March 09, 2020 • hometowns
10 Times Bachelor Nation Women Lifted Each Other Up
When 20 women live in a mansion together, travel the world, and date one guy at the same time, there's bound to be some tension. On the other, much brighter hand, this rather unorthodox living situation also creates lifelong friendships.
Participating in "The Bachelor," "Bachelor in Paradise," "Bachelor Pad," and other shows bonds these women together in a way that their community outside of Bachelor Mansion cannot fully grasp, which is precisely why so many of them stick together.
Over the course of the 15 (and soon to be 16!) "Bachelorette" and 24 "Bachelor" seasons, we've seen women lift each other up as well as reunite with their friends' kids, ensuring these Bachelor Nation relationships reach another generation.
In honor of International Women's Day, take a look at some of the most empowering and endearing moments by women in Bachelor Nation over the years.
1. Bachelor Nation applauds Clare Crawley as the next Bachelorette
On March 2, Clare Crawley was officially named as the next Bachelorette. This will be her fifth stint on the show, and — at 38 — she's making "Bachelorette" history as the oldest lead in franchise history. She doesn't view that as a negative at all, and instead, embraces it as she looks for her happy ending.
Several women across Bachelor Nation voiced their support for Clare. Kaitlyn Bristowe said she was "pumped" about this and JoJo Fletcher tweeted, "Love this choice!"
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 Love this choice!! Can’t wait to watch you @Clare_Crawley!!! 🌹 https://t.co/02yFOM3gRx
— JoJo Fletcher (@JoelleFletcher) March 2, 2020 @JoelleFletcher
Pumped. @Clare_Crawley is well spoken, knows what she wants, and I believe we will see more mature relationships develop. Will be a great season. https://t.co/9pdxBRiVKW
— Kaitlyn Bristowe (@kaitlynbristowe) March 2, 2020 @kaitlynbristowe
I am HERE for a 39 year old Bachelorette! Knew the pick was going to be unconventional since she is getting the early “Rachel release” but mostly just excited for @Clare_Crawley!!!! https://t.co/4kmMfIuJZJ
— Ashley Spivey (@AshleySpivey) February 29, 2020 @AshleySpivey
Just want to put out into the Twitterverse that if these @Clare_Crawley for #TheBachelorette rumors are true I am ALL FOR IT. 🙋🏻♀️ She deserves it, is 100% sincere & I’ve always felt she’d make a fantastic lead. Bonus: bring on more folks in their 30s, hopefully 40s! IT’S TIME 🙌🏻
— Sharleen Joynt (@sharleenjoynt) February 29, 2020 @sharleenjoynt
2. Becca Kufrin's friends support her after Arie Luyendyk Jr. breakup
Becca Kufrin didn't have the easiest time at "After the Final Rose" on Arie Luyendyk's season of "The Bachelor." She got dumped on one of their couples' weekends, only to learn that he wanted to get back together with Lauren Burnham.
Becca had a difficult time watching this back and discussing it with Chris Harrison in the Hot Seat, but the next day, she received redemption when he announced her as the Season 14 Bachelorette. Becca's friends Bekah Martinez, Seinne Fleming, Caroline Lunny, Tia Booth and Kendall Long all joined her onstage and wrapped their arms around her in support.
3. Demi Burnett comes out as bisexual
Demi Burnett forever changed the Bachelor Nation landscape when she revealed on "Bachelor in Paradise" Season 6 that she had been dating a woman before the show. Kristian Haggerty joined Demi in "Paradise" and the two of them continued to grow their relationship, ultimately walking away from the beach as an engaged couple.
Hannah Brown flew down to Mexico to check in with her best friend and "see where her heart is at." The Season 15 Bachelorette told Demi, "I'm proud of you." Katie Morton echoed similar sentiments when Demi revealed her truth to her as well.
Fellow "Paradise" attendees and "Bachelor" alumni lauded her on social media for her courage.
We’re all here for you Demi. No matter what. Family. 🙏🏼 #BachelorInParadise
— Nicole Lopez-Alvar (@nicolelovar) August 21, 2019 @nicolelovar
Bachelor Nation is lucky to have someone like @demi_burnett 💛 #BachelorInParadise
— Onyeka Ehie (@onyekaehie) August 14, 2019 @onyekaehie
4. Bachelor Nation women reunite all over the world
Bachelor Nation women live all across the country and world, which means reunions can sometimes be difficult to come by. Fellow Bachelorettes often call upon their friends when they're in someone's home city, or even in the same vacation location!
