Every season of Bachelor in Paradise produces plenty of jarring headlines, but one recent story that broke before this upcoming season has even started airing - that Bachelor in Paradise alum Jade Roper Tolbert gave birth in her closet - might be hard to top. Jade and Tanner Tolbert found love the unconventional way, by meeting, proposing, and getting married on television. Then, Jade brought her second child, Brooks, into the world even more unconventionally.
The couple connected on season two of Bachelor in Paradise, dating steadily throughout and ending with a proposal in the finale. In five seasons of the show, the Tolberts remain somewhat of an anomaly. Once they went on a first date, they weren't tempted by any of the other contestants. Even more out of the ordinary for the franchise was that Tanner's proposal to Jade actually led to a successful marriage. The two tied the knot during an ABC special commemorating 20 seasons of The Bachelor. Once Jade became pregnant with daughter Emerson, the couple was open about their miscarriage after getting pregnant during the filming of Bachelor in Paradise.
In a recent Instagram post detailing Brook's birth, Jade said her water broke and then, "75 minutes later I gave birth to our healthy baby boy while clutching a bench in our closet." In an interview with People, Tanner said they were watching The Bachelorette when the water broke. They weren't shocked that Brooks arrived early, but they were surprised with how fast he entered the world. Jade was in their walk-in closet trying to get dressed before Tanner planned to drive her to the hospital, but there was a problem. Tanner said, "Jade is like, ‘No Tanner, I can’t. I can feel the head.’"
Tanner called 911, and the birthing process suddenly became a group effort, including Tanner, the paramedics, and Jade's mom. Brooks was born at 10:31 p.m., just over an hour after Jade's contractions began, weighing 7 lbs., 9 oz. Jade said of her support system, "They were my strength in the moment. And it just feels so right to have our son here. It feels like he’s been a part of our family forever.” Tanner and Jade had tried for 10 months to conceive a second child, so the relief a healthy baby was a long time coming.
While Jade failed to find love on Chris Soules' season, and likewise for Tanner with Kaitlyn Bristowe, their marriage has provided one of the more recent, though rare, examples of how the show can bring two people together for a long-lasting, loving relationship. Their willingness to share the challenges they have faced through the conception and birth of their children has surely given countless other partners experiencing similar situations to have someone to relate to. If anything, it shows that the beautiful people on Bachelor in Paradise face many of the same real-life obstacles as the rest of us.
Bachelor In Paradise premieres August 6 at 8pm EST on ABC.
Source: People, Jade Roper Tolbert