The Bachelorette: Known contestants cut before season even began filming

Our season of The Bachelorette hasn’t even started yet, but men are already being sent home. What’s going on? Catch all the details here.

It was just days ago that ABC released first look images at all of Hannah Brown’s suitors who would be competing next season on The Bachelorette. You can catch a breakdown of all the men here. Of course, the internet was quick to react, but something seemed a little bit off about the release: why were they so many men being listed for competition?

There were a whopping 33 candidates who were set to be featured on The Bachelorette. For any given season of the series, 30 contestants is usually the absolute highest number a lead will date. So what was up with the extra bodies? Popular gossip blogger Reality Steve has a theory that definitely seems to check out. Spoiler alert: Reality Steve never skimps on early details, so be sure to read his article at your own discretion. Key details will be broken down below.

"They clearly released the men early this season so they could see if anything negative came out about them. And a few things did get out, production I guess didn’t like it, and a few of them didn’t make it to night."

That would not be remotely surprising. Fans of The Bachelor or The Bachelorette will recall that several seasons have seen troublesome contestants slip through the cracks and still making it to competition, like Lincoln Adim, the man convicted of a sex crime who was featured prominently on Becca Kufrin’s season.

So far, Reality Steve is confirming that two contestants didn’t make it to the final cut for The Bachelorette. Matt Dione got the ax (you can read all about his DM scandal here), as did Joe Romeo. In a tweet posted to the Reality Steve Twitter page, Romeo can be seen in video claiming that he was given “no reason” for his being cut from the show.

Here’s the really interesting part: these two guys are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Hannah’s season. It was just confirmed not long ago that yet another contestant is in trouble. You can read about Kevin Fortenberry’s criminal record here! Somehow, even with his still serving out community service after the season wraps, Fortenberry is currently continuing as a cast member on The Bachelorette.

Great vetting process, guys. Every year we’re promised a more thorough look into the lives of the contestants. I’m glad they’re cutting men who have caused trouble, but why are they lazily relying on internet feedback to vet these potentially troublesome competitors? Bachelor Nation deserves better.