Bachelor Nation Has Mixed Feelings About Clare Crawley’s Controversial Season of ‘The Bachelorette’

Credit: ABC/Maarten de Boer

Bachelor Nation Has Mixed Feelings About Clare Crawley's Controversial Season of 'The Bachelorette'

While it seems Dale Moss has secured Clare Crawley’s final rose, would other members of Bachelor Nation be down to accept it? Former Bachelor and Bachelorette contestants have been very vocal about the 39-year-old hairstylist’s stint as the season 16 lead … which will seemingly come to an end during the Thursday, November 5, episode. Us Weekly confirmed in August that Clare stopped filming the show within the first two weeks of production because she was already in love with one of her suitors. ABC subsequently called Tayshia Adams to take over the role. While reports initially suggested that Clare quit the show, she has since “liked” a series of tweets implying she was forced to step down. Host Chris Harrison, for his part, has maintained that Clare is in control of her own destiny. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9rpWFJErVY&t=663s&ab_channel=UsWeekly[/embed] “This season of The Bachelorette was completely about Clare. It’s all about Clare, and she will decide where we go from here. It’s totally, completely up to her,” he told Entertainment Tonight on October 28. ABC executive Robert Mills, meanwhile, admitted that production was worried that the season was “going to be Dale from episode 1 to episode 10” during shooting. “When she didn’t give out that rose [on the roast group date] and she just gave it to herself, that was it. That was really it, when we started making the call [to replace her],” he said on the October 27 episode of the “Viall Files” podcast. “I think that Clare was exactly what we thought she’d be, which is Clare — unpredictable,” Mills added. “Nothing ever comes easy to Clare. The one time she’s the Bachelorette, she would have been better off in that group setting.” Clare’s bestie and Bachelor in Paradise season 1 costar Michelle Money, however, believes the network may have been planning to bring in Tayshia from the beginning. “It feels to me that they had a plan, and they were executing the plan and I’m not necessarily saying it’s a bad plan. Clare obviously fell in love with Dale really quickly, but the irony is that Tayshia had to have come in and quarantined before even filming,” Michelle dished on Us Weekly’s “Here for the Right Reasons” podcast. “They had this girl already on standby before they even knew what was going on with Clare and Dale. What was going on behind-the-scenes that Clare had no idea was going on that was completely manipulated and produced?” Scroll through for reactions to Clare’s stint as the Bachelorette: Hear the Us Weekly editors break down the most surprising celebrity births during the pandemic in under 2 minutes!

Credit: ABC/Maarten de Boer

Bachelor Nation Has Mixed Feelings About Clare Crawley's Controversial Season of 'The Bachelorette'

While it seems Dale Moss has secured Clare Crawley’s final rose, would other members of Bachelor Nation be down to accept it? Former Bachelor and Bachelorette contestants have been very vocal about the 39-year-old hairstylist’s stint as the season 16 lead … which will seemingly come to an end during the Thursday, November 5, episode. Us Weekly confirmed in August that Clare stopped filming the show within the first two weeks of production because she was already in love with one of her suitors. ABC subsequently called Tayshia Adams to take over the role. While reports initially suggested that Clare quit the show, she has since “liked” a series of tweets implying she was forced to step down. Host Chris Harrison, for his part, has maintained that Clare is in control of her own destiny. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9rpWFJErVY&t=663s&ab_channel=UsWeekly[/embed] “This season of The Bachelorette was completely about Clare. It’s all about Clare, and she will decide where we go from here. It’s totally, completely up to her,” he told Entertainment Tonight on October 28. ABC executive Robert Mills, meanwhile, admitted that production was worried that the season was “going to be Dale from episode 1 to episode 10” during shooting. “When she didn’t give out that rose [on the roast group date] and she just gave it to herself, that was it. That was really it, when we started making the call [to replace her],” he said on the October 27 episode of the “Viall Files” podcast. “I think that Clare was exactly what we thought she’d be, which is Clare — unpredictable,” Mills added. “Nothing ever comes easy to Clare. The one time she’s the Bachelorette, she would have been better off in that group setting.” Clare’s bestie and Bachelor in Paradise season 1 costar Michelle Money, however, believes the network may have been planning to bring in Tayshia from the beginning. “It feels to me that they had a plan, and they were executing the plan and I’m not necessarily saying it’s a bad plan. Clare obviously fell in love with Dale really quickly, but the irony is that Tayshia had to have come in and quarantined before even filming,” Michelle dished on Us Weekly’s “Here for the Right Reasons” podcast. “They had this girl already on standby before they even knew what was going on with Clare and Dale. What was going on behind-the-scenes that Clare had no idea was going on that was completely manipulated and produced?” Scroll through for reactions to Clare’s stint as the Bachelorette: Hear the Us Weekly editors break down the most surprising celebrity births during the pandemic in under 2 minutes!

Credit: Nancy Rivera/Ace Pictures/Shutterstock

DeAnna Pappas

The season 4 Bachelorette, who visited Clare in Palm Springs, is rooting for the hairstylist and Dale. 

“What I encouraged both of them to do is definitely enjoy the ride, take the opportunities because they’ll forever change the way their lives go and to love it and enjoy it but also to nurture and take care of what they have,” she said on the “Almost Famous” podcast in November 2020.

DeAnna added that she has been reaching out to Clare — and sending her flowers — amid the backlash. 

