Brooklyn Willie may not have found love on Bachelor in Paradise season 9, but she met her match once she left the beach.
“Who knew I’d never have to leave Gilmer, Tx to be in Paradise,” Willie, 26, gushed via Instagram on Wednesday, October 11, referring to her Texas hometown.
Willie uploaded a carousel of romantic snaps taken during a photo shoot with new boyfriend Wilson Nugent. She wore a cap-sleeved, floral sundress as she cuddled with her man and held his hand. Nugent, who has a private social media account, opted for a pair of jeans, a checkered button-down and a cowboy hat.
Willie — who initially appeared on Zach Shallcross’ season of The Bachelor earlier this year — received supportive messages from her fellow Bachelor Nation alums in the comments section.
“My Brooklyn, you are glowing and I’m so happy that you are happy!!! 😭,” Charity Lawson, who met Willie on The Bachelor season 27 before being named season 20 Bachelorette, replied. Willie responded that she was “the happiest.”
Wells Adams, Kylee Russell, Kaity Biggar, Samantha Jeffries and more reality TV alums also gushed that Willie was “glowing” in the portraits.
“BEEN WAITING ON THIS!! Love seeing you this happy!! 😍,” Christina Mandrell, who also appeared on Shallcross’ season, added via Instagram comment.
Willie additionally shared a behind-the-scenes glimpse at her photo session with Nugent via TikTok. “The reality of trying to get pictures done,” she jokingly captioned a video on Wednesday.
In the clip, Willie sat in a rocking chair and lip-synched that she “was glad [Wilson] got here when you did” after being late. (Willie and Nugent were replicating a scene from Zach Galifianakis and Kate McKinnon’s 2016 movie Masterminds.)
Willie’s reveal comes less than one week after fans watched her departure from the Bachelor in Paradise beach. As season 9 premiered last month, Willie reflected on her reality TV journey.
“I had such a self-realization moment on The Bachelor. It really put me out of my comfort zone, and I feel like that’s kind of when the best things happen,” she said during an episode of the “Bachelor Happy Hour” podcast. “So, you know, when I had the opportunity to go back in[to] an environment where it’s not normal and you’re not comfortable. I just wanted to jump into that opportunity because, like I said, when I had those opportunities — to be out of my comfort zone — that’s when the best things happened. So I wanted to put it all out there again.”
Willie was one of four women — along with Greer Blitzer, Cat Wong and Olivia Lewis — hoping to get Peter Cappio’s rose during the October 4 episode. Cappio, 33, ultimately chose to give his rose to Lewis, 25.
