Hi Steve,
I am a recent fan of yours and have been binging on your podcast and Olivia’s in recent months. They are my favorites because I love your interview styles. I appreciate the way you have also given women a platform to speak up about f**k boys and douchey men and advocated for them being able to share their stories without being shamed. Thanks. I’m doing what I can, but it’s certainly not easy for all of them.
I have been super fascinated by your Jed and Blake spoilers! It makes me cringe that people assume that Jed’s ex-girlfriend is fame and money hungry. Women have so much to lose and very little to gain when they come forward. I hate when they automaticcally get shamed and there is no way that Haley is as bad as Jed (I have read those words from folks online). I have a couple of questions about it for you…
1. Why do you think People magazine ran with the initial story from Jed’s ex-girlfriend when People usually seems super connected to The Bachelor in terms of being the go to source for diplomatic couple breakup statements and such? Do you think The Bachelor is trying to drive some sort of narrative through People magazine? Honestly, that’s a question to ask People. I don’t know. I know one thing, it got them huge attention. So always keep that in mind. Why does any entertainment site run any exclusive? Because it draws eyeballs, and that’s how they survive.
2. Do you think ABC already has a damage control narrative and is getting people to run with it? Lauren Zima interviewed Haley and was asking her if she would wish him well if he was honest with Hannah B. She also said on the podcast Bachelor Pad that she thought people were being too hard on Jed without knowing the full story and that he had already shown he could be honest with her by admitting he originally came for his music. I totally don’t buy this at all because he didn’t fess up when she said anyone could leave who had a girlfriend on night one and admitted the music thing with a line about it now being for Hannah. Although, Lauren did say Jed’s music is mediocre (she’s not wrong) which wasn’t totally pro-Jed. I was also disappointed to see Kaitlyn Bristowe saying that it should be understandable that Jed had a girlfriend because this is so common and you can’t predict feelings. Kaitlyn is a feminist and that doesn’t seem like a feminist stance to me. Ghosting, lying and manipulating women are not cool. Do you think Kaitlyn and Lauren are using the company line about this? Do you think ABC will add footage of Hannah forgiving Jed and they will try to salvage a love story out of this? I can’t answer for them. Lauren doing the interview just a day after going on Juliet’s “Bachelor Party” podcast and questioning Haley’s intentions sure was interesting. And yes, I saw her interview Haley on ET. Look, lets not be idiots about this. Lauren knows the ending. Lauren was in Greece with Chris Harrison. Chris Harrison is her boyfriend. 2 + 2 = 4 last time I checked. Lauren said some things that no doubt have me scratching my head.
3. Have you also heard stories about Jed being sleazy in Nashville after the show with women? Do you think ABC will be able to hide those stories from emerging into the mainstream? Right now they are all over Reddit.
Comment: I’ve heard stuff, yeah. But have I seen anything? No. That’s why I said last Tuesday everything is speculation at this point. And everyone I’ve talked to in regards to the Jed situation was all pre-show matters. I haven’t been told or seen any specifics post-show.
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Evening!
I’m gonna listen either way because I enjoy the podcast every Thursday, but it would be great to hear a podcast with just you talking through all the latest scandals. I enjoy all of the guests, but even one time to just hear you get into a flow like you do for the column would be great to hear if it fits your schedule. A few years back you used to have these little video podcast things? My phone was cheap, so it came up like a tiny one inch video- but I sure enjoyed those!
Comment: Thanks. I think the last time I did that was Colton’s spoilers, no? It’ll happen again at some point. I don’t know when, but it will. The video podcasts are a thing of the past. That became a hassle behind the scenes. There really isn’t a great format to do a live video stream where questions can be pre-screened. Sure I can do IG live or Periscope, but questions and comments are coming in at such a rapid pace, you miss so many of them.
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Hi Steve. This is my first time emailing you.
Just curious, when the whole house hates the villain, like Luke P., what would happen if all the other contestants decide the lead is, for the lack of a better word, dumb for not believing them and sending the villain home and they all walk out??
THAT would be the MOST DRAMATIC SEASON EVER!
Comment: It sure would. It also wouldn’t happen in a million years. Walk out and go where? How would they get home? Who would pick them up? They signed a contract to be on a TV show. They don’t make their own rules. They aren’t going anywhere.
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Hi Steve!
Love your columns! I check your site all the time. Thank you for what you do. I enjoy it.
Quick question. Without getting into the ethics of the situation too much, would Jed have been contractually obligated to ghost Haley? Would he have been able to discuss breaking up with her?
Thanks so much!
