New Book Exposes 'Disgusting' Truth About ‘The Bachelor’: 'If They Were Unstable and Pretty...'

A new book is pulling back the curtain on one of TV's most popular reality shows— The Bachelor. Cue the Sun: The Invention of Reality TV by Emily Nussbaum exposed the alleged unsavory tactics used by producers of the show to create drama and boost ratings. She wrote that the contestants were reportedly plied with alcohol and manipulated into embarrassing situations. Additionally, emotional instability was seen as a desirable trait in potential cast members.

Marki Costello, the show's casting director, admitted to prioritizing vulnerable women. She stated, "If they were unstable and pretty, that's gold." This established the standard for how contestants were handled. The book also delved into how a whiteboard was used to profile prospects. It included descriptions like 'Daddy's Girl', 'Recovering Anorexic,' and 'Just Got Dumped'. These characteristics were viewed as weaknesses to exploit for dramatic effect. Alcohol also played a major role in creating chaos. From the moment they arrived, contestants were given champagne, as per The Reality Tea.

Once inside the mansion, the drinks kept flowing. Rhonda Rittenhouse, a contestant from the first season, recalled feeling trapped. "I felt like a caged rat," she recounted, describing the constant circulation of cocktail trays. Food was, however, scarce. "Inside the house, they were offered more drinks, but no food. And when the food finally arrived (the caterers had been fired, they were told) it was disgusting stuff— white bread with squeezed cheese and pickled cucumber. Unsurprisingly, they got trashed," Nussbaum wrote. "Because there were no porta-potties, a few of them wound up hiking up their ballgowns and peeing on the side of the road," as per Radar Online. 

The producers actively pushed contestants into uncomfortable situations. One woman was pressured for two hours to disrobe and enter a hot tub on camera. Show creator Mike Fleiss seemed unconcerned about her reservations, noting, "She wanted to know if we had cameras in the water," as per The Daily Mail. The alleged manipulation didn't stop there. Producers were incentivized to create drama. Scott Jeffress, a supervising producer, described handing out cash bonuses. He would peel off $100 bills to reward staff for "special achievements, like getting a girl to cry on camera."

It wasn't just the contestants who overindulged. The book stated that staff and crew members drank heavily and used marijuana during production. Nussbaum wrote that Fleiss himself was fond of tequila. "The cast drank, the crew drank, the managers drank." This culture of excess extended beyond mere substance use. The book alleged that Fleiss and executive producer, Lisa Levenson, engaged in an 'open affair' despite both being married. A source claims, "All the field producers talked about how much they were screwing around in the limos." Levenson justified the drinking culture as a way to build trust with contestants. "You had to drink with them to get them to trust you."