The Biggest Fights To Ever Happen In Bachelor Nation
In 2002, ABC literally changed the reality of the television landscape, and the world as a whole, by introducing us to the magic that is "The Bachelor." A reality dating competition, "The Bachelor" quickly rose in popularity among viewers, and with its success, multiple spin-offs were born. Shows like "The Bachelorette," "Bachelor in Paradise," and "The Bachelor Winter Games" all debuted in the wake of the main brand.
Since then, many of "The Bachelor's" contestants have become celebrities in their own right, with more than a few finding careers in social media, hosting a podcast, or crossing franchises to "compete" on another "The Bachelor"-inspired show. The star power of these contestants alone has led to their fans creating a name for their community: Bachelor Nation (#bachelornation).
Membership in #bachelornation is exclusive, and cardholders hold special relationships with each other. Whether they've dated a fellow fan or just found friendship among the corps of its loyal members, all of #bachelornation comes together thanks to their unique shared experience. However, like all close-knit communities, there's always a healthy dose of drama. One fight always leads to another, and so the contestants fall. And these just happen to be the biggest fights to ever happen in #bachelornation.
Jordan Kimball and Christian Estrada were kicked off the show
"The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette" both have plenty of drama, but the real fun comes in the form of another program in the franchise. In "Bachelor in Paradise," previous contestants from both central series come together for sweaty, romantic misadventures on the beautiful shores of Mexico. Because the show's producers are so fantastic at what they do, they also choose only the most passionate of all past "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette" contestants to search for love in paradise.
Even with all that drama, viewers are rarely exposed to actual fights, that is until Jordan Kimball and Christian Estrada showed up on Season 6 of "Bachelor in Paradise." A fight between the pair broke out which resulted in both contestants losing their spots in the competition (via Refinery 29). As the incident played out, one of Kimball's cohorts was insulted, causing Kimball to confront Estrada. "I have to go fix this for us now. That piñata is getting wrecked," Kimball said. "Christian, I'm really sorry. Clay is a good friend of mine," he added before taking Estrada's piñata down. Estrada didn't take well to this news and lunged at Kimball, prompting a physical altercation.
Kimball explained his side of the story on "The Betchelor" podcast. "Things happened between Christian and I much quicker than I thought they were going to," Kimball said. "I had no intentions of making a physical altercation." Intentions aside, the brief brawl between Kimball and Estrada still has fans reminiscing all these years later.
Corinne Olympios and Taylor Nolan didn't like each other
Season 21 of "The Bachelor" saw 30 women vying for the love and attention of star Nick Viall. Of course, like every season of "The Bachelor," the cast was composed of a diverse set of interesting characters, and one of them quickly took on the season's resident "villain" status. Self-appointed voice of reason Corinne Olympios riled up plenty of fans all season long, but it was her attempt to talk out her differences with fellow contestant Taylor Nolan that angered fans most.
Sadly, instead of engaging in a respectful dialogue, the pair really ended up sounding like they talked "at" their differences instead (via US Magazine). After a season of arguing, things really came to a head one evening when Nolan dropped a bomb at Olympios' feet. "My concern is just not feeling confident that you are in a place to enter into a committed, romantic, healthy, fulfilling relationship," Nolan said (via ABC). "I feel like there have been times over the last few days that I didn't know if you had the maturity or the emotional intelligence or the coping skills to deal with stuff."
Understandably, Olympios did not take well to Nolan's feedback. "I really think that you feel that you're superior in certain ways to other people, and I don't feel like you should feel that way," Olympios replied. The ensuing antics between the two eventually resulted in both women being sent home by Viall. Viewers bid adieu to Nolan after the show's usual two-on-one date with Viall and Olympios. Only a week later, Olympios, the supposed "victor" of the conflict, was also let go. After their memorable stints on "The Bachelor," both contestants went on to compete in Season 4 of "Bachelor in Paradise."
Shawn Booth hated Nick Viall
Speaking of Nick Viall — even though he's a #BachelorNation favorite these days, he was once the guy that viewers all just loved to hate. Viall got his start on the series by appearing as a contestant on Season 10 of "The Bachelorette," which starred Andi Dorfman searching for her person. Initially, the pair seemed to have a real connection, with Viall even accepting Dorfman's invitation to the fantasy suites. In the end, though, Viall got the boot, sent home without the girl.
