Maybe Chad’s not so bad. This season’s Bachelorette villain Chad Johnson showed his softer side and shared a touching tribute to his late mother on Instagram on Tuesday, June 28.
The 28-year-old luxury real estate agent from Tulsa, Oklahoma, opened up to Bachelorette JoJo Fletcher about losing his mother to cancer earlier this season, before he was sent home. He explained that he hasn’t had a serious relationship in several years because he devoted all his free time to taking care of his mother while she was sick.
Johnson shared a photo of a memorial to his mom on Tuesday, which included framed photos, flowers, seashells and an urn. “Having a hard time missing my Mom today. She was the happiest most positive person I’ve ever known and she was taken from me and my family way too soon,” he wrote. “For everyone out there with a loved one fighting cancer, I want to encourage you to seek alternative healing methods other than #chemo. Watching my mother go through #breastcancer and then #livercancer while being treated with #chemotherapy was the worst thing a person or a family could ever have to endure. Please people, look into a change of diet, a change of lifestyle, and natural healing methods such as cannabis oil. Give your loved ones a fighting chance.”
The season 12 contestant previously explained on Instagram in a May 31 post that his mother’s death factored into his decision to look for love on The Bachelorette. “The one question people keep asking, is why did I go on #TheBachelorette?” he wrote. “Well other than the fact that I work all the time, for 7 years I watched my mother slowly die from cancer. Over the last 3 she got much worse and I decided to spend all of my time that I wasn't working, at her house taking care of her and generally spending time with her. She was all alone since her divorce from my father. My sister and I were all that she had. So I have not had a relationship in a very long time because I was busy trying to make sure my mother lived out her final years in comfort and surrounded by family. I still miss her everyday… She was my best friend and the person I told everything to.”
The former marine earned his reputation as the notorious villain — and the nickname “Bad Chad” — for his antics, which isolated him from the rest of the men in the Bachelor mansion. He threatened to beat up the other suitors, ripped Evan Bass’ shirt and even called Fletcher “naggy.” After his time on the show, he continued to terrorize the other men. He posted PDA-filled photos with fellow contestant Robby Hayes’ ex-girlfriend Hope Higginbotham, and accused the other guys of “cheating on their girlfriends” to come on the ABC dating show.
Johnson will get a second shot at love when he appears on season 3 of Bachelor in Paradise, which is set to air on ABC on August 2.