In October, for instance, Ashley Hebert Rosenbaum, J.P. Rosenbaum and Trista Sutter hung out in Los Angeles, where J.P. and Ashley's daughter Essie finally got to meet the first-ever Bachelorette.
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Additionally, Ali Fedotowsky-Manno and Jillian Harris frolicked in the water in Maui during their family vacations that overlapped in February. Andi Dorfman often travels the world with her close friend Amanda Stanton.
5. They attend each other's weddings
Bachelor Nation always has a huge presence at their fellow cast member's weddings, whether that means participating in the bridal party or cheering on the couple from the audience.
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6. Ashley Iaconetti brings Kelsey a giant bottle of champagne
Bachelor Nation will likely never forget Champagnegate, the scandal that overtook Peter Weber's season of "The Bachelor" for the first few weeks. After that controversy with Hannah Ann died down, she later faced flack for crying a lot.
Ashley Iaconetti, one of Bachelor Nation's most notorious criers, surprised Kelsey onstage at "Women Tell All" with a massive bottle of champagne. Ashley told Kelsey, "Thank you for representing us emotional girls this season. I also just want to say way to go standing up to all the emotional shamers out there. There is no place in this world for emotional shaming."
7. Carly Waddell & Jade Roper lift each other up in the face of mommy shamers
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Neither Carly Waddell nor Jade Roper ended up with the Bachelor on Season 19, but they left the show with a priceless memento: friendship. These two women appeared on "Paradise" Season 2 together, where Jade met her current husband Tanner Tolbert. Carly returned the next season and fell in love with Evan Bass, and both couples are married with two kids each.
In quite the coincidence, Jade and Carly's eldest are both girls and their babies are both boys. They even co-host a podcast together called "Mommies Tell All" and speak about their own motherhood experiences. These best friends continue to support each other through the difficult and the good times.
Jade and Carly called in to an episode of "Bachelor Happy Hour" and talked about getting mom-shamed. Carly said of Jade's retorts to critics online, "It’s like what every mom wants to say but no one knows how to say, and you shut them down in the nicest way."
8. Hannah Brown stands up to Luke Parker
Luke Parker cast a spell over Hannah Brown on Season 15 of "The Bachelorette," and no matter how many warning signs she heard and saw from the other men, she stayed true to her heart. It all took a turn during their Fantasy Suite dinner when Luke criticized her for having sex, calling it a "slip up."
Hannah shut him down and stood up for herself, saying, "I'm a grown woman and can make my own decisions." She sent him home that evening, telling him, "I have had sex, and Jesus still loves me."
Her evisceration of Luke continued at "Men Tell All" where she even apologized to the other men on his behalf. Hannah became a symbol of female empowerment after that as well as when she moved the rose stand at the Rose Ceremony in Crete.
9. Kendall Long gives Krystal Nielson an inspirational speech
People dread two-on-one dates — and for good reason. They're often tense, awkward, and stressful, making them a less than ideal choice for an afternoon out with the person you're falling in love with.
Nevertheless, on Season 22 of "The Bachelor," Kendall Long tried her hardest to make the best of the situation at hand. She and Krystal Nielson spent the day at a château outside of Paris with Arie Luyendyk Jr., and Krystal told the Bachelor she didn't believe Kendall was ready for marriage. Kendall heard about this and confronted Krystal, but did so pragmatically rather than combatively.
Kendall told Krystal, "I’ve dated someone like you before where in the face of conflict, they have told me things that have really hurt me. I guess I learned that saying the thing that’s the most hurtful doesn’t mean you win. It means you hurt somebody. I can definitely empathize with you."
Her speech continued, "I feel like you have so much beauty in you. I 100% see that. you’ve been through a lot. You’ve been through so much, through a lot of pain – more pain than I can understand. It feels very controlled. I don’t think you should try to control it."
Kendall then urged Krystal to embrace her true self — flaws and all. She shared, "I feel like the most beautiful moments I’ve ever had with somebody is when I completely acted like a fool or acted like someone who isn’t perfect. You’re imperfect, and isn’t that amazing?"
10. They support each other amid negativity
"Women Tell All" for Peter Weber's season of "The Bachelor" brought a vital message front-and-center during one portion of the show: online bullying. Season 13 Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay sat onstage with Chris Harrison and read messages that some of the women received out loud in order to make viewers more aware of the extent of hate some of these women faced on a regular basis.
Rachel teared up while reciting these direct messages and texts, and the women onstage hugged each other and reinforced positivity in the face of so much hate.
It all goes to show that whether in Bachelor Mansion or on the beach, this sisterhood stays strong.