Much to the chagrin of some of the show's contestants, Viall managed to resurrect himself via a return in Season 11. The new season featured Kaitlyn Bristowe as the bachelorette. Bristowe had the show's usual bevy of handsome suitors vying for her affections, including that of Shawn Booth. A tall drink of water, Booth quickly became a fan favorite in #bachelornation. During the memorable season, Booth went as far as telling Bristowe she was "the one"... just halfway through the show's run. Viall and Booth's relationship then took an aggressive turn, especially after Booth found out that Viall and Bristowe had slept together, a big "no-no" on "The Bachelorette" (via ET Online).
"I don't think you're here just for Kaitlyn, I think you're trying to change your image from last year," Booth said to Viall. Post-fight, Bristowe ended up sending Viall packing, sailing off to the shores of happiness engaged to Shawn Booth. The pair remained an item the following three years after "The Bachelorette," what some might consider an eternity for participants in the series. Bristowe later began dating fellow "The Bachelor" alumni, Jason Tartick, who would eventually offer Bristowe her long-desired proposal (via US Magazine).
Chad Johnson lost it on Evan Bass
JoJo Fletcher competing on "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette" is one of the greatest things to ever have happened to #BachelorNation. A contestant on Season 20 of "The Bachelor" and the star of Season 12 of "The Bachelorette," JoJo Fletcher is a legend in her own right. Meanwhile, the men the show's producers gathered to date Fletcher literally led "The Bachelorette" to some of the most dramatic moments in the franchise's history. In particular, fans of "The Bachelorette" loved to watch the series' most infamous contestants: Chad Johnson and Evan Bass.
Just like oil and water, Johnson and Bass never mixed. To be fair, Johnson was just oil to the water that was everyone else in the house, but he really had a special disdain for Bass. As the episodes progressed, their rivalry became more and more entertaining to watch. After weeks of arguing, Johnson completely lost his cool with Bass. "You're gonna die," Johnson said to Bass while pushing his chest. Bass was immediately taken aback by the intense physical response. "It was all in good fun, bro. Like, seriously, we're just trying to have a good time," Bass defensively replied. Several other contestants intervened, attempting to keep both men in separate corners.
After the pair's collective stints on "The Bachelorette," Johnson and Bass went on to bring their special brand of chaos to "Bachelor in Paradise." In the end, Bass proved himself the more successful of the two, leaving paradise engaged to Carly Waddle, while poor Johnson just left empty-handed. Again.
Olivia Caridi called Amanda Stanton a teen mom
It's not just the men, either. The ladies of Season 20 of "The Bachelor" really brought the drama to the season's star, Ben Higgins. Thousands of women, as usual, applied to be a contestant for just a chance to woo Higgins, and amidst that giant outpouring, two lucky ladies managed to make the cut: Amanda Stanton and Olivia Caridi.
From the start, Caridi didn't get along with many of her fellow contestants, but she was particularly harsh on Amanda Stanton. "I feel like it's an episode of 'Teen Mom,'" Caridi said, according to US Magazine. Of course, viewers quickly interpreted this as a dig at Stanton, a single mother who shared early in the season that she'd left her daughters to compete on the show. It also didn't help that Stanton heard what she said and responded in kind. "First of all, I was 22 when I had my first, and 24 when I had my second. I am an adult and I have my s*** together," Stanton replied (via Daily Mail).
According to Cosmopolitan, Caridi, her villain status forever sealed in the vaulted halls of #bachelornation, popped up on a special episode of "The Bachelor" called "The Bachelor: The Greatest Seasons – Ever!" The former contestant addressed her appearance on the episode. "There was so much pain associated with it. I felt terrible that I had hurt people. I never wanted to, but obviously, it was clear that I did, and so that hurt," Caridi said, as told by People.
