The Bachelorette: 10 Contestants Whose Bad Reputations Are Undeserved

The star of the current season of The Bachelor, Clayton Echard, is facing overwhelming criticism for the apparent preferential treatment he received in obtaining the lead role despite being a fairly minor player as a contestant on Michelle Young’s season of The Bachelorette.

While the circumstances of his casting are absolutely fair to question, the frequent assaults on Clayton’s character appear to be largely baseless, placing him in a long tradition of Bachelorette contestants who have been villainized by the show’s fanbase with insufficient reasoning.

10 Thomas Jacobs (Katie’s Season)

In mid-2021, Thomas Jacobs was demonized by Bachelor Nation due to his appearance as a calculating social climber on Katie Thurston’s season of The Bachelorette, evident during the rose ceremony in which Katie theatrically referred to him as “selfish, unkind, and a liar.”

After reviving his image on Bachelor in Paradise and subsequently garnering a sizable Instagram following thanks to his relationship with former Bachelorette Becca Kufrin, Thomas has now been shown in a more flattering light than that which the producers of the show provided him with. Such a reversal of popularity would not have been possible in the earlier seasons of the series, during which producers monopolized the public portrayal of the contestants.

9 Blake Moynes (Claire, Tayshia, and Katie’s Seasons)

Blake Moynes, the only man to compete for three Bachelorettes’ hearts, is believed by much of the Bachelor fanbase to have been more interested in public recognition than securing the affections of the women whom he was vying for, drawing understandable skepticism for joining Katie Thurston’s season late and via self-invitation before entering one of the Bachelorette franchise’s shortest engagements with her. These viewers are likely not aware that Blake is a committed environmentalist and animal rights advocate who recently spent time in Africa working for such efforts. A quick perusal through his social media accounts suggests that he is at least attempting to improve the world for others, even if only in addition to his more self-interested activities.

8 Noah Erb (Tayshia’s Season)

Noah Erb was not taken seriously by many Bachelorette audiences when he arrived on Tayshia Adams’ season as a late addition — mocked by many of his housemates for his unusual mustache and boyish innocence — and a Harvard-educated fellow contestant’s attack on Noah’s emotional intelligence further tainted his image. But Noah, who worked as a traveling nurse prior to his time on the show and recently returned to his job, has given audiences valid reason to question this skepticism. While the public can’t accurately speculate on his true character, some redeeming characteristic of his has allowed him to maintain a relationship with his Bachelor in Paradise co-star Abigail Heringer — a relationship that is steadily improving his reputation.

7 Kenny Braasch (Claire and Tayshia’s Season)

Kenny Braasch was widely seen as a careless player whose maturity level does not align with his forty years of age, arriving to the set of Bachelor in Paradise completely naked in the most recent season of the show. While he certainly appears to be a free spirit who opposes many of the constraints of adulthood, he also took efforts to avoid hurting or inconveniencing others in romantic relationships and platonic friendships on both The Bachelorette and Bachelor in Paradise. His current partner, Mari Pepin, clearly sees redeeming qualities in him, and the general public may eventually notice his more endearing characteristics as well.

6 Karl Smith (Katie’s Season)

One of the handful of prominent villains from Katie Thurston’s 2021 season, Karl Smith is certainly one of the more quirky and eccentric contestants from Bachelor Nation, notable in part for practicing karate alone on the beach of the Bachelor in Paradise set. While he is quite unusual, the perception that he is malicious may be unwarranted. Karl’s announcement to Katie that a member of the mansion was not there for the right reasons surely suggests that he doesn’t have a firm grasp on social norms, but it doesn’t necessarily imply that he was making a calculated effort to undermine the gameplay of his competitors.

5 Greg Grippo (Katie’s Season)

The frontrunner who abruptly no longer was, Greg Grippo has largely fallen out of favor with those who followed Katie Thurston’s recent season of The Bachelorette. His decision to leave the show abruptly due to his insecurity concerning his relationship with Katie starkly divided audiences and lead some to consider him immature.

But there is much to sympathize with; Greg’s father died when he was young, and he has continuously dealt with the emotional fallout ever since. When viewed with this understanding, Greg’s intensity and serious demeanor are understandable rather than offputting. Greg’s loss of popularity doesn’t necessarily suggest that his character has declined, and he will hopefully be re-evaluated by Bachelorette fans down the line.

4 Nayte Olukoya (Michelle’s Season) 

Michelle Young’s final pick, Nayte Olukoya, was given an unfortunate edit in a later episode of his season in which he was depicted as boasting an inappropriate level of overconfidence as his competitors, Joe and Brandon, succumbed to their nerves while waiting to be called for their respective dates in the infamous Fantasy Suites. This demonization was an unfortunate editing choice on the producers’ part, as Nayte appears to have been a wonderfully kind partner to Michelle and a generous friend to his former castmates in the months since the filming of the season concluded based on where Michelle and her men are now. Thankfully, this unfair portrayal does not appear to have permanently damaged his reputation with the show’s fans.

3 Mike Planeta (Katie’s Season)

Mike Planeta’s relatively reserved nature upended his traction with Bachelorette Katie Thurston, who was exceptionally extraverted and expressive, in addition to costing him popularity with viewers. Mike’s openness about his religiously-motivated virginity didn’t help matters, as his beliefs were in stark contrast to many others in the season. While Planeta’s quiet and calm demeanor evidently didn’t play well for television, one could argue that these traits could be held in far higher regard by fans, as such emotional stability and restraint are not often seen in the Bachelor Mansion.

2 Joe Coleman (Michelle’s Season)

Joe Coleman was targeted by some of his competitors for his interactions with Bachelorette Michelle Young prior to the season’s filming (supposedly having been spotted with her at a nightclub in Minneapolis by another contestant, in addition to admittedly having messaged with her on Instagram), and his quiet nature compounded with such attacks plus Joe’s playing himself late-game to damage his reputation within the franchise. This character assaultis unjustified because Joe showed no signs of malicious intent, nor did he appear to be a conniving strategist. He deserves a more positive reception from Bachelorette fans, and he will hopefully receive it from a larger share of viewers in the future.

1 Clay Harbor (Becca’s Season)

Some members of Bachelor Nation view Bachelorette and Bachelor in Paradise contestant Clay Harbor as aloof and emotionally guarded, with his past as a tight end in the NFL perhaps fueling the misconception that he is not one to emote or otherwise make himself vulnerable. As the other men on the beach of Paradise paraded their eccentric personalities, Clay mostly occupied himself by working out alone. But Clay himself discredited the view that he is dispassionate during his time on Paradise, expressing his affection for Nicole Lopez-Alvar freely before their relationship fell apart in the season finale. While Clay rarely displayed his emotions visibly, his calm communication style nevertheless suggested his depth as an individual.