Spoiler alert! This story discusses rumors about Season 7 of Bachelor in Paradise from episodes that have not aired yet. You’ve been warned!
With contestants from The Bachelor and The Bachelorette facing such slim odds that they’ll actually be the ones finding love with the series lead, many often end up finding and dating each other outside of any televised format. It makes sense — they’ve all been through the same vetting process, and they’ve had a shared experience of what it’s like to date someone in such a unique setting. Bachelor in Paradise capitalizes on that, providing cast-offs with a second chance at love, with viewers getting to see their favorites continue the journey they originally set out on, with Brendan Morais and Pieper James currently being the vets in question.
As Blake Horstmann proved in Season 6 of Bachelor in Paradise, dating a cast mate prior to filming the spinoff can lead to some sticky situations, though it looks like one Season 7 couple is rumored to have done just that, with Brendan Morais and Pieper James having actually come out on the other side still together. Let’s start at the beginning: Brendan, who was on Clare Crawford and Tayshia Adams' season, was seen back in April dating Pieper from Matt James’ season. You know the old saying: What happens before Paradise will definitely get brought up in Paradise. (That’s a thing, right?) Well, according to Reality Steve, this may have forced an early exit for the couple.
Brendan Morais and Pieper James left the show before overnights as a couple. We saw the stories pre-show that they were dating before BIP even started, this became a storyline on the show, I believe they started getting called out for it by others, so they just bounced, but are dating post-show.
Yeah, it would be completely understandable if the other Bachelor in Paradise contestants who are really there to find love were bothered to learn about their co-stars' shared history. If you’ve already found someone to get romantic with, you’re just on the show for a paid vacation. (Which is also a completely understandable urge.) So if Reality Steve is right, we shouldn’t count on Brendan Morais and Pieper James being among the contestants who get engaged on the beach this season, as it appears they booked an early flight home. But that doesn’t mean they’re not still going strong in the real world! Reality Steve tweeted a photo, which apparently shows the couple together in Miami this past weekend.
Now, it isn’t the best photo, as it only shows half of who we’ll assume is Pieper James’ face, and the man from the back really could be anybody, but I’m okay with giving the photographer the benefit of the doubt, assuming the person got an actual look at the couple to confirm who they were before snapping the photo. It’s all rumors until it airs anyway!
Brendan Morais made his Bachelor in Paradise debut during last week’s premiere, while Pieper James has yet to appear on the beach. According to Reality Steve, Brendan actually goes through at least one rose ceremony before "reuniting" with James. Until that happens, I’ll definitely have my eye on what he's up to with the other bachelorettes in Paradise. Will he lead other women on while he waits his real-world lover? Will he form a connection with someone else in the meantime?
Bachelor in Paradise will air twice a week now, starting at 8 p.m. ET Monday and Tuesday on ABC. Be sure to check out our Fall 2021 TV schedule to keep up with all of the upcoming premieres!