Comment: It’s a slippery slope, but the short answer is yes. Because they have had contact since she’s been back. So if he’s breaking a contract by talking with her, as short as it may be, then he’s already broken it. Each person handles each situation differently when it comes to this show. This is how Jed chose to handle his. I’ll say it again, if he was a single man, just like all guys do who come off the show single and were talking to/sleeping with someone beforehand, they all just pick up where they left off. Jed didn’t. You draw your own conclusions as to why.
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Hey Steve,
Do you think that the Jed scandal was actually covered up by ABC and the producers? Something this major is normally find out way early on. Or was it because the woman didn’t come forward until later? I’m wondering if it’s being covered up because if Hannah did pick Jed, and they wanted to make sure he had a good edit, and not a “has a GF the entire time he has been on the show”, since she sent Scott home night one and asked anyone else if they had a girlfriend to leave, and Jed didn’t speak up. If Jed is the winner, he would need a good edit and him telling Hannah about a girlfriend would have done some serious damage and been kicked off the show.
So it makes me wonder if they find out and did everything they could to cover it up. Jed had now disabled comments on his Instagram and gone silent, which makes him look even more guilty. Tyler G did the same thing right after his episode aired of him being forced to leave the mansion.
Thank you for all that you do by the way.
Comment: Well, Jed not speaking up after the Scott incident I don’t think says much at all because someone in his position never thought this would get out. As stupid as that logic was, that’s I’m sure what was going through his mind. Hell, I’m sure Scott never thought that would happen to him on night one. Guys who do this NEVER think they’re getting caught. Or else they wouldn’t do it. They all think they’re slick and can get away with it, or if they do get caught, they can talk their way out of it. Seen and heard it too many times.
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Hey Steve,
I think you’ve noticed the collective heart eyes a lot of the audience has for Tyler C these days, and I’ve also seen quite a few of these mailbag questions being about the possibility of him being the next bachelor, etc. I gotta say, I’m also pretty into him right now, but I’m trying to be cautious, since I can’t shake the feeling that we’ve seen this exact situation play out before, namely through Dean and Blake – cute, seemingly sensitive guy the lead passed on, gets hyped to the skies by the largely female audience as the perfect guy, let’s it go to his head, his love life becomes a messy soap opera and then people turn on him.
Based on what you’ve heard about Tyler, what do you think are the odds of him playing from this exact playbook? And did you hear anything about him that should give us pause in wanting him as the next bachelor?
Comment: I can’t predict what that guy’s gonna do in the future. I have no idea. I haven’t heard anything negative yet.
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Hi Steve-
I apologize if these have been covered:
1. Do you know why Possessionista doesn’t cover the franchise anymore? I believe she said it was because it was taking up too much of her time, she wasn’t getting anything out of it, and she wanted to spend more time with her family. Can’t fault her for that.
2. Do you know why Elan left the show?
Comment: He’d been there long enough and wanted to do other things.
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Hey Steve,
Obviously you won’t know the answer to this but just wanting your opinion on this whole Jed situation. As we’ve seen through Hannah’s “journey” she doesn’t seem to just make excuses in regards to drama – how do you see this after the final rose playing out with Hannah and Jed? Guess I just can’t see her just sitting there defending him after everything we have seen her do this season. Just wondering your thoughts !
Comment: I think they obviously have talked about this stuff by now, but I’d be shocked if they weren’t affected by this and this didn’t cause a major rift in their relationship. Still a month to go at this point. Anything can happen. But do I expect them on July 29th to come out and say it was nothing, never an issue, and both of them have been happy as clams since they left Greece? I’d be shocked if that were the case. No woman, especially Hannah and all she’s stood up for all season, would let this slide off their back. She HAS to be affected by this.
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Hi Steve,
I think I’m probably as annoyed with the Luke P show as everyone else is. Every time his eyebrows furrow or however you want to call it and his forehead scrunches I know some BS is about to come out of his mouth. Thankfully you have provided ample warning that he’s not going anywhere until the episode before the finale. So I can roll my eyes with the rest of America and wait until the Luke P show is over.
Do you think Jed will address the whole you know having a girlfriend as he left for filming after the show or on the after show? Absolutely it’ll be addressed on the ATFR. I don’t see it happening before then.
Also, I think Nick took over Ben Higgins forever making appearances contract on this season. He had at least his second cameo in an ad. The first one was the ice cream one from her one on one with Jed I believe and now with the Annabelle movie.
Comment: Nick is an actor now. It’s what he gets paid for, so as many acting gigs as he can book, that’s what he’ll do.
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Hey Steve! I love your spoilers and commentary on all the episodes of Bachelor, Bachelorette, BIP, etc. Thank you for that! Ill keep reading as long as you keep spoiling!
Question on the Hannah/Luke follow up conversation from the episode last night…. do you think producers prompted Hannah into what Luke really meant or do you think she came to that conclusion on her own? Assuming Producers set it up, but wanted to ask anyways. I’m sure she had some help from them in some way. But I do think she really was bothered by him telling her how HE felt about her date with Garrett.