Luke Parker lost it on Garrett Powell
Yet another intense season of "The Bachelorette" was that of Season 15, which featured Hannah Brown as our love-lorn heroine. Fans and critics alike had mixed feelings about Brown as the lead, but the show's producers stacked a group of, well, characters for her to choose from. Of course, Brown made #BachelorNation history by having sex in a windmill with Pilot Pete. But even that provocative moment was somehow not even the most dramatic scene of the season.
That moment actually belongs to Luke Parker blowing up at Garrett Powell. The two contestants butted heads throughout the first couple weeks of the program, but it wasn't long before their feud climaxed in an awkward display, mid-season. "I've been nothing but truthful with Hannah, and you are not going to mess it up!" Parker told Powell. His next move? One for the history books. Parker literally grabbed lunchmeat off the table and unceremoniously dumped it on Powell's lap. As he dropped the meat in the contestant's lap, he said, "This is a pile of baloney. That's what you've been saying to me, and I'm tired of it."
Powell appeared mostly amused at the display and offered few words in response, but he made sure Parker didn't away without a retort. "It's funny that you picked baloney because that's exactly what you are, man," Powell responded. "Luke has reached a new level of childish behavior," he later added. Unfortunately for all of us, neither man ever made it onto any of the other #BachelorNation franchises, but they certainly made for fantastic television in their 15 minutes.
It's definitely not okay
Andi Dorfman entered #BachelorNation by way of Juan Pablo Galavis, the star of "The Bachelor" Season 18. A fairly well-known soccer player, Galavis quickly became infamous for delivering his signature catchphrase, "It's okay," in lieu of facing real issues that were occurring with the women he was dating. And while some of the season's contestants agreed with him that everything was indeed "okay," others on the show found his attitude less appealing.
After their night in the fantasy suite, Dorfman finally confronted Galavis about the whole thing, quickly making clear that she was sick of hearing those two words. "It shouldn't just be okay," Dorfman pleaded (via ABC). "It's not okay ... When you say it's okay, that bothers me." Although we suspect Galavis probably got the point by this moment, Dorfman clearly wanted to make sure he understood how "not okay" things were between the two of them.
"You don't even really know who I am," Dorfman said. "Your response is 'it's okay, it's okay.' Everything's always 'it's okay,' and I want to die if I have to hear 'it's okay' again." In response, Galavis briefly opted for a minor change in catchphrase ("That's fine"), before asking, "What do you want me to do?" Needless to say, things didn't exactly work out between the two. In fact, Dorfman ended up withdrawing herself from the competition and gained dozens of fans in the process.
Ultimately, this helped secure her the lead spot in Season 10 of "The Bachelorette," where she briefly found love with contestant Josh Murray. Sadly, that relationship wasn't long for this world either. According to People, the pair split shortly after the show's airing, leaving Dorfman right back where she started...single.
Clare Crawley let Juan Pablo Galavis have it
As it turns out, Andi Dorfman actually wasn't the only person who gave Juan Pablo Galavis a piece of her mind. Clare Crawley competed alongside Dorfman on Galavis' season of "The Bachelor," and the Florida native became an instant #BachelorNation icon in the process.
When it was revealed that he hadn't chosen her as his winner, Crawley made clear that she was extremely disappointed. "I thought I knew what kind of man you were," Crawley said, with emotion clear in her voice. Although she initially appeared to walk away after only a few words, she eventually delivered unto Galavis an expanded diatribe. In fact, what started off as disappointment and sadness quickly grew into anger before our very eyes.
"You had every opportunity like those other girls did to tell me exactly how you felt," Crawley told Galavis, before admitting she had lost respect for him. "What you just made me go through, I would never want my children having a father like you." With those parting words, Crawley left Galavis to consider his decision. Luckily, this was not the last viewers saw of Crawley.
In fact, the fan-favorite later reappeared on "Bachelor in Paradise," "The Bachelor Winter Games," and even returned as the lead for Season 16 of "The Bachelorette." During her season, Crawley dramatically ended the show early, finding her person in contestant Dale Moss (via US Weekly) just four episodes into the season. With Crawley adrift on love's ocean, the door was now open for Tayshia Adams to take the lead position in what would legitimately become one of the most dramatic seasons ever.
