‘It’s a Dumpster Fire Right Now’

It has been an absolutely tumultuous couple of years in the world of The Bachelor universe. In 2023, creator Mike Fleiss left the hit ABC romance franchise after an investigation over allegations of workplace misconduct allegations. In his place, Claire Freeland and Bennett Graebner stepped up as showrunners. But a recent exposé from Deadline shows that it is far from a perfect match, with many crew members accusing the two of fostering a “hostile” and “toxic” work environment behind the scenes.

Initially, after the departure of Fleiss, an entire team was anointed to continue the run of The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, Bachelor in Paradise, and other spinoffs like The Golden Bachelor. Freeland, who had previous been the showrunner of the Canadian version of The Bachelor; Graebner, who has worked on the franchise since 2008; and Jason Ehrlich, who had been involved with the show for over 20 years, were expected to be the trio to not only continue running the franchise into its third decade, but also move it into a new phase in the reality TV universe.

🌹 SIGN UP for our The Bachelor newsletter to stay up to date on the latest Bachelor Nation news, exclusive interviews, episode recaps & more 🌹

Ehrlich allegedly left after overseeing The Golden Bachelor, finishing with its wedding episode in January 2024. And this departure may not have been out of nowhere, as sources now tell Deadline that Freeland and Graebner have both run the franchise with “fear,” including instances of verbal and mental abuse.

“When Mike [Fleiss] left, there was a sigh of relief,” one crew member told Deadline. Never did we think that two [of the] people that would take over would make us wish that he was still here.”

“The last two years, but particularly the last six months, have just been incredibly hostile, toxic and horrible,” another said.

“It’s a dumpster fire right now,” added one more.

Related: Everything We Know About The Bachelor Grant Ellis and Season 29

The latest source of drama in Bachelor Nation involves The Bachelorette, which announced last month it is on an indefinite hiatus, skipping its typical summer cycle for the first time in almost 20 years. On Feb. 12, five days after the announcement, staff assigned to work on the series were brought in and told they wouldn’t be returning to the franchise. That leaves the jobs of over 200 people in the lurch, and while some may find work in other Bachelor series, others are left high and dry.

The mass firings have included a number of veterans of the franchise, including Ken Fuchs, who has directed hundreds of episodes. While some of the layoffs are credited to budgetary issues and cost reduction, sources say that Freeland and Graebner have also been undermining the work of longtime producers, passive-aggressively criticizing their work, and have ignored senior members of the production team.

“They sit behind their closed doors. They don’t walk around the office, they don’t talk to people, when they’re on set, they sit with each other, they don’t talk to the staff. It’s bizarre. I’ve never seen such horrendous leadership,” a former producer said.

“The most surprising thing of all is the silent toxicity,” added another crew member. “Everyone thought it was just happening to their department, and it was only a few months ago when we realized it’s happening to all of us.”

Related: ABC Makes Shocking Announcement About The Bachelorette This Year

“They have this weird language between the two of them. There’s no collaboration, no direction, they sit behind closed doors. People are being excommunicated from meetings that they’ve been in for 20-plus years. It’s hard to explain because they’re not screaming,” another source said.

“My clients are well-respected professionals with a long history in this business,” Michael Weinsten, counsel for Claire Freeland and Bennett Graebner, told Deadline in a statement. “They are frankly stunned and saddened by some of the things they are hearing now for the first time,”

“With The Bachelorette being put on pause, staff and crew are inevitably and understandably upset,” he continued. “While my clients feel badly, especially in this trying time for the industry and everyone who works in it, this should not take away from the positive changes my clients have brought to the franchise. To even suggest that my clients were somehow resistant to other points of view, acted secretly and/or abusively or threatened anyone’s job is patently false and frankly absurd. My clients will happily listen to any and all points of view, but at the end of the day, my clients are the ones with a new positive vision for the production. And there are many, many people in this industry and franchise ready, willing and able to attest to their creativity, professionalism and vision.”

Bachelor Nation is still trying to get to the bottom of what happened with The Bachelorette‘s sudden pause in production. But in trying to look behind the scenes, they’ve gotten a much bigger look at what’s happening than they’ve bargained for.

Related: Former ‘Bachelor’ Producer Details How Recent ‘Love Is Blind’ Lawsuit Could Change Reality TV