Joey Graziadei was stunned to have to deal with bullying allegations in the house on Monday's episode of “The Bachelor” on ABC.
The bullying allegations came to the surface when Madina Alam told him that one of the girls wanted to know who had made a comment about her age.
“If I had to describe it, I would feel like I was being bullied,” said Madina, 31, a psychotherapist from Charlotte, North Carolina.
“That’s the last thing I want,” Joey, 28, said in a confessional.
Joey went back to the other women and said that he had heard things about a “bully.”
Joey Graziadei was stunned to have to deal with bullying allegations in the house on Monday's episode of “The Bachelor” on ABC
Madina told the other women that Joey was referring to their conversation about her feelings, but said she did not mention Maria Georgas, 29, an executive assistant from Ontario, Canada, by name.
“I felt bullied, too,” said Sydney Gordon, 28, a vintage shop owner from Newport, Rhode Island.
“I don’t want to hear anything from you, no offense, because you started it, right?” said Maria.
“You're the one who said it, so you started it,” Sydney said.
Maria called Sydney a “troublemaker” and told her to stop. Sydney said she didn't want to be friends with a bitchy person and walked away.
“I’m tired of feeling attacked tonight,” Sydney said.
“I really don’t know where that came from,” Maria said, confused.
When the Season 28 episode began, there were still 18 women in the house. Joey invited nine of the women to a group date with a card that said, “Looking for my Mrs. Right.” I love Joey.'
“I felt bullied, too,” said Sydney Gordon, 28, a vintage shop owner from Newport, Rhode Island
Maria Georgas, 29, an executive assistant from Ontario, Canada, was pulled aside by Joey after she was accused of being a bully
The bullying allegations confused Maria, who had previously been bullied and was sensitive to other people's feelings
“That’s the last thing I want,” Joey, 26, said in a confessional as he addressed the bullying allegations
The women went to a theater where they competed in a beauty pageant in front of a live audience.
Edwina Door, 25, an entrepreneur from Maple Grove, Minnesota, played for Joey a song she had written for him. Maria did a cartwheel without hands and did the splits. Sydney did a cheerleading routine that failed.
“DOVE Joey is the one for me!” Sydney said. “RIGHT Mrs. Right, that’s me.”
The audience barely applauded when she finished.
“Sydney said she was going to blow us away and that's exactly what she did,” Edwina said with a laugh in the confessional.
Lexi told Joey that her talent was being the best kisser in the world and then called him on stage to prove it. In the end, Joey chose Lexi as the winner of the competition.
“Lexi is a good kisser,” said Joey. “I’ll be in trouble if she gets better.”
Joey also told Kelsey Anderson, 25, a junior project manager from Leesville, Louisiana, that he was thrilled with her.
The women went to a theater where they took part in a pageant hosted by Jesse Palmer in front of a live audience
“Golden Bachelor” stars Nancy Hulkower, Kathy Swarts, Susan Noles and April Kirkwood helped Joey in the beauty pageant
Edwina Door, 25, an entrepreneur from Maple Grove, Minnesota, played for Joey a song she had written for him
Sydney did a cheerleading routine that failed
Lexi told Joey that her talent was being the best kisser in the world and then called him on stage to prove it
“There's just something here that I can hardly describe, but it feels so right,” Joey said.
“I agree,” Kelsey said.
“I can't believe how strongly I feel about Kelsey without even having a one-on-one conversation,” Joey said in a confessional.
At the end of the group meeting, Joey gave Kelsey the date rose.
Back at the house, the personal date card arrived, intended for Jennifer “Jenn” Tran, 25, a medical assistant from Miami, and it read: “Love is a wild ride.”
“I feel like I'm in a dream,” Jenn said to the camera. “I really didn’t expect that.”
The next day, Edwina told another girl what had happened and said that Maria was not a tyrant.
“I honestly don’t think anyone is being bullied in this house, and Sydney took it over the top,” Edwina said.
The next day, Edwina told another girl what had happened and said that Maria was not a tyrant
Edwina said Maria was just an easy-going person.
“Sydney keeps bringing things up to put me down for no reason,” Maria said in a confessional.
