Surprisingly enough, The Bachelor franchise went nearly 20 years before an official divorce.
There are several pairings still going strong from The Bachelor, The Bachelorette and Bachelor in Paradise, but the majority of the duos who meet on the reality TV shows go their separate ways before they walk down the aisle. And while some consider Marcus Grodd and Lacy Faddoul the first Bachelor Nation divorce (more on them later), Krystal Nielson and Chris Randone made history in February 2020 as the first duo to legally end their marriage.
Krystal and Chris met while filming season 5 of Bachelor in Paradise during the summer of 2018. After getting engaged during the finale, they returned to Mexico to tie the knot in front of ABC cameras in June 2019. After less than a year of marriage, they announced their separation.
“I think one of the biggest issues was me going from one show to the next, with really no time to process,” Chris admitted to Us Weekly in August 2020. “Because I think after I got eliminated from [Becca Kufrin’s] season [of The Bachelorette], it was only a couple of weeks where I was back on another show. But I traveled back, my sister had a baby, and then I literally was back on a plane to Mexico. … I couldn’t process it or focus on that or just be able to address it because I had a relationship [and] I was engaged and then that turned into a marriage. And the entire time I abandoned myself, which I think led to just some issues within me as well.”
Chris added that the goal of their separation was to “allow us to focus on ourselves and continue to grow and get better,” but Krystal ultimately pulled the plug for good on their relationship.
“As time went by, like, I gained a different perspective. And so as much as I wanted to [reconcile] and the attempts that I made, at least I can move forward knowing that I did that,” he told Us.
Several months after Krystal and Chris’ split made headlines, Bachelorette season 7 couple Ashley Hebert and J.P. Rosenbaum revealed in October 2020 they had quietly separated after nearly eight years of marriage.
“It is with a heavy heart that I share with you that, after months of separation, Jp and I have amicably decided to go our separate ways,” the dentist wrote via Instagram. “We created the most beautiful children and shared memories that will never be forgotten. Our differences have taken a toll on our relationship and after years of attempting to repair the damage, we’ve decided that it is in our family’s best interest to create new and separate lives for our children.
Scroll through for more on divorce in Bachelor Nation:
The pair met on season 3 of Bachelor in Paradise in 2016. They wed the following year in Mexico in a televised ceremony. News of Evan and Carly's split broke in December 2020 after three years of marriage. In June 2022, Bass revealed it was still “hard” to talk about his split from Waddell. “I'm not out of it. … Like, it's still emotional,” he said on the “Talking It Out” podcast. “It's this deep sadness still, I don't know if you ever just get completely, like, perfect. There’s the scars and the wounds — they heal but they're also there to teach you and teach me and I’m trying my best.” At the time, he also reflected on how the duo have approached coparenting their two children, daughter Bella and son Charlie. “It's been a bit of a process,” Bass shared. “I really wanted, like, 50/50 but there's part of that you just have to give up and be, like, they're so young, they need their mom. It sucked. I hate it. I hate not being with them all the time. You work through it. It's never easy. There’s no such thing as easy coparenting. … But with Carly, it's fine. I think we've found our groove and it's good.” Milla Cochran/startraksphoto.com
Marcus and Lacy were the first successful Bachelor in Paradise couple, getting engaged during the season 1 finale in 2014. The following year, fans watched the pair exchange vows in front of Chris Harrison and the BiP season 2 cast. When news broke of their split in June 2016, however, Marcus revealed they were never legally married. “It feels like she's a runaway bride,” he told Life & Style at the time. "When we came back [from Mexico], we were supposed to start the paperwork, but she stalled." ABC/Agustin Murillo
Three months after Chris told Us exclusively that he had recently received divorce papers from Krystal, the fitness guru announced she is pregnant and expecting her first child with boyfriend Miles Bowles. Chris wrote via Instagram that the news was “icing on the cake for feeling truly broken.” He explained: “But I know in my heart I’m gonna find a super dope woman and have the most beautiful babies a dad could ask for. So, I’ll continue to follow my heart and let God guide my path in finding an incredible woman to build & grow with.” Krystal and Miles welcomed daughter Andrea in March 2021. ABC/John Fleenor
The Bachelorette season 7 couple, who wed in 2012, share son Fordham and daughter Essex. “We’ve done absolutely everything we possibly can to try to salvage this marriage,” J.P. wrote in October 2020 via Instagram. “I think we’ve both come to realize that we are just two very different people, with very different personalities and perspectives, who just don’t see eye to eye on a lot life fundamentals, those which are the building blocks for a happy and healthy marriage.” Us broke the news in October 2021 that the pair finalized their divorce three months after J.P. filed the paperwork. Broadimage/Shutterstock
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