Chad Johnson told off Chris Harrison
Some #BachelorNation legends ascend to that status for great reasons, while others do so for reasons that are a little more, well, insane. Chad Johnson began his time in the franchise when he joined JoJo Fletcher as a contestant on Season 12 of "The Bachelorette." Sadly, Johnson was eliminated in Week 14, largely due to his poor attitude. Johnson had more than a few meltdowns during the season, but since everybody loves a good villain, the show's producers eventually invited Johnson back to compete on "Bachelor in Paradise."
While filming in paradise, Johnson made "The Bachelor" history by screaming at then-host Chris Harrison. Though there have been many feuds between contestants over the years, no one has ever really crossed the long-time host. After the incident, Johnson claimed to have been suffering from the loss of his parents (via People). While some found sympathy for him, most found his behavior inexcusable. After another season of angry outbursts, Harrison and the producers decided it was time for Johnson to depart.
During his forced exit from the show, Johnson became physical and cursed loudly. "It's over. It's time to go. You're making this a lot worse than it needs to be," Harrison told Johnson as producers started escorting him off-set. "You think this is all fun and games? This is my life. This is my life, and you're gonna sit here and try to make me look like a b***h," he taunted Harrison. Eventually, they managed to get Johnson out of Mexico.
Were Clint Arlis and JJ Lane friends or enemies?
Everyone loves an enemies-to-lovers trope, but in #BachelorNation, it's far more common to see the reverse. Typically, viewers will see said trope go down between the lead and a contestant, not usually between two contestants. But, during Kaitlyn Bristowe's season of "The Bachelorette," Clint Arlis and JJ Lane proved that quite literally any situation on the show is within the realm of possibility.
The two contestants became fast friends at the beginning of the season, and they appeared to have a lot in common, spending far more time with each other than they did with Bristowe — or anyone else in the house for that matter. However, as it turned out their friendship was not as strong as it had initially appeared after the pair had an intense fight. Viewers were treated to a lot of bleeping, with Arlis being sent home right after the scuffle and Lane managing to stay on for a few more weeks.
Lane later went on to joke about his and Arlis' mischievous behaviors with a post on Instagram. "Join Clint and me for our Villains 101 Workshop. This intense two-day seminar will equip you with a strong foundation to start achieving your master, diabolical schemes. Space is limited and fills up quickly." After his time on "The Bachelorette," Lane managed to secure a spot on Season 2 of "Bachelor in Paradise." Sadly, Arlis died by suicide in early 2022 (via PageSix). In the aftermath of the reality star's tragic death, many Bachelor Nation fans were quick to look back fondly on his bromance with Lane.
If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by dialing 988 or by calling 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
Caila Quinn and Ashley Iaconetti fought over Jared Haibon
Nearly everyone in #BachelorNation is familiar with the Jared Haibon and Ashley Iaconetti saga. The two infamously met on Season 11 of "The Bachelorette," and their connection was immediately apparent to Iaconetti. Haibon, however, did not initially feel the same way. Before finally settling down into a more permanent relationship, the pair were involved in a love triangle with fellow competitor, Caila Quinn, on Season 2 of "Bachelor in Paradise."
Upset by Haibon and Quinn's seemingly budding relationship during their stay in paradise, Iaconetti did everything in her power to break the newly forming relationship. "That girl is freaking fake. But I really think the only reason that I feel okay is because I know I'm better than her, and I know how to get a reaction out of him. I'm his main chick," Iaconetti told producers of the dynamics between the three contestants, according to USA Today. Quinn eventually confronted Iaconetti over her behavior and said, "If you were honestly here to meet someone else then you should focus on that."
Haibon ended up leaving Mexico empty-handed; engaged neither to Quinn or Iaconetti. Viewers were more than overwhelmed when it was discovered that Haibon and Iaconetti did indeed seal the deal, getting engaged years later in 2018 (via US Weekly). In 2019, the happy couple got married, and three years later, they welcomed their first child to #bachelornation. And what of Caila Quinn? She has also since gotten married herself. Not holding any ill will to the pair, Quinn told Us Weekly she's happy for both Haibon and Iaconetti, "They were meant to be ... And I wish them the most happiness in life."