Meanwhile, Joey had his date with Jenn. They picked out wetsuits and surfboards and then went to the beach to surf. Joey helped Jenn ride the waves.
“He makes me feel so safe and comfortable,” Jenn said.
The two kissed in the water and then on the sand.
“I think we just clicked in a lot of ways,” Joey said.
Jenn told Joey that she had been through a few bad relationships and that her parents fought constantly when she was growing up.
“It was a really traumatic place to grow up,” Jenn said.
Meanwhile, Joey went surfing with Jenn
“He makes me feel so safe and comfortable,” Jenn said
Jenn told Joey that she had been through a few bad relationships and that her parents fought constantly when she was growing up
Jenn said she always felt unwanted by her father and that he was no longer a part of her life. Jenn said she felt like she was ready for a real relationship in her life.
Joey then showed Jenn a drone show in the sky that spelled out her name and “Jenn, will you accept this rose?” Jenn said yes.
“I’m overwhelmed, I feel so special right now,” Jenn said.
At the second group meeting at home, eight of the women said, “I've had enough of playing singles.” Love, Joey.' Joey brought tennis legends Pam Shriver and James Blake to teach the ladies some tennis and had them dress up in silly costumes, from baby outfits to hot dogs and buns, to compete against each other.
“The outfits are hysterical,” Joey said. '
Jessica “Jess” Edwards, 24, an executive assistant from San Diego, and Katelyn DeBacker, 25, a radiochemist from Santa Fe, New Mexico, dressed like a bee and a hive and competed against Evalin Clark, 29, a nanny from San Antonio, Texas, and Kelsey, who wore lobster- and butter-themed costumes.
Katelyn told Joey that there was a curse on her family because all the women in her family were single and they were relying on her to break the curse. Joey finally gave Katelyn the group date rose.
“I didn’t expect that at all,” Katelyn said.
At the second group meeting at home, eight of the women said: “I've had enough of playing singles.” All the best, Joey'
Joey brought tennis legends Pam Shriver and James Blake to teach tennis to the ladies
Back at the house, Sydney said she didn't like Maria.
“I'm not the person who is the mean girl…She's clearly the problem and that's something that should be directed at Joey,” Sydney said in a confessional.
Joey decided to have a pool party instead of a cocktail party. Sydney pulled Joey aside.
“She verbally attacked me and I just sat there and kept my composure,” Sydney said. “She called me embarrassing, weird and stupid.” I ended up walking away. I just couldn't be in that hostile environment.'
“I’m shocked,” Joey said to the camera. 'I am anxious. I am angry. “If anyone brings a hostile environment, it scares the hell out of me.”
Joey thanked her for bringing him this information. Then Joey took Maria aside to talk. Joey told her that he had heard some things that were “pretty alarming” but that he wanted to hear both sides of the story. Joey said he heard she cursed some of the other women.
Maria told Joey that she herself had been bullied in the past and would never treat anyone as badly as she had been treated in the past. Maria started to get upset.
“I would never throw that word around,” Maria said.
“She verbally attacked me and I just sat there and kept my composure,” Sydney said. “She called me embarrassing, weird and stupid.” I ended up walking away. I just couldn't be in that hostile environment.
Maria told Joey that she herself had been bullied in the past and would never treat anyone as badly as she had been treated in the past
Maria said it was a surprise for her. Joey said he didn't know what to do.
“I didn’t expect my trip to be difficult because of the girls,” Maria said, bursting into tears in the confessional.
“What I’m saying is this. “Sydney, if you like her, there's no way you can like me because we're completely different people,” Maria told Joey. “I explained my side as best as I could.”
Sydney then told the group that talking to Joey made her feel good. Maria said that Sydney was unsure, but she didn't know if she could convince Joey that she wasn't that person.
At the final rose ceremony, Joey gave roses to Lexi Young, Lea Cavanan, Kelsey, Rachel Nance, Madina, Daisy Kent, Jess, Edwina, Autumn Waggoner, Allison Hollinger and Maria and the final rose went to Sydney.
“I’m ready to move on and put the drama behind me,” Maria said.
“I won’t let the bad girl win,” Sydney said in a confessional.
The Bachelor will return next week with episodes on Monday and Tuesday on ABC.