Another week, another unsubstantiated rumor on The Bachelor that's threatening to destroy real relationships. This time Tayshia claimed to Colton that Caelynn was talking about being the Bachelorette, which led to him being concerned that she wasn't there for the right reasons. Caelynn fiercely denied saying any such thing during her one-on-one with Colton. Tayshia maintains she's telling the truth. But whether or not the rumor is true, it's certainly not the end of the world to be having those kinds of thoughts and conversations. Hear me out.
This is the second time a gossipy rumor has ended with Colton more confused than ever. Before her own elimination, Onyeka claimed to Colton that Nicole had been saying she was going to use the show to get out of Miami. Nicole responded that she said no such thing, and it launched a back and forth argument that got no one anywhere and ended with Colton sending them both home.
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This rumor is just as much a she-said, she-said since viewers haven't seen any footage matching the conversation Tayshia was talking about. But even if that supposed conversation about Caelynn's Bachelorette chances did happen (and even if one of the other women decided to talk about her Bachelorette chances or life after the show sans-Colton, for that matter) there's nothing wrong with that.
Statistically speaking, at this point in the season, there's a six-in-seven chance that a given contestant is going to go home broken-hearted. There can only be one winner, and these women are smart enough to do the math. Speculating about your future (with Colton or without) is natural. Also, you're secluded in a hotel room without books or music or TV or the internet. So, your mind is going to wander about what comes next. And while these women may all want to end up with Colton, the reality is that at least six of them will not.
The other truth is that one of these seven will almost certainly be the Bachelorette (it has been the case for almost every season in the past). It's only fair that they're allowed to be realistic about all the possibilities their actual lives may hold.
What isn't fair is asking that each contestant is 100 percent totally invested in her future with Colton all while Colton is splitting his time and attention seven ways and considering a future with all of them. They can be ready for marriage and be interested in marrying Colton, but still consider what other options your future may have for you because at the end of the day, he may not choose them.
After all, that's exactly what happened Monday night: Hannah B. showed viewers that a contestant can be all-in on Colton and he could not feel the same way and send them packing. So pardon Bachelor contestants participating in this abnormal social experiment to find love if they need a bit of a silver lining, like thinking that if you lose the man you love/like/fancy, that maybe the Bachelorette is an option.
We can never know exactly what our futures hold, and The Bachelor is a fickle, wild show for the contestants. When there's no certainty of a proposal coming your way or of a relationship being the one true one among the stack of the Bachelor's other relationships, it's only natural to think of what else could be ahead for you. It doesn't reflect on anything else except your brain processes this extreme situation in a totally normal way. And we (and Colton) shouldn't read into it any further than that.