“She’s just been put through the ringer and the things that people are saying about her and about her life and stuff online can just be really hurtful,” she said. “I just feel bad for her because I feel like in a period of time where this should be really joyful for her and this should be a really great experience and probably one of the most exciting things that she will go through, it has not been that for her.”

Credit: Broadimage/Shutterstock

Tyler Cameron

"[Matt James] dodged a bullet,” the Bachelorette alum told E! News. "That boy is on his own. Just ‘cause it's a mess. It's just a disaster. You know what I mean? It's nothing about Clare. It's a mess, you know? Just to be able to jump and skip and be the Bachelor, like who, I mean, of course, good for him, so I am very happy he's not there."

Tyler added that he doesn’t know Clare personally. “I don't know Clare as a person so I don't know who she is on or off camera. … She has what she wants, she knows what she wants. She's very decisive."

Credit: Courtesy of Michelle Money/Instagram

Michelle Money

Michelle has Clare’s back, telling Us that she thinks editing is partially to blame.

“Clare spent an equal amount of time with every single one of those guys. That’s what frustrating, you don’t get to see the whole story,” Michelle said on Us Weekly’s “Here for the Right Reasons” podcast. “The way that they’re editing this story line is so out of context, it’s just so frustrating as her friend. … Do you really, honestly think she wasn’t talking about any other guy?”

She added that Clare is “struggling” with the backlash.

Credit: Courtesy of Benoit Beausejour-Savard/Instagram

Benoit Beausejour-Savard

Clare’s ex-fiancé had similar feelings to Michelle.

“She has some good qualities than right now what we’ve seen it’s only [the] drama part. Clare is a really deep person. She likes to get to know you on a really deeper level, which is not showing at all,” the Bachelor Winter Games alum said on the “Almost Famous” podcast. “I would say this is not the Clare that I know. Put yourself into her shoes, you’re doing quarantine in a resort. This show’s a bit [of a] mindf—k, you’re been there, it’s a lot to manage and I feel like at some point maybe she was overwhelmed by all of this,” he said. “She felt super strong feelings with Dale and then this whole thing played out. … There’s a little difference in the Clare that is shown on TV than the Clare that I know in real life.”

Credit: CraSH/imageSPACE/Shutterstock

Tanner Tolbert

“Catching up on #TheBachelorette and I honestly just feel bad for all of these guys … except Yosef,” the Bachelor in Paradise season 2 alum tweeted. “Bachelorette Power Rankings 1- Chris Harrison 2- (tied) All these other seemingly nice guys getting their time wasted … 30-Clare 31-Dale 32-Yosef.”

Credit: Gregory Pace/Shutterstock

Ashley Spivey

“The Bachelor franchise higher ups need to speak out now against the people who are revealing Clare’s number and address and encouraging people to harass her. This s—t is out of control and they don’t do nearly enough to protect contestants,” the Bachelor season 15  contestant tweeted. “The edit towards her every week has been progressively more unkind and framing her as someone who is ‘destroying the show’ - what did they think was going to happen? It didn’t have to be this way!”

Clare “liked” Ashley’s tweets.

Credit: Kathy Hutchins/Shutterstock

Nick Viall

The season 21 Bachelor predicted in September that Clare didn’t quit, suggesting that producers likely “adapted” and wanted to make sure the season would be entertaining. Nick has also reminded fans to remember they are watching a TV show. “Stop Dming Clare, stop harassing her in her comments, chill out. Enjoy the show,” he tweeted. “This is meant to be fun. 2020 you’re exhausting. Clare … thank you for the silly fun entertainment.”

Credit: Broadimage/Shutterstock

Becca Tilley

"I felt like I had butterflies when [Clare and Dale] met. … They have a very obvious connection. And it must be obvious for all the other men, I would imagine, who are witnessing it. I feel a spark with Dale through the screen, so I can imagine what it’s like in real life,” the two-time Bachelor contestant said on Us’ “Here for the Right Reasons” podcast after the second episode.

Becca added that it’s possible fans will get two love stories, comparing Clare and Tayshia’s season to season 11 of The Bachelorette, when the men voted for Kaitlyn Bristowe or Britt Nilsson to be the lead. “A lot of the guys that ended up being on Kaitlyn season chose Britt, [but we’re able to say], ‘I originally came for Britt but I’m so excited to get to know you and it worked out,” she explained. “I mean, a lot of those guys were, you know, on the show for a long time, so I don't think it necessarily is not going to be believable [if Tayshia finds love too].”

Credit: Courtesy of Dylan Barbour/Instagram

Dylan Barbour

The BiP season 6 star referred to the season as a “s—tshow” via Twitter. “Petition to start this season over with puppies for 2 hours every Tuesday,” he wrote. “I’m sorry but this is awful.”

Credit: Kathy Hutchins/Shutterstock

Ashley Iaconetti

“Because she’s not behaving in the prototypical lead way that it’s creating a much more entertaining season for us,” the Bachelor season 19 alum said on her “Almost Famous” podcast. “I kind of drank the Dale Kool-Aid [during the third episode]. I was kind of like, ‘OK, I’m going to throw caution into the wind and totally ship these two.’ … I’m trying to lean into them being together, however, I wonder if he would have all these moves and all this sweet Dale-ness no matter who the lead is.”

Credit: Broadimage/Shutterstock

Ben Higgins

“She’s very passionate. … Here’s the problem with picking one and isolating them. The love story part, I can kind of get behind, it’s like it’s sweet and that’s nice and you found your love,” the season 20 Bachelor said on the “Almost Famous” podcast. “The problem is we only get four weeks of a season.”