Most fans of the Bachelor franchise know that the reality dating show doesn't typically
end with wedding bells for its contestants, even though that's the aim. Join us as we
explore which Bachelor in Paradise couples have called it quits after finding love on
the show.
There's no Bachelor Nation without Chris Bukowski. He's been on The Bachelorette, Bachelor Pad,
and three seasons of Bachelor in Paradise. And it looked like the third time was the
charm, because Chris met Katie Morton. The two attracted each other's attention early
on, and Chris proposed to Katie during the season finale. However, it wasn't meant to
be, because just four months later the two had ended their engagement. In a statement
released via Instagram, the couple explained,
"We've reached a point in our story where we agree it's best to go our separate ways.
We have chosen to love and respect each other as friends because that's the base of our
relationship, and it's what is most natural for us."
Katie has since moved on and has been dating soccer player James Rowe.
"Grocery store Joe," real name Joe Amabile was a fan favorite. The Chicago native was
briefly on Becca Kufrin's season of The Bachelorette, but ended up going home on night one. So when
he found love with the lovely Kendall Long during Bachelor in Paradise, it seemed like
every fan of the show let out a collective sigh of relief. After all, the two seemed
pretty perfect for each other.
But sadly, it wasn't meant to be for Kendall and Joe. They announced their shocking split,
made even more surprising given that they'd just moved in together and were getting a
dog. During an episode of her podcast, Down to Date, Kendall said that she absolutely
didn't see the breakup coming. She explained,
"I thought Joe and I were going to literally be married [...] If anyone knows me, I'm not
the person that plans my wedding and I was literally doing that with Joe."
Unfortunately, it just wasn't meant to be.
Bachelor in Paradise's poster couple, Carly Waddell and Evan Bass, split up after being
married for three years and literally no one in Bachelor Nation saw it coming. The two
seemed to have a fairytale story, after meeting on the show, getting married, and having two
children together. But clearly, that was not the case. According to People, Evan told Carly
that he wanted to get divorced, and even though they'd been going to therapy to try to work
out their problems, their efforts didn't save their marriage. In a video on YouTube thereafter,
Carly talked about the split and explained,
"We tried for a really long time to make it work [...] I always told him that if he wanted
out then it was his call because I'm just a person that would never be out."
"What are you gonna do, you know? If somebody doesn't want to be with you, they don't want
to be with you."
Chris Randone and Krystal Nielson were both painted as villains on The Bachelor and The
Bachelorette, respectively, so it wasn't altogether surprising when they fell into each other's
arms during Bachelor in Paradise. Chris and Krystal got married in August 2019, and their
wedding aired on ABC. It seemed like the dream scenario, but unfortunately, things went downhill.
In February 2020, Krystal announced on her Instagram,
"We knew that taking a 'conscious separation' would be difficult to explain to all of our
supporters, friends and fans [...] but we care so deeply about one another that we were
willing to take the risk, as WE feel that this is the right move for US."
During the split, Chris went to Florida, while Krystal stayed in California. In November
2020, Krystal revealed that she was expecting a baby with her boyfriend, Miles Bowles. Chris
reacted to the news in an Instagram Story and wrote,
"Icing on the cake for feeling truly broken. But I know in my heart I'm gonna find a super
dope woman and have the most beautiful babies a dad could ask for. So I'll continue to follow
my heart and let God guide my path in finding an incredible woman to build and grow with."
"This journey is not just about finding love, it's also about finding more about yourself."
Krystal welcomed her baby in April 2021.
Demi Burnett and Kristian Haggerty made history within the Bachelor franchise as the first
same-sex couple. Demi went on Bachelor in Paradise even though she had a connection
with Kristian, an outsider who'd never appeared on the show. After a brief fling with Derek
Peth, Demi got back together with Kristian, who'd flown to paradise specifically to reignite
their relationship. The two got engaged at the end of the season, and they seemed so
in love. However, it really wasn't built to last. While appearing on the podcast Almost
Famous, Demi revealed,
"I wasn't in it, and she was so in it. She was so good to me and that would make me feel
guilty 'cause I was like, 'I'm not feeling the same anymore and I feel bad that I don't
feel the same anymore because I made a commitment to you. I feel like a garbage human being.'"
Sadly, it wasn't meant to be.
It seemed like Taylor Nolan and Derek Peth were meant to be. She was the contestant who
coined the term "emotional intelligence," and he was the guy next door type who was
easy to get along with. So it really didn't come as a shock when Derek popped the question
in front of the live studio audience during the finale of Bachelor in Paradise.
But alas, another relationship bit the dust, and Taylor and Derek called it quits in 2018.
During an appearance on The Morning Toast in July 2018, Derek explained,
"It was very stressful at the end [...] I continue to process [the breakup] all the
time."
