The Bachelor season 28’s winning couple, Joey Graziadei & Kelsey Anderson, have been in the public eye for over a year, but after serious relationship backlash and breakup rumors, it’s clear the couple are hiding some major struggles from Bachelor Nation. Throughout The Bachelor season 28, Joey got the opportunity to take control of his journey and meet some incredible women. Connecting with the cast of his season after a disastrous end of The Bachelorette season 20, Joey shared that his big fear for the season was being left alone at the end of the experience.
Thankfully, he connected quickly with several of the women in the cast, including Kelsey. A Louisiana native, Kelsey was open about the fact that she’d experienced a difficult loss when her mother, Karen Anderson, had passed away years prior to cancer. With Kelsey sharing her most authentic self with Joey, it was clear that the pair had a solid connection as they moved through the series. While Joey had to honor the other connections he’d made on the show, he knew that Kelsey was the right fit for him, and Bachelor Nation wasn’t surprised to see him propose.
As Joey and Kelsey’s Bachelor journey came to an end, the difficult part of their relationship started as Bachelor Nation got the chance to watch the season and pass judgment. Joey did his best to defend Kelsey without outright naming her throughout the season, wanting to make it clear that he wasn’t interested in seeing the hate or shade Bachelor Nation had to offer. While some were excited to see Joey choose Kelsey in the end, others weren’t sure the couple had staying power. From their first appearance on the live After The Final Rose special, Joey & Kelsey got backlash.
Though the couple was feeling the heat in the early months of their relationship being public, it had appeared they’d settled into more of a routine after The Bachelor. Things changed when Joey received the offer of a lifetime to compete on Dancing With The Stars season 33, and in a whirlwind few months, he’d danced his way to the mirrorball trophy. Taking the win for the competition, Joey’s relationship with Kelsey was called into question several times throughout the season. While they’ve been combating the rumors for months, it’s clear Joey and Kelsey are hiding something.
8
Joey Has Been “Candid” About Their Strength In Interviews
He’s Not Actually Being Genuine
Although Joey has been open with the press throughout his time within the Bachelor franchise, he hasn’t been opening up in the same way about his relationship with Kelsey. Though some wonder if he’s consistently feeling guarded because of the way the press treats his relationship to his fiancée, Joey has been sharing in a very different way when it comes to his engagement in recent months. During interviews, it appears Joey’s being candid, but he’s not actually being genuine about what’s going on.
Related
20 Best Reality TV Shows Right Now
Reality TV is more popular than ever. With so many to choose from, here are some of the best reality TV shows to stream or watch right now.
During many of his Dancing With The Stars post-show interviews, where he would appear with his professional partner Jenna Johnson, Joey would find himself asked about Kelsey. Whether it was her reactions to his dances or something she’d posted online, Joey found himself being asked about his fiancée rather than his accomplishments throughout the season, which he clearly found off-putting. Rather than being genuinely open about what he felt or what was going on, Joey would share some incredibly canned answers to give the press something to write about, but wouldn’t go into actual detail.
7
Kelsey “Opens Up” In Curated Ways On TikTok
She’s Sharing What She Thinks Viewers Want To See
Much like Joey’s intentions of being faux-genuine with the press, Kelsey has been using her social media presence to share her own curated sense of authenticity with fans. While Kelsey is often sharing herself online, it’s clear that she’s had a hard time dealing with the leve of relationship backlash that Bachelor Nation has to offer. With Kelsey struggling to deal with the high-level of attention she’s getting, especially when it comes to her engagement to Joey, the Louisiana native has turned to social media to help people see her more authentically, and to allow her to speak up.
Throughout Kelsey’s often funny TikToks, she’s been clear that she isn’t taking the investment in her relationship too seriously. Even so, it’s clear that Kelsey struggles with how much Bachelor Nation pokes holes in what she and Joey say or do in public. Sharing defensive videos masked with humor, it’s clear that Kelsey doesn’t like the fact that she has to defend her relationship all the time, nor does she feel comfortable with the rumors. Putting up a front of sorts, Kelsey has to be a bit disingenuous online in order to make the defense of her relationship humorous.
6
Joey’s Dancing With The Stars Schedule Kept Him Busy
He Wasn’t Available To Kelsey
Throughout the last several months, Joey has been training for Dancing With The Stars season 33. Though Joey was clear on his season of The Bachelor that he was a tennis pro more than any other kind of athlete, the agility and footwork of his tennis career helped him to find his way throughout the competition. Joey, who was paired with multi-season winner Jenna, began to feel the heat about his relationship with his partner quickly when the press struggled to see him with another woman publicly. Even with rumors, Joey was dedicated to the competition.
Throughout Dancing With The Stars season 33’s run, Joey was able to find his footing with the intense dances and the long rehearsals. Building himself a new schedule, Joey had to put his relationship with Kelsey to the side in some ways, giving his attention to the competition instead of his partner. As Joey moved through the competition, it got more and more intense, giving him less time with Kelsey and an influx of rumors to deal with. While Joey appeared to block out the noise, it’s something that’s impacted the couple.
