It hasn’t been long since fans of The Bachelor caught wind of a now-infamous video of Matt James golfing with friends, but the fallout of the body-shaming moment is just getting started. When Matt’s golfing buddy threw shade at contestant Victoria Larson’s appearance, Bachelor Nation and Victoria were quick to respond. Now, the mystery golfer has been identified, and he has much more to say about the Queen.
In just a few short weeks of being on the show, Victoria has made a major splash as one of the best new Bachelor villains in years. While many fans enjoy watching Victoria’s antics, she has also faced significant backlash online and harsh criticism about her actions and appearance. Recently a video spread throughout Bachelor Nation featuring Matt James golfing with friends, one of whom made disparaging remarks about Victoria’s body. The Queen addressed the comments indirectly on her Instagram, as well as in the comments section of the video. Now, the man behind the inflammatory remarks has been revealed, and he isn’t remorseful about the things he said.
The man in question has been identified as Gerard Gilfone, aka Jersey Jerry, aka “The Don.” Gerard’s connections to Matt are more tenuous than originally thought—Matt doesn’t follow Gerard on Instagram, though Tyler Cameron does, so Gerard might be more Tyler’s friend than Matt’s. Since the golfing video spread around social media, Gerard posted a lengthy response to his comments, and he didn’t hold back. “Let’s get one thing clear, you’re lucky the Don is about to respond,” he says, confirming he was indeed the man in the video making the disparaging comments about Victoria. “I really don’t regret it whatsoever, and here’s why...Since I’ve been watching this show, the only real bully I see is the self-appointed...queen Victoria. Before you point the finger at me, before you come at the Don, make sure you’ve got your ducks in a row.” See Gerard's response in full below:
Gerard’s video response addresses the controversy, but partway through, he pivots and seemingly talks directly to Victoria. "During this season of The Bachelor, you have been the most ignorant, obnoxious, self-entitled person on the show...I got news for you, Victoria, you’re about to get shut down by the Don.” He even brings up Victoria’s arrest for shoplifting, stating real queens, “Don’t rob the local Publix for $250 in groceries and makeup.” In his response, Gerard brings up Victoria’s habit of making up stories and inflating drama, as well as Victoria’s recent confrontation with Katie.
Gerard makes some decent points in his response—most fans agree Victoria has been a bit of a hypocrite, quick to call out others for bullying, but unwilling to examine her own behavior. However, Gerard is seemingly continuing the cycle. He doesn’t agree with Victoria bullying other people, so he, in turn, decided to bully her. By and large, fans don’t disagree with him that Victoria is extremely problematic, but they do disagree with his response of body-shaming her.
Her time on The Bachelor has been divisive, but Victoria hasn’t gone home yet, so it’s safe to say that the off-show drama isn’t going anywhere anytime soon either. But when it comes to body shaming, Bachelor Nation isn’t a fan. While Victoria isn’t exactly the sweetheart of the season, viewers, for the most part, still prefer to criticize her for her outrageous behavior rather than her appearance.
The Bachelor airs Mondays at 8 pm ET on ABC.
Source: Gerard Gilfone