With the rumors about their pre-show relationship, Brendan and Pieper from Bachelor in Paradise season 7 have been the talk of the town in Bachelor Nation. Did they date before Bachelor in Paradise? Are they still together? We explain everything ahead.
Brendan is one of 30-plus contestants on Bachelor in Paradise season 7, which premiered in August. The show, a spinoff of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, follows contestants from past seasons of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette as they look for a second chance at love with each other. Bachelor in Paradise season 7—which is the first season to air since season 6 two years ago due to the current health crisis—was filmed over the course of three weeks in June at the Playa Escondida Resort in Sayulita, a town in Vallarta-Nayarit, Mexico. The resort is the same location Bachelor in Paradise has filmed at since season 2.
While the location is the same, the host is different After former host Chris Harrison quit the Bachelor franchise in June following his racism scandal with Rachael Kirkconnell, a contestant from The Bachelor season 22 with Matt James, ABC announced that Bachelor in Paradise season 7 would be hosted by a rotating roster of celebrities that includes David Spade, Titus Burgess, Lance Bass and Lil Jon.
As for what to expect this season of Bachelor in Paradise, bartender Wells Adams told Us Weekly in July that there will be a lot of drama and romance. “There’s love, there’s romance. There’s a lot of drama, you know, it’s got everything,” he said. “The drinks are bad, the advice is worse, but the bar is open. … There are some twists and turns that I was shocked by, and I never thought would ever happen on the show. And I think people are really, really going to love this season.”
Guest host Tituss Burgess also teased that Bachelor in Paradise season 7 isn’t short of the drama. “Honestly for me, all I had to do was keep my ear to the ground and listen for what was happening, the drama, the love triangles, all of it. It kind of does the job for you,” he told Entertainment Tonight. “You zoom out and then you figure out, well, we need a party here. We need a date night here. We need to mix this up and see just how serious this person is about the other person.”
And for those who have watched past Bachelor in Paradise seasons, Joe Amabile, who was on Bachelor in Paradise season 5 and returned for season 7, told the “Click Bait” podcast July that the current season is more “insane” and “intense” than his first. “I wasn’t expecting to be original cast,” he said. “I forgot all of what Paradise is about and it is a wild ride, and this season is insane. It really is. … It almost was, like, every day got more and more intense.” He continued, “It was a lot different than my first time. It was wild.”
As for those who wonder how much Bachelor in Paradise is real, guest host Lance Bass told Us Weekly in August that the drama is very, very real. “I was surprised to see how real everything was, because, you know, those shows can probably get very heavily produced,” he said. “[I thought,] ‘They’ve been on the franchise before, it’s like they come in kind of like actors.’ Like, ‘OK, I know what y’all need. Let’s do this.’”
But back to Brendan and Pieper. Did Brendan and Pieper date before Bachelor in Paradise season 7? Are they still together? Read on for everything we know about Brendan and Pieper’s pre-Bachelor in Paradise relationship and whether they’re dating after the show.
Who is Brendan from Bachelor in Paradise?
Image: ABC/Craig Sjodin.
Brendan Morais, a 31-year-old commercial roofer from Milford, Massachusetts, was a contestant on The Bachelorette season 16 with Clare Crawley and Tayshia Adams. He quit in the final four after he confessed to Tayshia that he wasn’t ready to get engaged again after divorcing his wife just a year before the show. During The Bachelorette, Brendan revealed that he married his high school sweet heart, Simone Santos, in his early 20s, but divorced because they “fell out of love.”
“In my early 20s, I did get married. It was a high school sweetheart situation. Our families had been close since elementary school,” Brendan said. “There was no cheating, no abuse or addiction. I didn’t really know who I was without her, and she didn’t really know who she was without me…It was definitely hard for me knowing that I failed to a certain extent.”
In his Bachelorette bio, Brendan described himself as a “sensitive soul” and a “true romantic.” “Brendan is a sensitive soul who is ready to share his life with a special woman. After losing his dad at a young age, he knew that his purpose in life was to be a father,” his bio reads. “After relocating to Los Angeles, Brendan decided to move back home to Massachusetts to work for the family roofing business and be closer to his family – especially his nieces and nephews, whom he can’t get enough of.”
His bio continues, “In his free time, Brendan loves some good true crime, working out and hanging out with his friends. Brendan is all about that initial attraction when meeting a woman. He loves to make a woman feel desired and describes himself as a true romantic.”
Who is Pieper from Bachelor in Paradise?
Image: Courtesy of ABC.
Pieper James, 24-year-old graduate student from Happy Valley, Oregon, was a contestant on The Bachelor season 25 with Matt James. She was eliminated in 5th place before Hometown Dates after Matt felt he had a stronger connection to the other women. During The Bachelor, Pieper feuded with Heather Martin, a contestant from The Bachelor season 23 with Colton Underwood, who tried to join Matt’s season two weeks before Hometown Dates. In the end, Matt decided not for Heather to join his season and apologized to Pieper and the other women for the drama.
