The Bachelor franchise is known for helping people to find their happily ever afters, but, unfortunately, nine contestants have sadly passed away through the years. The Bachelor premiered in March 2002 and was followed by several spin-offs, including The Bachelorette (2003), Bachelor Pad (2010), Bachelor in Paradise (2014), The Bachelor Winter Games (2018), and The Bachelor Presents: Listen to Your Heart (2020). All of these shows were about the contestants' searching for true love.
Since the show premiered, many couples have gotten engaged in The Bachelor franchise. Some have even married and had children. However, tragedy has also struck the franchise over the years. These horrific incidents were shocking as they mourned the stars whom many had come to know through the show. It is now time to revisit these contestants' experiences in The Bachelor franchise, and pay tribute to these reality stars who passed away, by remembering who they were.
9 Clint Arlis
Clint Arlis appeared on The Bachelorette season 11, which starred Kaitlyn Bristowe. He was an architectural engineer from Batavia, Illinois. Clint was one of the most-loved "villains" in Bachelor Nation history. He often said that he had more of a connection with his fellow contestant JJ Lane than he did with Kaitlyn. They even coined the phrase, "Villains gotta vill." When Kaitlyn learned about some of Clint's antics, she eliminated him during week three. JJ later defended Clint by saying that their villainous behavior was meant to be tongue-in-cheek. Clint died by suicide at the age of 34 on January 11, 2022.
8 Tyler Gwozdz
Tyler Gwozdz was a sales manager and psychology graduate student from Boca Raton, Florida, who appeared on Hannah Brown's season of The Bachelorette. He received Hannah's first date on the show, but he abruptly left without an explanation after three episodes. He later revealed that he came to a decision with the producers that leaving was the best choice for him. Tyler was hospitalized on January 13, 2020, after a drug overdose. He died on January 22, 2020. The cause of death was a suspected heroin overdose. Tyler was 29 years old.
7 Cristy Caserta
Cristy Caserta appeared on Brad Womack's season of The Bachelor. She was an attorney from Davie, Florida, and was eliminated during the first week of the show. On October 4, 2018, Cristy had a seizure during a class at a local school. She was rushed to the hospital where she was pronounced dead at age 38. The cause of death was later determined to be cardiomegaly (an enlarged heart) and hyperthyroidism (an overactive thyroid).
6 Michael Nance
Michael Nance, a rehab counselor from Austin, Texas, appeared on Emily Maynard's season of The Bachelorette. Michael died on May 29, 2017, at the age of 31. The cause of death was multiple drug toxicity and was ruled an accident. He had heroin, cocaine, Clonazepam (a sedative), and Gabapentin (an anticonvulsant) in his system. Michael had a history of drug abuse and anxiety.
5 Alexa "Lex" McAllister
Alexa "Lex" McAllister appeared on Jake Pavelka's season of The Bachelor. She was an entrepreneur from Galloway, Ohio, and was eliminated from the show during week 1. Lex died on February 16, 2016, at the age of 31. She had attempted suicide by overdosing on prescription drugs. At first, she was in stable condition, but her health deteriorated, and her family decided to take her off life support.
4 Erin Storm
Erin Storm was on Matt Grant's season of The Bachelor. At the time, she was a hot dog vendor from Venice, California, and was eliminated in week 3. Erin died in a plane crash on March 21, 2016, at the age of 41. She was flying the plane when it crashed in Los Angeles and was the only one in the plane. At the time of her death, Erin was working as a pilot for Pacific Blue Air, an aircraft training facility based at Hawthorne Airport.
3 Eric Hill
An unprecedented moment happened on Andi Dorfman's season of The Bachelorette when Eric Hill died during filming. He was an explorer whose goal was to visit every country in the world while filming the trip for a documentary. He called it "The Global Odyssey" and shared it on Instagram. Eric was seriously injured in a paragliding accident and died at the age of 31 on April 23, 2014. During filming, host Chris Harrison delivered the sad news to Andi and her remaining group of men. Andi was distraught because she had eliminated Eric from the show after they had a disagreement. It was a heartbreaking moment as she and the other men processed Eric's tragic and untimely death.
2 Gia Allemand
Gia Allemand appeared on Jake Pavelka's season of The Bachelor and Bachelor Pad seasons 1 and 2. She was a model from New York who made it to Jake's final three. She introduced Jake to her family in New York City during hometowns. Gia became a Bachelor Nation fan favorite due to her sweet and kind personality. On August 14, 2013, she was taken off life support two days after she attempted suicide by hanging herself after an argument with her boyfriend. Gia was only 29 years old.
1 Julien Hug
Julien Hug was a restaurateur from San Diego, California, who appeared on Jillian Harris' season of The Bachelorette. He was eliminated in week 2. Julien took his own life with a self-inflicted gunshot wound on November 3, 2010, after living with depression. At his funeral, his father shared that nobody knew Julien was depressed and struggling. He had revealed it in his suicide note. Julien was 35 years old.
The Bachelor franchise has suffered some great losses throughout the years. These nine individuals were taken from the world too soon, but they will always be remembered by their families, friends, and fans. Many of them were troubled souls who tragically took their own lives at their worst moments. Anyone having suicidal thoughts can call the suicide and crisis hotline by dialing 988. Help is available 24 hours a day.