Technically speaking, the premise of The Bachelorette is to search for love. However, there's only one "winner" every season and, unfortunately, even then the final relationship doesn't always work out. Nowadays, most of the contestants use their time on the show as a springboard to a career as social media influencers. They can rack in some serious cash from sponsored Instagram posts and by making Cameo videos for fans. That's why a lot of them never return to their pre-reality TV jobs. And who could blame them?
It's expected for contestants to seek those social media paychecks after their season airs. However, some of the guys cast for Clare Crawley's season of The Bachelorette are way ahead of the game. Her season hasn't even aired yet. Not only that, but they didn't even start filming it yet, thanks to a coronavirus-induced delay. Even so, that hasn't stopped some of her suitors from signing up for Cameo, which is a site where fans can pay for personalized videos from their favorite people in the entertainment industry.
Clare found out that people from her season signed up for the video shout out service and she was not happy. At all. On Friday, she tweeted, "If you are doing interviews and creating Cameo accounts before you are even on my season... you are in it for the wrong reasons... #dontwasteyourtime." The reality TV vet followed up with "Respect the opportunity you’ve been given. Respect the rules. Respect me. @BacheloretteABC." She didn't mention anyone by name, but there is one person that she might be talking about, Matt James. He just joined Cameo and he's doing personalized videos for $19.
Tyler Cameron fans (i.e. almost all Bachelorette viewers) are very familiar with Matt. He's Tyler's best friend and roommate in New York City. Currently, he's with Tyler, Tyler's brothers, and some other friends who are a part of the Quarantine Crew down in Jupiter, Florida. So, yes, Matt hasn't even been on the show yet, but a lot of people do know who he is. The guy already has 181,000 followers on Instagram. Along with Tyler, Matt runs ABC Food Tours, which is an organization that focuses on engaging with "kids in underserved communities," providing meals and focusing on both physical and mental wellness.
So, perhaps, Matt made the account with a philanthropic intention, to continue giving back to kids in need, who might even need more help than ever during the coronavirus pandemic. It's also possible that Matt isn't even the only contestant who signed up for Cameo. Maybe Clare's tweets didn't even refer to Matt. Or maybe they did, but he wasn't her only target. With The Bachelorette filming still on hold, there are still so many questions about when it will film, when it will air, and who will be a part of the season. Will Matt walk up that wet driveway into the mansion once the season begins? Or will he continue to flourish with Tyler C. by his side? Regardless of social media shade, it seems like Matt is going to be just fine.