The Truth About Labor Of Love Star Kristy Katzmann
Just when you thought when all the possible reality shows existed, along comes Labor of Love. The premise of Fox's dating show is that a Chicago woman must decide between 15 male constants to be the father of her future children. Kristy Katzmann is the decider on the show, and Kristin Davis of Sex and the City is the host. Katzmann clearly knows what she wants and why she's on Labor of Love as she introduces herself in the show's first episode.
"I have a great life, but what's missing?" she asked in the episode that premiered in May 2020, according to a clip shared to Facebook. "It's, you know, to fall in love and start a family." However, the show's tagline does qualify that love isn't necessarily a must-have for Kristy — "The labor is mandatory; the love is optional." She also confirmed that if she doesn't find the right guy on the show, she's "prepared" to become a mom on her own.
During Katzmann's quest to become a mother, she and the eligible baby daddies are sequestered inside two beautiful Atlanta, Ga. houses. The men's occupations range from a CEO to a funeral director, and although each man is also counting their remaining years to enjoy fatherhood, the real star of the show is Katzmann. Find out more about the woman who has the difficult task of selecting a dream daddy (or dad-chelors as Women's Health aptly referred to them).
Kristy Katzmann is no stranger to reality TV
Kristy Katzmann is the center of attention on reality dating show Labor of Love, but her first go-round with reality TV was with a sea of other contestants. Kristy appeared on season 11 of The Bachelor on ABC in 2007, and she finished in the top six contestants, according to Women's Health. But she didn't get the final rose when Brad Womack was in the title role. "Being rejected is never fun — especially in front of millions of people!" Kristy told CafeMom about the experience. "But luckily the people who approached me in my daily life after the show were really encouraging and supportive, so that helped a ton."
Kristy, of course, wasn't the only one who got eliminated that season. In fact, Womack rejected all of the single ladies that season and returned to The Bachelor for the 15th season in 2011. Womack selected Emily Maynard during his second run, but they called off their engagement in June 2011.
Kristy did compare her Bachelor experience to her new show in an interview with Women's Health, saying, "I did The Bachelor at a completely different point in my life. I think [with] Labor of Love, I'm so much more well suited to that experience." She also preferred Labor of Love host Kristin Davis over Bachelor host Chris Harrison. "She's such a great confidante in the experience, and I think that is the biggest difference, right there."
Kristy Katzmann has been married before
Many face rejection in love and Labor of Love's Kristy Katzmann has faced it in a very public way. She appeared on The Bachelor when she was 29, and Brad Womack did not propose to her. Since that time, she returned to the dating scene and even got married. However, the marriage was short-lived. "I was 37 when I got married but it got so bad that I made the decision to file for divorce six months after standing at the altar," Kristy said in Labor of Love's first episode, according to a clip shared to Facebook. "I felt like I was never going to start my own family."
According to the Chicago Tribune, she was dating someone around early 2017, but when the casting call for Labor of Love came along later that fall, she was on the market again. "I found myself as a 40-year-old single woman trying to navigate dating while knowing that I still wanted to become a mom," Kristy told The Chicago Tribune.
Kristy's attempts to find her happily-ever-after had left her questioning went wrong, so she decided to choose an unconventional path for her next relationship. "I never thought I would be in this position, and I think the question then becomes, well, if you are, what do you do about it?" she told The Chicago Tribune. "And that's where I had to really start thinking outside of the box because I certainly knew that I didn't have a lot of time to still become a mom, and it's what made me open to doing something like this."
Kristy Katzmann is a successful entrepreuner
Kristy Katzmann took the unconventional route to find a baby daddy with Labor of Love, but she is using her off-camera life to prepare for motherhood. According to her LinkedIn profile, the Norte Dame alum is a key account manager for a wellness startup. She was previously an acupuncturist during her time on The Bachelor, per CafeMom.
These days, Kristy is helping moms stay sane and fabulous with the blog she co-produces, The Modern Mamannista. The website features blog posts on fashion, health, and beauty for "women of all shapes and sizes." Some posts include reviews on Stitch Fix, tips for face masks, and, of course, recaps on Labor of Love. Kristy also addressed the premiere episode's most talk-about moments: The task of testing the men's fertility in the show's first few minutes.
"I did NOT know about the fertility challenge ahead of time, so I was finding out about it in the moment along with the guys," Kristy said in the recap. "I'll say this, if you're ever on an awkward first date, think of mine with these guys and I guarantee you'll feel a lot better! Lol. The men were such good sports about it though, they really impressed me with how they handled it."
It sounds like Kristy is the full package, and we wish her the best of luck in her journey.