Bachelor in Paradise literally only just hit the schedule for Season 6, but there’s already been drama, thanks to the contestants sometimes knowing one another from previous incarnations of ABC’s other Bachelor Nation shows. Case in point, during the very first episode of Bachelor in Paradise contestant Caelynn Miller-Keyes called out fellow contestant Blake Horstmann basically for having a lot of sex.
But back up, because it’s more complicated than that. Back in April, allegedly Blake Horstmann and Caelynn Miller-Keyes hooked up while at the Stagecoach Festival. She later found out Horstmann had sex with her just one night after having sex with fellow castmate Kristina Schulman. Beyond all of this, he was flirty with other contestants on the show, including Tayshia Adams.
For a full rundown of what happened in the first episode, take a look at our guide to the ep.
It seems like a lot. If you were watching, it was a lot. Yet, Blake Horstmann now says Bachelor in Paradise went out of its way to make him look bad, noting that he was never in a relationship with Caelynn Miller-Keyes. Here’s what he said about Caelynn on social media:
I was not able to defend myself on Bachelor in Paradise, because me and most of the beach had no idea the things Caelynn was saying in her interviews. I NEVER ‘sweet talked’ her at Stagecoach. Caelynn and I were NEVER in a relationship. I NEVER ghosted Caelynn, I NEVER called her a mistake and I NEVER EVER EVER silenced Caelynn.
He did, however, release their text message exchanges in the attempt to defend himself. The release included text messages from Caelynn mentioning things like, ‘If I come over it’s strictly for sex. Nothing more nothing less.' Other text messages talked about their plans for the upcoming season of the show and more. Many were intimate or intimate-ish.
Caelynn Miller-Keyes went out of her way to make it clear to her fanbase that Blake Horstmann was not perceived as a “one night stand” and that she was mortified their text messages were ever made public in her own post.
I attempted to address my feelings and the situation with Blake face to face. It’s unfortunate that I didn't get the same respect in return, and I am absolutely mortified our private texts were put out there for the world to see and judge by someone who I trusted and consider a friend nonetheless. It’s clear to me that Blake and I had different ideas of what our “relationship” was. We started talking months before Stagecoach. We FaceTimed everyday and talked about potentially skipping paradise to be together. When I say he ghosted me, it was after those few months of us talking. It was my understanding there was no one else and I thought we were on the same page. What infuriates me the most is that I’m being trolled for having sex because of what I’ve been through. I want to be very clear that I am not looking for sympathy. I took the necessary steps to move on and heal, but I will not be abstinent for the rest of my life because of it.
She goes on in her post to call the situation “complicated," particularly given text messages revealed they debated back and forth about going public about the hook-up and appearing on Bachelor in Paradise together before all of the wild reveals happened in the opening week for the ABC reality show.
Horstmann does admit the past year has been complicated for him, as well. He said on Instagram that the past year has been rough on him, noting,
I made a lot of mistakes this past year that I’m not proud of. I know some people don’t think this show is real, but it is. It is very real. Everybody handles heartbreak different and everybody handles the public eye differently. I have a lot of insecurities I’ve been struggling with and lost myself this year. I’ve gotten way over my head with women and have made a lot of mistakes and although never my intent, I hurt several people along the way.
Blake Horstmann had also said in his story he hopes Caelynn forgives him and they can move on, particularly given they both had cold feet about the show, but ultimately showed up for the gig. At the end of the day, Caelynn Miller-Keyes still seems to be pretty upset about everything that happened, but during their exchanges to clear the air they both seemed to want to move on. For Caelynn’s part, she does mention there are two sides to every story and we’ll likely continue to see multiple sides unfold on TV.
Well, we certainly can say Bachelor in Paradise had a notable start, at least for fans of all that drama. And this isn't even getting into all of the stuff that happened with Blake and Kristina, who is sort of tied to this story as well, given she had sex with Blake right before Caelynn did at Stagecoach. We've been calling the new season of the ABC show "The Blake Show" even before it aired, and I don't expect that to change in the near future.
Tune in and find out for yourself when new episodes of Bachelor in Paradise air on ABC during its Monday and Tuesday lineups at 8 p.m. ET. To see what else is coming to TV soon, take a look at our full schedule.
