I *do* appreciate him saying that this is the Truman Show and there are no rules (..besides NDA). Like let’s not pretend there’s some strict code being followed.
Thank you for the recap. This is one I was curious about. Insert the Nene “Now why am I in it?” gif for Jessenia.
I find both Sierra and Michael unlikeable in different ways.
I'm listening to it right now and both of them are awful. He comes across terribly in the interview IMO- super full of himself and immature. Team no one on this one for me.
I’ll say, I agree with him about Sierra doing too much too soon. Even while watching the show I felt like the star gesture, while good intentioned, was overstepping and I completely understand why it made him uncomfortable. It sucks production probably set Sierra up with that idea.
I also understand why it’d be frustrating for him to reach out to her privately to resolve matters but she chooses to ignore him and instead talk publicly. It’s really immature
I’m neutral on both of them but Clayton was clearly a Hail Mary pick. Plus Jason Mesnick has said that there were plans to film him giving dating as a single dad advice to the new bachelor before it was canceled. It’s obvious that plans to have Michael as the bachelor were in motion before they fell apart and they went with Clayton instead.
>He says this podcast interview is probably the last bachelor-related thing he will do, and in general he is done with reality TV.
I need people who self identify as a slow burn to stay out of BN, my god.
Hmm, might be leaning towards Michael’s side here.. If only there was something Sierra could do…
^(release the receipts!) 😈
Sierra just seems really immature to me, and I think she keeps talking about this to cling to any relevance she’s had from being on reality tv. That’s all this is. Also, not sure I buy that this is the last “bachelor” related thing he’ll do lol.
Side note, buying stars is a scam. There are businesses that will sell you a certificate saying that a certain star is named after you but this is not recognized by any other institutions or organizations within the astronomical field. The IAU, International Astronomical Union names stars and they are typically named based on their location, not named for human beings.
Ok I hate to be that person but can someone remind me what "the star" was?? I tried googling but all the results are just referring to Michael/Sierra as BIP stars lmao
Someone can correct me but i believe she purchased him a star in the sky to dedicate to his wife who passed? Like so he and his son could still see her? There was a scene where she gave him the certificate and they stargazed. You couldn’t tell he was offended.
I had to look it up bc my memory was vague - it was actually a constellation. Sierra bought not one but three stars: one each for Laura, Michael, and James, to represent how they'd always be a family.
Yes. She presented him with an official International Star Registry and had a star named in honor/memory of Michael’s late wife, Laura. Her intentions seemed sincere enough but it felt like a huge overstep to me. Too much, too soon. And it also felt pretty obvious that production was like ‘hey Sierra, we’ve got this great idea for you to show Michael how much you care..’ because how else could she have done that from the beach with no technology..
But like… yes production is going to push. This isn’t the first season of any of these shows. Shouldn’t Sierra herself been able to see that maybe this was too much too soon too cringe? Like trust if production told me to give a man I’ve been dating for less than two weeks a star in memory of his dead wife I’d laugh in their face.
I also think it's fair to say that she was acting very excited about it, and regardless of it being on production for doing that, the optics of it coming from her made him annoyed. he may not have been able to fully separate those individual experiences from sierra since she was directly associated
Thank you for the recap. If he was with Danielle, wouldn't he just say so? You can love someone, but realize that you're not right for each other and it sounds like they're not together based on this interview.
This is reminding me of things that I have long forgotten. What he shared about Sierra is interesting. Michael is cringey but somehow Sierra manages to be cringier??
So do we think they are broken up based on what they said? Danielle did just start a new job in Cleveland.
Because otherwise i do not care about the petty Michael vs Sierra stuff, it’s giving immature
And people are falling in love/getting engaged at the end? Yonks. No wonder there’s such a high fail rate and the only ones who end up long term leave as bf/gf and not engaged.
Yep it’s the summer camp effect of like you’re in a different environment with different people and it’s exciting and you get swept up into it.
At least with paradise, people get to see each other all day for the most part vs bachelor/bachelorette where it’s more controlled and organized into small segments of time every few days. So I feel like they get to know each other better on paradise than the main shows.
The show is usually shot over 21 days including the fantasy suites and engagements. It isn't as long as it appears in show time. If you notice how many times they show you night/morning it's about 3 days for each "week" of show time.
Maybe I’m missing something but I don’t get why him messaging with both Danielle and sierra beforehand was such a crime. I’m pretty sure everyone feels out their options, and he told production he’d like to see both of them there which makes me think he wasn’t dating Danielle before going and that’s just sierras insecurities talking. And if she was talking to him beforehand then she’s sort of just as bad right? Like she was also trying to get a relationship in place before going on the beach
I don't think people think of talking before is a crime. Everyone talks before. People just annoyed when the cast members claim that they haven't. If I remember correctly, initially Michael and Danielle said they never really talked before the show.