Tayshia Adams and John Paul Jones seemed like an odd pairing from the start. She was one
of the most sophisticated women on Bachelor in Paradise, and he was the human embodiment
of a golden retriever. But they hit it off, and spent a lot of their time together. Tayshia
ended things with JPJ as their run on Paradise came to a close, but during the finale, she
revealed that she had second thoughts. The two revisited their relationship, but ultimately
broke up in October 2019. And it seems like everything happens for a reason, because given
the fact that Clare Crawley's season of The Bachelorette ended so quickly, Tayshia stepped
in and became the next Bachelorette.
Tayshia was hands down one of the best leads in franchise history, and ended up getting
engaged to the ever-charming Zac Clark. The two have been together ever since.
"I mean, to be honest, I think… everything was just kinda moving very quickly."
Marcus Grodd and Lacy Faddoul had a whirlwind romance on Bachelor in Paradise, but despite
their connection and their television-aired wedding, their marriage fell apart in what
seemed like seconds. Marcus and Lacy left paradise and he quickly departed for basic
training, as he was serving as a Marine. But when he came back three months later to reunite
with Lacy, the romance was over. Marcus revealed to Life & Style,
"I wanted to move in together but she recommended that I find my own place [...] It feels like
she's a runaway bride. We had this fantastic relationship, and then it totally vanished.
It was like she ran away."
To make matters worse, it turns out that Marcus and Lacy's wedding wasn't a legally binding
ceremony, as Marcus told the publication,
"When we came back, we were supposed to start the paperwork. But she stalled [...] I feel
duped."
Now we've explored all of Bachelor in Paradise's failed relationships, let's take a look at
some of the show's success stories.
Raven Gates was a beloved fan favorite during Nick Viall's season of The Bachelor, and it
really didn't come as a shock when she made her way down the steps to the Bachelor in
Paradise beach. Gates stole the heart of Adam Gottschalk, a favorite from Rachel Lindsay's
season of The Bachelorette, and the two really did hit it off. Adam didn't propose to Raven
during their Paradise season, but waited until May 2019 to pop the question.
The duo quickly started planning their wedding, but they had to postpone time and time again
due to the coronavirus pandemic. On April 16, 2021, the two finally tied the knot, and
they continue to be endlessly adorable together.
If there's one couple that just screams Bachelor in Paradise success story, it's Jade Roper
and Tanner Tolbert. The pair met during the 2015 season of Bachelor in Paradise and got
married in 2016. Since then, they've been pretty busy growing their family.
As of summer 2021, Jade and Tanner have three kids: daughter Emerson, who goes by Emmy,
and two sons, Brooks and Reed. And to keep Bachelor Nation on its toes, Jade revealed
that she and Tanner haven't closed the door on the possibility of baby number four quite
yet. Jade told People in March 2021,
"Four would be a great number. They'd have the buddy system! There's just something special
about the mother-child bond and I just love it."
Kevin Wendt and Astrid Loch are, without question, an underrated Bachelor in Paradise couple.
The duo didn't get engaged on the show, but they reconciled after the series ended, and
Kevin popped the question later on in their relationship. Although the couple's wedding
plans were put on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic, they announced in May 2021 that
they were expecting a baby together. Of the happy news, Kevin told People,
"Since the wedding would keep getting pushed off, we thought 'Okay, well, I don't want
to wait five years to have a baby. Let's just try to have one before the wedding.'"
Not a lot of women have the tenacity of Ashley Iaconetti, because even though her relationship
with Jared Haibon had its fair share of ups and down, she just knew that he was her person.
Ashley and Jared met during the second season of Bachelor in Paradise, and although Ashley
knew in an instant that Jared was the one, he wasn't on the same page. They didn't leave
the beach together, and even made it back to Paradise for Season 3, and again didn't
leave together. These two were the definition of an on-again, off-again relationship.
To the relief of Bachelor Nation, Ashley and Jared finally announced that they were officially
together in May 2018. Jared even popped the question during Season 5 of Bachelor in Paradise,
and the two tied the knot in 2019.
Fan favorite Dylan Barbour went on Bachelor in Paradise with one person in mind, and that
was Hannah Godwin. However, it was excruciating to watch Hannah flip flop between Dylan and
Paradise's player Blake Hortsmann. Hannah and Blake had a previous connection before
filming started, so it certainly seemed like an uphill battle for Dylan. But Hannah eventually
chose Dylan over Blake. He popped the question at the end of the season, and the two got
engaged, and now live together.
A beauty queen and a self-proclaimed van guy might not seem to have a lot in common, but
it was truly meant to be for Dean Unglert and Caelynn Miller-Keyes. The two met on Bachelor
in Paradise in the summer of 2019, and despite a very rocky start that involved Dean leaving
the show, only to come back to win Caelynn over, the two have been going steady ever
since.
While the exact status of their relationship is a little unknown, Dean and Caelynn are
a true Paradise success story. According to Dean, it helps that he can be his true self
around Caelynn. Dean said on his podcast, Help! I Suck at Dating,
"I can be my dirtiest, grungiest self — doesn't matter. She still loves me and accepts me
and appreciates me for being that. I think that's the biggest thing."
Additionally, Dean said that he's been able to be completely honest with Caelynn about
his flaws, faults, and everything in between. Basically, these two are still going strong.
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