Bachelor in Paradise’s Blake Horstmann and Caelynn Miller-Keyes’ Drama: Everything We Know

Credit: ABC

Bachelor in Paradise’s Blake Horstmann and Caelynn Miller-Keyes’ Drama: Everything We Know

A messy feud, indeed. Season 6 of Bachelor in Paradise got off to a rocky start when it returned for its two-night premiere on Monday, August 5, and Tuesday, August 6. At the center of the drama is a complicated situation brewing between Caelynn Miller-Keyes and Blake Horstmann. Bachelor Nation was first introduced to Caelynn, 24, on Colton Underwood’s Bachelor season in January. She quickly became a fan favorite, especially after having the courage to come forward with her experience as a sexual assault survivor. Blake, 30, was a once-beloved contestant who appeared on Becca Kufrin’s season of The Bachelorette in 2018. However, the runner-up quickly garnered backlash from Bachelor Nation fans after he was accused of ghosting Caelynn, who claimed they had been “together.” Blake, meanwhile, never believed they were in a relationship and thought they were simply hooking up. [jwplayer lnQ1FRv1-l3ahXupL] The drama got uglier when viewers learned that Horstmann also had ties to costar Kristina Schulman before appearing on the show. He additionally tried to test the waters with fellow Bachelor in Paradise stars Tayshia Adams and Hannah Godwin. Chris Harrison, longtime Bachelor host, recently addressed the controversy surrounding Blake in the ABC spinoff series. The TV host said the Colorado native “skated” upon joining the show, and Blake probably thought the drama would eventually “blow over.” “Blake was a dumpster fire,” Chris, 48, told E! News on Wednesday, August 7. “Blake himself was an absolute dumpster fire. He was just a car wreck.” Chris continued to elaborate on the contestant’s scandal, adding: “I think what everyone in America will be asking is ‘What were you thinking when you went to Stagecoach and not only hooked up with two women in two nights, but two women in our franchise, that know each other?’” To learn more about what exactly went down between Blake and Caelynn, scroll down for everything we know so far!

Credit: ABC

Bachelor in Paradise’s Blake Horstmann and Caelynn Miller-Keyes’ Drama: Everything We Know

A messy feud, indeed. Season 6 of Bachelor in Paradise got off to a rocky start when it returned for its two-night premiere on Monday, August 5, and Tuesday, August 6. At the center of the drama is a complicated situation brewing between Caelynn Miller-Keyes and Blake Horstmann. Bachelor Nation was first introduced to Caelynn, 24, on Colton Underwood’s Bachelor season in January. She quickly became a fan favorite, especially after having the courage to come forward with her experience as a sexual assault survivor. Blake, 30, was a once-beloved contestant who appeared on Becca Kufrin’s season of The Bachelorette in 2018. However, the runner-up quickly garnered backlash from Bachelor Nation fans after he was accused of ghosting Caelynn, who claimed they had been “together.” Blake, meanwhile, never believed they were in a relationship and thought they were simply hooking up. [jwplayer lnQ1FRv1-l3ahXupL] The drama got uglier when viewers learned that Horstmann also had ties to costar Kristina Schulman before appearing on the show. He additionally tried to test the waters with fellow Bachelor in Paradise stars Tayshia Adams and Hannah Godwin. Chris Harrison, longtime Bachelor host, recently addressed the controversy surrounding Blake in the ABC spinoff series. The TV host said the Colorado native “skated” upon joining the show, and Blake probably thought the drama would eventually “blow over.” “Blake was a dumpster fire,” Chris, 48, told E! News on Wednesday, August 7. “Blake himself was an absolute dumpster fire. He was just a car wreck.” Chris continued to elaborate on the contestant’s scandal, adding: “I think what everyone in America will be asking is ‘What were you thinking when you went to Stagecoach and not only hooked up with two women in two nights, but two women in our franchise, that know each other?’” To learn more about what exactly went down between Blake and Caelynn, scroll down for everything we know so far!

Credit: ABC/Craig Sjodin(3)

What Happens at Stagecoach, Doesn’t Stay at Stagecoach

Blake and Caelynn crossed paths at Stagecoach Festival in April. Bachelor Nation stars such as Colton, Cassie Randolph, Lauren Bushnell and Robby Hayes were also in attendance. Before heading to the country music event, Blake and Caelynn had been in contact for months. However, the former Bachelorette star admitted to having sex with both Caelynn and Kristina on back-to-back nights during the three-day affair. Caelynn later accused Blake of additionally flirting with Tayshia at the festival.

Credit: ABC

Calling Him Out

From the moment Caelynn stepped in Paradise, she brought up the deep history she shared with Blake. She first revealed the news to Chris, telling him that she was not looking forward to seeing her former flame on the show. In a conversation she had with Onyeka Ehie, Caelynn revealed that Colton had set them up. She said that the pair “were talking for a couple months” and even “FaceTiming, like, three times a day … texting every day.” She also noted to Onyeka that Blake informed her that he had “hooked up” with Kristina the day before they had sex at Stagecoach and that he regarded their get-together as “a mistake.”

Credit: ABC/Craig Sjodin(2)

Ladies' Man

Blake came to play in the two-night premiere. He connected with Hannah and Tayshia shortly after his arrival. When he received the first date card, he opted to explore things further with Tayshia. In night two, he later caused a rift between Hannah and her potential love interest Dylan Barbour when he tried to pursue the Bachelor alum.

Credit: ABC/John Fleenor

A Confrontation

Kristina spoke with Blake about their past together on Tuesday’s episode, where she admitted that the Caelynn situation “was like a slap in the face.” However, he explained to Kristina that after he hooked up with the former beauty queen, they realized that they “probably took it too far.” When Caelynn confronted Blake later on, she grew emotional over him wanting to keep their connection a secret. “I feel like a slimy, disgusting secret that you’re ashamed of. You literally told me to lie for you,” she said.

Credit: ABC/John Fleenor

Supplying Receipts

As his golden boy status was quickly depleting during the show’s premiere, Blake took to Instagram to emotionally announce his plan to release his private texts with Caelynn because he had “no other choice.” He released their conversations on his Instagram Stories after the episode aired, and it made Caelynn appear as the instigator. She texted that she would come over after Stagecoach “only [for] sex,” whereas Blake wrote that “we can cuddle but no sex” because he claimed to know how she behaved “when you get a little alcohol in you.” Blake eventually deleted the screenshots amid the backlash Caelynn received following his reveal. Demi Burnett, meanwhile, tweeted: “If only y’all could see our paradise group chat right now.”

Credit: ABC/John Fleenor

Fighting Back

After Blake ignited more fuel into the fire with his leaked texts, Caelynn released an extensive Instagram statement in response. She did not “deny those text messages or the conversations that took place,” but she claimed that “a large part of the story is missing” from the narrative. “The reality of the situation is that Blake was not a one night stand at a music festival and the ‪5 am‬ text exchange that Blake chose to share is not an accurate representation of our past relationship,” she wrote on Wednesday, August 7. “I take ownership for what I said on the beach. I was upset and I let my emotions control my words. However, I did not go on a show to ruin someone’s character.”