Greg Grippo

Before appearing on The Bachelorette, Greg Grippo was a marketing sales representative from New Jersey. Grippo made a splash when he became a frontrunner on season 17 of the ABC dating series, which aired in 2021. During his time on the show, he shared his personal story of loss, revealing that his dad, Frank Grippo, passed away in 2018.

The TV personality’s story line on the show, however, took a negative turn when he exited after hometowns because Bachelorette Katie Thurston wouldn’t say she loved him (or anyone) before a proposal.

The pair’s dramatic end divided Bachelor Nation, with some fans feeling Grippo’s sadness over not getting back the love he wanted in that moment. Others sided with Thurston, who later hinted that he was gaslighting her and claimed he never truly wanted to be with her. She eventually got engaged to Blake Moynes.

In August 2021, Us Weekly confirmed that Grippo was in the running to be the season 26 Bachelor despite his controversial departure.