Michelle Young's season of The Bachelorette was full of all the romance and drama Bachelor Nation has come to expect from the franchise, but it also offered a few distinct differences and refreshing new perspectives. Michelle was the first woman of color to be the Bachelorette, and season 18 explored a lot of topical issues surrounding race and diversity. In the end, the season made Bachelorette history with a Final Four who were all men of color.
Michelle ultimately gave the final rose to Nayte Olukoya, and the pair embarked on a whirlwind engagement. But have Nayte's commitment issues gotten in the way of their bliss? What happened to Brandon after Michelle left him brokenhearted on the beach? Where's her "little lettuce wrap," Rick Leach? And did Peter really sue Will? Fans who have wondered what's become of the season's cast have a lot to sink their teeth into.
Peter Izzo
Emerging early as one of the more dramatic contestants in season 18, pizza maverick Peter Izzo served trouble by the slice by turning small disagreements into huge arguments, particularly with fellow contestant Will. His big personality certainly made him an entertaining Bachelorette villain for the first few episodes, but his negative attitude ultimately got him eliminated in Week 3.
The pizzapreneur has leveraged his appearance on The Bachelorette to bring more attention to Peter's Pizzeria, with two more pizza shops opening in Boca Raton and Pompano Beach, Florida according to Pizza Magazine. His Instagram is full of pictures of the Pizza King tossing dough, proudly growing the family business, and "changing lives one slice at a time." And no, nothing ever became of his public lawsuit against Will during the Men Tell All.
Rodney Mathews
Gentle giant Rodney Mathews captured the hearts of Bachelor Nation and Michelle when he stepped out of the limo in an apple costume, and continued to convey sweetness as he made his way into the Final Four. Unfortunately Michelle said good bye to Rancho Rod after hometowns, with fans clamoring for him to be the next Bachelor and find true love.
Rodney's Instagram shows that he still regularly sees season 18 alum like Nayte and Olu socially, developing a heartwarming Bachelorette bromance with Nayte during their time filming together. According to Bustle, he's been keeping up with his alma mater Fresno State, and reflecting on the significance of being part of Bachelorette history when the Final Four were men of color.
Nayte Olukoya
Eagle eyed members of Bachelor Nation could spot the sparks flying between Michelle Young and Nayte Olukoya all the way back in the beginning of season 18, so it wasn't that surprising when he was given the final rose and ended up proposing to her in the finale. But would true love conquer all, especially given Nayte's skittishness around commitment?
Bachelor Nation has nothing to fear, because one of the most iconic couples on The Bachelorette have been doing just fine. According to ET Canada, the Senior Account Executive for Indeed.com and his bride to be have been enjoying taking trips to Winnipeg to visit his family and spending quality time together. In an exclusive interview with People, Nayte has said he falls more in love with Michelle every day, and can't wait until they tie the knot. When he's not hanging out with his fiance, his Instagram shows he's been keeping in touch with all the friends he made during season 18.
Olumide "Olu" Onajide
A fan favorite thanks to his candor and courteous ways, Olumide "Olu" Onajide seems to be maintaining all of the dignity and class that made him a standout contestant during season 18. According to his Instagram, he's taking dance lessons — perhaps an appearance on Dancing With the Stars is in his future? — and maintaining his impressive physique.
He's a contributing author to BALDWIN through a collaboration with Medium, where he maintains the column "The Hero's Diet" with tips about fitness, modeling, and mental health. A lot of fans think Olu would have made a better choice to be the next Bachelor than Clayton.
Brandon Jones
Brandon Jones was so close to winning Michelle Young's heart, but the young Portland native's unbridled enthusiasm meant that even though he didn't get the final rose, he was a winner in the hearts of Bachelor Nation.
Brandon has been up to a lot since filming The Bachelorette, including appearing on Nick Viall's podcast The Viall Files to talk about moving forward and his next steps to finding love. His Instagram indicates that he still hangs out with his friends from season 18, including Will and Olu, and spends a lot of time with his family and fur buddy Mac.
Clayton Echard
Even before Michelle Young's Bachelorette season aired, fans knew Clayton Echard's destiny was to become the next Bachelor. While he would never receive the final rose from Michelle, fans felt like they got to know the former football star pretty well.
Fans looking to see if Clayton will find romance can tune into his season of The Bachelor, which has already proven to be full of emotional highs and lows. Clayton's caught feelings for multiple women in his season, but if the Men Tell All from Michelle's season was any indication, his fellow contestants have the utmost confidence in him eventually finding true love.
Rick Leach
Michelle's "little lettuce wrap" made quite the impression by appearing as a disembodied head on a silver platter in the first episode of season 18, ensuring that Rick Leach would become one of the most memorable contestants on The Bachelorette. Even though he didn't make it to the Final Four, fans loved how earnest and vulnerable he was with Michelle, and hoped they'd see him on Bachelor in Paradise.
According to an interview with WKYC, Rick pursued his Executive MBA at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles while working full time at BioVenis. According to his Instagram, he just moved to Chicago and is still searching for love but after Michelle Young, he "doesn't want to settle."
Martin Gelbspan
Martin Gelbspan, the man who went from fan favorite to villain and rarely let Michelle get a word in edgewise, has been living life on his own terms since being sent home in season 18. After calling Michelle "immature" for not "dealing with her trauma" from childhood, Bachelor Nation wasn't surprised that he got eliminated.
According to his LinkedIn, the personal trainer continues to rep the Gelbspan Method, a fitness regiment accessible through its own app. In addition to the app, he also has an Instagram and YouTube channel devoted to "helping busy people get in the best shape of their lives." He's also found love with fitness model Kait Marsh following Michelle Young's season, and the pair are known for developing couples workouts.
Jamie Skaar
Several of Michelle Young's men ended up playing themselves, and no one was more guilty of this than Jamie, who hoped his knight-in-shining-armor routine would conceal his snake-in-the-grass objectives. His behavior was ironic for the guru personality he tried to cultivate, so it shouldn't be surprising that according to Elite Daily, he's been really trying to mend his reputation.
"But it’s worth remembering characterization on tv isn’t necessarily someone’s character in real life," he explained, and he's certainly moved on from occupying the villain role. His LinkedIn reveals that he's the founder and CEO of SanctuAire, as well as Sol Solutions Today, the biotech company he ran while on season 18.
Joe Coleman
Joe Coleman and Michelle Young had a connection right from the start, and it wasn't just love at first sight; the finalist was also a Minnesota native, an impressive basketball player, and had even spoken to Michelle prior to his appearance on her season. His Instagram shows that he's been regularly seeing other contestants like Nayte and Rodney, with whom he seemed to forge a friendship with on the show.
The biggest news for Coleman finds the former Mr. Basketball accused of sexual assault by a woman who knew him from his days at the University of Minnesota, leaving Bachelor Nation awaiting the results of further investigations into a case that could include multiple victims.