According to her Linkedin, Pieper works as an account coordinator for EP+Co in New York City. She’s also the president of Kellstadt Marketing Group in Chicago, Illinois. Before that, she worked as a business development coordinator at Mercedes-Benz USA in Beaverton, Oregon, her home state. She graduate from DePaul University with a master’s degree in marketing in 2021. She also earned a bachelor’s of arts in political science and government from the University of Oregon in 2019.
In her Bachelor bio, Pieper described her personality as “dynamic” and revealed that she wants someone to match her energy. “Don’t discount Pieper as just a pretty face because there is way more to this stunner than meets the eye. She’s truly the total package! Pieper has a dynamite personality, a creative mind, a master’s degree in marketing and a wonderful family who has supported all her endeavors,” her bio reads. “The only thing missing for Pieper? A man to enjoy life by her side! Pieper is caring, giving, and loves to learn what brings her partner joy so she can foster that happiness. She loves to spend quality time with her significant other, but also very much values independence and having parts of her life that remain her own.
Her bio continues, “Pieper needs someone with confidence and someone who knows what they want in life because forethought is so important to her.”
For her fun facts, Pieper listed the following:
- Her grandma (who she calls her gram-cracker) is her favorite person.
- She is looking for someone with confidence who knows what they want in life.
- Dreams of owning a Rolls-Royce one day.
Did Brendan and Pieper date before Bachelor in Paradise?
So…did Brendan and Pieper date before Bachelor in Paradise season 7? On episode 2 of season 7, several contestants revealed that they heard a rumor that Brendan was in a relationship with Pieper before Bachelor in Paradise season 7. (Pieper wasn’t on the show yet but joins later in the season, according to Reality Steve.) When Demi Burnett, a contestant from The Bachelor season 23 with Colton Underwood, confronts Brendan about the rumor after their one-on-one date, he explained that he and Pieper did talk before Bachelor in Paradise, but they weren’t in a serious relationship. He gave the same explanation to Natasha Parker, a contestant from The Bachelor season 24 with Peter Weber, whom he had a romance with on Bachelor in Paradise and gave his rose to at the first Rose Ceremony.
In June, around the time Bachelor in Paradise started filming, Us Weekly reported that Brendan and Pieper were dating. “Pieper and Brendan have been dating for a few weeks now,” the insider said at the time. “Either he’ll fly to New York and hang with her, or she’ll fly to Boston to hang with him. She was most recently in Boston over Memorial Day weekend and they were even spotted out in public together.”
The source revealed that Pieper and Brendan met through “mutual friends” and “hang out in the same Bachelor crowd.” The insider continued, “They’re keeping their relationship under wraps since they’re trying to make it work long-distance and it’s still new. They both are super into each other and are getting to know each other and are just having fun going on dates.”
Are Brendan and Pieper from Bachelor in Paradise still together and engaged?
Image: Courtesy of ABC.
So…are Brendan and Pieper from Bachelor in Paradise still together and engaged? The answer is yes and no. According to Reality Steve, Brendan and Pieper quit Bachelor in Paradise season 7 before Fantasy Suites after criticism from other contestants about their pre-show relationship. Though Brendan and Pieper quit Bachelor in Paradise, they left together and agreed to continue dating after the show. Because Brendan and Pieper quit before Fantasy Suites, this means they’re not one of the three couples who got engaged in the finale. Those couples are Joe and Serena P.; Kenny and Mari; and Riley and Maurissa. (Click here for more about Bachelor in Paradise season 7’s winners.)
As for if Brendan and Pieper from Bachelor in Paradise are still together, the answer is also yes. Reality Steve confirmed that Brendan and Pieper are still together. He also posted a photo in August of Brendan and Pieper outside the SLS Hotel in Miami, Florida, which confirmed that they’re still together and dating. Reality Steve also reported that Pieper and Brendan have been seen together several times since Bachelor in Paradise finished filming. For more Bachelor in Paradise season 7 spoilers, click here.
Bachelor in Paradise airs Mondays and Tuesdays on ABC. Here’s how to watch it for free.
Bachelor Nation by Amy Kaufman
Image: Courtesy of Penguin Books.
Buy: 'Bachelor Nation' by Amy Kaufman $13.89
To get more of an inside scoop, check out Los Angeles Times writer Amy Kaufman’s book, Bachelor Nation: Inside the World of America’s Favorite Guilty Pleasure, for a deep dive into the Bachelor franchise. The book uncovers the secrets of Bachelor Nation, from how much the Bachelor and the Bachelorette are paid to the rules contestants have to follow, that producers don’t want fans to know. It’s a must-read for any Bachelor Nation member.
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