

No one expected Becca Kufrin to turn down Blake Horstmann's proposal, but even more surprising was Blake's transformation into THE villain of the sixth season of Bachelor in Paradise. His numerous rendezvous with Bachelor Nation alums when the cameras weren't rolling came back to haunt him upon arriving in Mexico, sending Blake into a minor tailspin and leaving him in (probably fake) tears.

Hannah Godwin (Season 23 of 'The Bachelor')

Like Blake, Hannah Godwin's reputation from her season of The Bachelor was spotless, but the drama of Bachelor in Paradise may leave a stain. The gorgeous blonde turned more than her fair share of heads when she got to Mexico, but she immediately established a connection with cutie Dylan Barbour, who really (really) likes her. However, Hannah engages in a little flirtation with Wills and then Blake, the bad boy of Paradise, breaking poor Dylan's pure heart and inciting the fury of Bachelor Nation.