5
Kelsey Was Left Alone & On Her Own When Joey Was Rehearsing
She Wasn’t Being Loved Or Nurtured
As Joey was spending a ton of time rehearsing for Dancing With The Stars and doing press for the series, the months he spent on the show were incredibly difficult for Kelsey. It was clear that she was doing her best to be supportive of her fiancé as he moved through the competition, even combating rumors online as best she could while he competed with Jenna. Even so, Kelsey struggled with how little she got to see Joey, and how little he could give to her after such a demanding schedule.
As Joey continued on in the competition week after week, Kelsey had to deal with seeing less and less of her fiancé. After moving out to Los Angeles to be supportive and spend the time she could with Joey, Kelsey was often left on her own trying to navigate through the busy city. While she did have work of her own during the time Joey was on the show, Kelsey was clear that it took a toll on her relationship to have her partner absent and unavailable so frequently.
4
Joey Has Been Uncomfortable In Public Appearances With Kelsey
He’s Been Stiff And Overwhelmed
In recent public appearances together, Joey and Kelsey have seemed to be uncomfortable in some of the photos and videos that have been shared online. While the couple, who are often publicly affectionate, can be uncomfortable with the level of attention they get on red carpets, it’s usually clear that they’re enjoying each other’s company. In some recent appearances both during and after Dancing With The Stars, Joey has appeared to be more uncomfortable in his public moments with his fiancée.
While it’s possible that the level of attention is just too much for The Bachelor star, Joey’s time in the public eye has typically been controlled, comfortable, and curated. Joey and Kelsey haven’t been doing any appearances that they haven’t agreed to, and they aren’t typically shown in more candid photos, which could lend to the fact that Joey feels stiff or uncomfortable during public appearances. Regardless of why, Joey’s discomfort could be a sign of trouble for his relationship.
She’s Been Dealing With Too Much
Although Kelsey has explained that she sometimes finds herself uncomfortable with the role she’s playing online post Bachelor, her social media breaks after the show and throughout DWTS have left Bachelor Nation confused. Kelsey has taken a few breaks from social media throughout the last few months, feeling the pressure of Bachelor Nation to provide funny, engaging content with some authenticity involved. While Kelsey has provided explanations into her social media breaks, it’s been clear that she’s having a harder time than she’s been letting on with so much pressure on her relationship.
Kelsey’s been open about losing a friend in recent months, the cause behind one of her more recent social media breaks, but she’s also been clear that there’s a lot of pressure on her to perform. With Joey defending their relationship in interviews, Kelsey’s felt a lot of weight on her to do the same with her online persona. While the majority of her videos are meant to be funny, there have been times that she’s vented her frustrations online and then taken a break to escape from the criticism.
He’s Not Sharing As Often
Although Joey is often quieter than Kelsey when it comes to social media, he’s been taking a step back alongside his fiancée in recent months. Sharing mostly Dancing With The Stars related content, Joey’s been doing less than Bachelor Nation expected when it comes to keeping people updated on his life. While his time on DWTS was all-consuming, he was working hard to share more about his journey on the show while it was still on the air. After the season’s end, Joey’s been sparse with his social content.
While Joey could be taking the time to regroup after a whirlwind DWTS performance, he could also be avoiding sharing more with Bachelor Nation. Joey’s often an open book, so knowing that he could be limiting his communication with Bachelor Nation by sharing less on social media is worrisome. Joey’s lack of posts could be an indication that something’s going wrong in his relationship.
1
Kelsey Has Floated Postponing Wedding Plans More Than Once
The Couple Could Be Spiraling
Although Joey and Kelsey have been working throughout the last year, which has hindered them from setting concrete wedding plans, it’s been clear that Kelsey’s been looking to slow things down even further. Whenever she’s asked about their wedding plans online, Kelsey shares that there will be more information soon and that they’re getting started, but it’s not something that’s on her main to-do list. While this may be placating Bachelor Nation, it’s not fooling them well.
Bachelor Nation has noticed that Kelsey has mentioned postponing the couple’s wedding plans more than once, which could be for several reasons, but is more than likely because they’re uncertain about their future. Kelsey and Joey have been moving at warp-speed since The Bachelor season 28’s finale, and with some time to slow down after DWTS, they can finally assess if their relationship is something they want moving forward. The couple may have some difficult decisions to make in the new year.
Source: Kelsey Anderson/TikTok
The Bachelor is a British reality television show that initially aired on BBC Three in 2003 before moving to Channel 5 in 2011. The series centers on a single bachelor selecting a romantic partner from a group of contestants, with episodes featuring various challenges and eliminations.
- Release Date
-
February 19, 2013
- Network
-
Channel 5
, BBC Three - Cast
-
Hugo Speer
- Character(s)
-
Uncredited
- Creator(s)
-
Mike Fleiss
- Seasons
-
28
- Writers
-
Mike Fleiss
Add Comment