As far as Luke goes – do you think he is really like this or it is all editing? I think the show is zooming in on all this guy’s flaws. I’m sure he’s a nice guy who means well. I just don’t think until this experience did he have a clue how he came off to others. Hopefully he does now.
How do you think Hannah is handling all the controversy around Jed? If I were her, I’d demand answers.
and finally, more of just a comment, but ugh Peter – he is the perfect speciman of man yet oh so awkward. I love him so much! I wish he would go to Paradise and find happiness!!
Thanks Steve!
Comment: Peter wasn’t in Paradise, nor would he ever have been since he was 3rd on the show. They’ve never had someone who finished 3rd or better on the “Bachelorette” show up on that calendar years season. Would give too much away. But putting the #3 guy in Paradise, you’re confirming the final two on that “Bachelorette” season in the beginning of June, which isn’t even halfway through the season yet. Just not gonna happen.
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Hey Steve –
Long time fan, first time email!
I’d love to know your thoughts on the editing this week. It seems so convenient that this is the week that Jed would serenade Hannah from the street and the after credits would include him on the piano given all the publicity surrounding him recently.
Is it possible that ABC edited this episode specifically to showcase the “career advancement pursuit” that has been broadcast over the last few days? Or could it be possible that ABC had a hand in the timing of Haley’s press releases to coincide with this week’s events? Or both?
Comment: I honestly have no idea. The only people that know the answer to that are the editors of this show and People.com.
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Hi Steve,
I’m so disappointed with the new spoiler (as I’m sure so many of us are)! I was so excited about Hannah and Tyler and even before the Jed girlfriend story came out, definitely preferred Tyler over Jed. I love Hannah and just feel bad over what she must be going through now – even if she is still happy having to justify and defend him will overshadow it all.
You probably won’t say, but in situations like this where you originally posted a wrong spoiler, how does that happen? Do you have some bad/fake sources out there, even backed by ABC, purposely trying to throw you off?
Comment: You’re right. I won’t say. I kinda touched on this in an earlier answer. But the short answer is the information on Tyler was not purposely given to me as bad information. The information was believed to be true by who told it to me and how I was told, I believed it to be true, so I ran with it. It wasn’t. Better information came along, and that is your spoiler that happened.
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Every Tuesday and Wednesday I look forward to your posts coming out – thanks for being hilarious? Few questions:
1. I am one of the many women crushing on Tyler but I see equally strong camps pulling for Mike to be Bachelor too. Is there any dirt about these two guys that will break our hearts? I’m cautiously optimistic with these two! I haven’t heard any.
2. Can you remember the last time the lead picked someone that America was generally rooting for? Yes, we all love the drama (why else would we watch) but it’s starting to feel like a waste of time watching a show with couples/contestants that you don’t feel excited about. It also stinks because Hannah has been the most refreshing lead in a long time and I want to root for her. Granted, I’ll never stop watching but it seems like we can’t get a season without some type of stain on it.
Rachel picking Bryan and the poor guy was invincible and everyone loved Peter
Arie pulled a swap and dumped Becca for Lauren – obviously not a fan favorite
Becca picked Garrett but he had his social media slip up so people weren’t happy
Colton picking Cassie but with her edit and sending herself home they weren’t getting super supported/rooted for. I think that’s very subjective. There are plenty of people who liked the final couple in recent seasons.
3. Why no Luke P. in paradise? Think he realized pretty quickly how he was getting portrayed and was smart enough to stay far away? I’d say that would be my reason if I were him. Why would he want anything to do with this show again? I know the “redemption edit” is the new thing now, but it’s not worth it because no one is guaranteed that.
4. About the Jed grossness – you mentioned that anyone cast goes through a grueling process where I’m sure questions about past/current relationships are asked. Are these people just sociopathic liars that they can get away with it??
Comment: Yeah, I said it yesterday. I don’t think cheaters, especially ones on this show, ever think they’re getting caught.
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Hi Steve!
Tyler is sooo well liked so I’m wondering, have you heard anything bad about him? No. Doesn’t mean there isn’t anything. Just saying I haven’t been told anything.
Who would you like to see as the next bachelor? I will say it every season 1,000 times. I do not care. All I care about is that there IS another season, which there will be. That’s all that matters to me.
Also, what happened to Peter from Rachel’s season?? He was like the Tyler of that season and now it’s like he withdrew from the franchise! WAIT is he on paradise haha
I love your columns! Thanks for always providing the scoop
Comment: No, Peter Kraus is not on Paradise. He’s doing his own thing with his personal training. Probably good he stepped away from the franchise the way things were going for him.
