“You ever meet somebody and don’t know what to say” is what The Bachelor of season 25 Matt James has to say about Mariela “Mari” Pepin when sees her walking into Nemacolin. After certainly having made a great first impression on Matt, Mariela also got the internet talking about her spark and her sparkling dress. But The Bachelor premiere is not the first time that Mari made waves in the bachelor nation. Fans have been accusing former Miss Maryland Mari of using The Bachelor for clout amidst other negative things.
Season 25 of The Bachelor saw Matt making history by being the first African-American lead. With his six-pack abs and impressive list of jobs, Matt joined the franchise while having no prior experience with the show or love, and seemingly as nervous as his record-breaking 32 contestants. But as the ladies walked in one after the other, some in Bentleys, others in lingerie, or perhaps in a pick-up truck Matt loosened up and also treated fans to a Lady and the Tramp spaghetti kiss session. And while Abigail might have taken The Bachelor’s first impression rose, Mari with her Puerto Rican backstory did make some ears perk up. And for those, The Bachelor fans wanting to know more about the beauty queen who got tapped on the shoulder by a vibrator, head this way, please.
If 24-year-old Mariela did look like a familiar face to many The Bachelor fans, it’s because, unlike Matt, she’s been on TV before. As her ABC bio describes Mari, she is “living the American dream” after moving to Maryland from Puerto Rico as a teenager. Soon afterward, Mari, whose father was in the Army, began her beauty queen journey by winning the title of Miss Maryland Teen USA in 2014. Although The Bachelor star didn’t secure the Miss Teen USA sash while representing her state, in 2019, she did create Maryland history. As per PageantUpdate, Mari became one of six women to win both Miss Teen USA and Miss USA titles in Maryland and later finished in the top 10 at Miss USA 2019.
According to her LinkedIn, Mariela attended Towson University for her Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Studies and is currently studying master of science focused on marketing intelligence. Matt’s suitor’s inclination towards marketing perhaps comes from her having worked with Lash Moi a salon that specializes in semi-permanent eyelash extensions, for four years. Currently, The Bachelor star Mari is employed as the marketing director at Maryland Plastic Surgery & PURE MedSpa for two years, and also acts as a program coordinator at Make a Veteran Smile.
Apart from her many professional achievements, Mari has studied French for seven years and has also studied American Sign Language apart from being a native Spanish speaker. The Bachelor celeb who now calls Old Line State her home attended Meade Senior High School, where she doubled up on classes and focused on her GPA to graduate a year early, as TheList notes.
Over on her Instagram, The Bachelor’s Mari has gained over 20k followers so far and is mostly seen sharing pictures from glam photoshoots knowing the Miss USA finalist that she is. But a photo from 2017 shows Mari with her brother Gabriel and mom. Her ABC bio interestingly, adds that Matt’s contestant Mari loves to sing wants to visit an elephant sanctuary in Thailand, and might soon get her boating license. Additionally, Mari is also friends with Alayah Benavidez, a problematic contestant from Peter Weber's season, which fans think says a lot about her future on the show.
Coming to the controversies that have surrounded The Bachelor star Mari even before Matt’s season began with a fan account writing, “I know Mariela Pepin is 100% doing the show for clout.” Monsters&Critics notes a fan claiming they have proof about Mari being “in a serious relationship” with a military man and that she even “leaked her own Bachelor greeting letter.” While rumors suggest that Mari may not even make it to the top four of The Bachelor, looks like she’s already turning heads, all owing to her pre-reality TV fame.
The Bachelor season 25 airs Mondays at 8pm EST on ABC.
Source: ABC, Pageant Update, Mariela Pepin/Instagram, Mariela Pepin/LinkedIn, Monsters & Critics, The List