Updated August 10, 2020: As a franchise, The Bachelor has a history of being messy, but the upcoming iteration of the ABC dating series has been outrageously wild for a season that hasn’t even really gotten started yet. Week after week, shocking updates emerge from the La Quinta Resort & Club where The Bachelorette’s production team is scrambling to shoot Clare Crawley and Tayshia Adams’ season of the show — and the latest developments from the set have Bachelor Nation wondering what the hell is going on.
Clare’s season has been chaos almost from the very beginning. Because the pandemic hit shortly after she was announced as the Bachelorette, she and the men vying for her heart were forced to embark on their journey to true love (or corporate social media sponsorships) from within the confines of the California resort they’re shooting in. Then, rumors began swirling that Clare had hit it off instantly with a contestant named Dale Moss and was leaving the show early to be with him, forcing production to bring in Tayshia to as a last minute replacement as the season’s lead.
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But the plot has only thickened since Tayshia’s crowning as the Bachelorette just earlier this week, and it now possibly involves Bachelor Nation alums Becca Kufrin and Hannah Ann Sluss and a slew of other familiar faces from the franchise. You’re going to need to sit down for this rundown — there’s a lot going on.
The Rumor: Production brought in reinforcements to liven up Bachelorette filming
On August 5, Bachelor insider @thatsuitcaseguy shared a shocking thread about what was going down in the La Quinta Resort. He revealed that after Clare dipped to be with Dale, and Tayshia was brought in, several of the men who had been cut from the roster because of their age were brought back in for the new Bachelorette to mingle with. But even with the new blood, the vibe was off at Tayshia's first cocktail party; the morale was reportedly noticeably low because of all the drama that had occurred in such a short time.
5. This is where things get crazy: The morning after T's cocktail party, producers weren't happy with the storylines and connections developed the night before. Somehow the rush to save the season took some air out of the sails of T and the men and the energy was low.
— BachelorSuitcaseGuy (@thatsuitcaseguy) August 5, 2020
"The morning after T's cocktail party, producers weren't happy with the storylines and connections developed the night before," wrote @thatsuitcaseguy. "Somehow the rush to save the season took some air out of the sails of T and the men and the energy was low."
According to him, this is when production flew in some familiar faces to shake things up on set — Hannah Ann and Becca.
The Rumor: Season 16 of The Bachelorette will have three Bachelorettes
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Stay with me here. @Thesuitcaseguy claims that Hannah Ann and Becca were brought in to serve alongside Tayshia as part of what he calls a "Bachelorette Triumverate."
"Producers are still working out the details, but expect a hybrid rose ceremony set-up where three girls will decide the men to keep," he explained in the thread. "Lots of options opened up with group dates and even potential competition between the women. There will be three engagements."
6. This is when producers got on the phone with Hannah Ann Sluss (Peter's winner) and decided to, for the first time in Bachelor history, create a PANEL of bachelorettes for the guys to choose from. (her suitcase was abnormally heavy!) pic.twitter.com/laDzrWywo6
— BachelorSuitcaseGuy (@thatsuitcaseguy) August 5, 2020
8. What this means: Producers are still working out the details, but expect a hybrid rose ceremony set-up where three girls will decide the men to keep. Lots of options opened up with group dates and even potential competition between the women. There will be three engagements.
— BachelorSuitcaseGuy (@thatsuitcaseguy) August 5, 2020
How likely is this? If you ask me, the probability of a Bachelorette trio is pretty low; while Hannah Ann is single and ready to mingle, Becca reportedly just broke up with her Bachelorette fiancé Garrett Yrigoyen. But if this is true, it is some bullshit. The franchise already has a show where multiple people compete for each other's love, and it's called Bachelor in Paradise. If you're going to give Tayshia another shot at finding love, let her have her moment without complicating things further. She was a top contender to be this season's Bachelorette to begin with, and the situation is already messy.
The Rumor: The Bachelorette and Bachelor in Paradise/Bachelor Pad are filming concurrently
That La Quinta Resort is housing a lot of people right now. A number of Bachelor Nation alum have been sharing social media content that shows them kicking back at similar location, and fans are speculating that we might also be getting a new season of Bachelor in Paradise or throwing it back with something similar to Bachelor Pad but with a quarantine spin.
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Ashley Iaconetti and Sydney Lotuaco have both been seen on what appears to be hotel property, and even Bri Stauss and Chris Watson from Listen to Your Heart as kicking in at the resort. Fan favorite Wells Adams also booked it to Palm Springs and was photographed bartending — just like he does every season of Bachelor in Paradise.
The Rumor: Clare will be hanging out at the resort for the duration of the season
Now that Clare has possibly been replaced by not one but three new Bachelorettes, you'd think that she'd be able to ride off into the sunset with Dale, right? Wrong. According to resident spoiler Reality Steve, Clare is still being kept at the production site for some reason.
"Clare Crawley isn't leaving Southern California until this filming is over," Reality Steve revealed in an Instagram Live conversation with Ashley Spivey. "She's there. She's not in South Dakota. She's not in Sacramento. She is being kept there until this is all over. Captive at La Quinta until this is all over."
Clare is currently stuck in California, but a little social media snooping revealed that her man may be states away in his native South Dakota. This certainly throws a wrench in her happily-ever-after; just ask Peter Weber and Hannah Ann (or Madison Prewett) was long distance does to a Bachelor relationship.
The presence of all of these different people, who are all presumed to be in committed relationships, on a Bachelor set makes their reason for being there all the more confusing. If you're not looking for love, why are you here? What's going on at that resort??
I don't know about you, but I'm already tired of all the drama. All in favor for skipping this season and waiting for Matt James to find love next year, say "aye."