Did Maquel Cooper join the Bachelor cast for the wrong reasons?
Bachelor contestant Maquel Cooper is 13 years younger than Ariel Luyendyk, but it’s not her age that makes her appearance on the show a big deal. Cooper may pretend she’s trying to find a husband, but her backstory will have fans wondering if she became a contestant to give her photography business a boost.
Maquel, who is good friends with Dancing with the Stars pro Witney Carson, is just 23 years old (Arie is 36). While her age not be a big deal for Arie, the fact that she just got divorced shortly before she started filming the Bachelor raises some red flags. And there’s something that happened after filming wrapped up that will have fans questioning her intentions.
Reality Steve reports that Maquel got married in May 2016 to a guy named Josh Monday. The marriage didn’t last long — apparently, they got divorced just a few months before Maquel headed to the mansion.
And what’s the best thing to do when you are newly-divorced? Apply to become a Bachelor contestant, of course!
That’s exactly what Maquel did, and producers didn’t seem to care if she was fresh out of a one-year marriage.
And there’s more…
Spoiler alert!
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Maquel, who hails from Utah, didn’t make a love connection with Arie.
She lasted long enough to get a free promo for her photography business. Maquel showed off her photo-taking skills in the video below that aired during the premiere.
She leaves on Episode 4 due to her grandfather’s death. (And gossip aside, that’s VERY sad — so hugs to Maquel for the loss of her grandpa.)
She does return in Episode 5, only to have Arie send her home. Wasted trip to Florida? Or more exposure for her business?
Oh, and then there’s this minor bombshell…
Reality Steve states that Maquel went back to her husband soon after she was eliminated.
Now, we’re not sure if they plan to get remarried, but the whole situation gives us the “not there for the right reasons” vibe.
And the fact that, in addition to her photography business, she’s already promoting products on Instagram before the Arie’s season premieres? Now, that’s a sure-fire sign that she joined the cast for a little self-promotion, not to find love with Arie.
“Maquel is pretty much a fraud and strictly went on the show to promote herself as I believe she’s the first of his girls who’s already pimpin’ out product on Instagram,” Reality Steve writes. “Zero shame. Not to mention, she was barely divorced from her husband of less than a year when doing this show, and all signs point to she immediately went back to him once she was off. So yeah, very sincere this one is.”
Watch the Bachelor Season 22 premiere on Monday, January 1, 2018, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.