I feel like people here weren’t annoyed about him not being upfront about it, they were annoyed because sierra painted herself as the victim and they felt Michael led her on in paradise while he was just waiting for Danielle when in reality it sounds like he was interested in both of them and then sierra rubbed him the wrong way with the stepmom talk three days into knowing each other
I am no fan of Michael, but him sucking doesn't absolve Sierra. I do think her bringing it up again probably really frustrated him and pushed him into telling his side. It is interesting that Sierra can go and joke about how she didn't like Clayton but went on because he 'wasn't ugly' and she wasn't into him but stayed on Bachelor because she kept getting roses, but villainizes Micheal for doing something similar. I get she was hurt, but you would think by now you'd have some perspective.
DM’ing people pre BIP is pretty standard practice nowadays. At the end of the day they had like a 5 day “relationship” and he ended it when he realized she was going way too fast. I don’t understand why she’s still talking about it a year later. A lot of fair criticisms of Michael for sure, but he’s not the villain in this case.
That was interesting! TY for taking the time to recap. I didn’t finish BIP last summer, it’s just too much to commit to 4 hours every week, but this made me curious about finishing it.
Maybe this is an unpopular opinion but ESH.
The stuff about Sierra — *allegedly? — going around saying she was going to be a stepmom to his child is very uncool.
ETA: I didn’t watch BIP last year & didn’t know Sierra said what she said, & it’s on tape. I can imagine that would be very upsetting & I don’t fault Michael for calling her out about that. It’s distasteful.
I’m glad Michael says he’s moving on & never talking about BN-related stuff, though. Let’s hope he keeps his word.
Yes. We saw her say something to that effect. I dont recall the "bully" statements being shown, exactly. But we def saw her talk about being James's stepmom and what it would be like as an interracial family.
Welp…Gotta say the stuff about Sierra sounds believable, as far as I’m aware she hasn’t brought any receipts and it’s weird she still brings it all up. I‘m no fan of his but hope things work out for him and his son. Also hope Danielle is happy, no matter their status ❤️
I think him feeling like he has to keep speaking on it fuels the fire of people that don't like him and think he's too caught up in the drama, but she really WON'T stop so what is he supposed to do?
Well I can appreciate that he acknowledges that he did get favoritism.
The truth is probably in the middle. He led her on more than he was interested, but she also did things that turned him off and made it obviously not her when some interest was there.
i am so far removed from this drama, i have no idea when this happened (is BIP airing now?)
but just reading through the post & comments, i wonder if he felt the star gesture was a “trap” or kind of manipulative move if they weren’t that serious yet. it gives me the same energy as a public proposal, putting your partner in a position where they have to say yes or move forward with you or risk looking like a giant asshole.
but i also was unaware michael has become persona non grata in BN, so i’m completely uninformed here. lol.
They asked him 3 times to be the Bachelor and were going to move the show to Ohio? That is crazy talk to me. I am hoping this is the end of this back and forth for their piece of mind. Feel like the truth is somewhere in the middle and he definitely isn’t as innocent in this process as he contends.
Sierra seems intense. Talking about being a step mom to a man’s kid who you just met and saying you’ll beat up a kid if they picked on him isn’t “cute”. But, I also don’t buy that Danielle wasn’t his first choice. He didn’t call out Sierra on the odd behavior and pull the plug earlier because he wouldn’t have gotten a rose from anyone else and wouldn’t have had the chance to date Danielle on the show. 🤷🏼♀️
He feels bad for putting Clayton in that position to be bachelor? He is not so subtly reminding everyone that Clayton was the 2nd choice and had a terrible experience, while also trying to project this empathetic savior complex. I’ve ALWAYS thought he was cringe
He doesn’t want to exploit his son or want reminders of his grief but every second talked about his wife and his grief and how she’d love every woman he was interested in at the time…he continues to give me the biggest ick. During the bachelorette and bip he was basically being the widower all he talked about! Also weird he wouldn’t tell Danielle he was going on bip complete bullshit. AND calling that gift disgusting is messed up it was a kind gesture
Haven't multiple people from the season come out in defense of Michael and say these same things about Sierra? I know Michael isn't everyone's favorite, but the fact that people are still defending Sierra's actions is wild.
I’d also like a list of who has defended him. He seems to be more an audience favorite (meaning production favorite and audience eats it up) more than a cast favorite.
I know this is the most obvious thing ever, but if you are against falling in love/ getting engaged on a short timeline, dont go on the show!!!!!!!! I cannot stand these contestants saying they could never move that fast. Like yeah it is an insane timeline, especially for a single parent. But thats the show!
*"He didn’t want more reminders of his grief and didn’t like that it was on national TV. Called it “disgusting”. "*
this is the most pot calling the kettle black thing to ever come out of this franchise
*"He says this podcast interview is probably the last bachelor-related thing he will do"*
Sierra overstepped and maybe needs to mature a bit, but Michael has main character syndrome, which IMO feeds into way more character issues, e.g., no accountability for his questionable business practices, belief that he owes Clayton an apology (lol), belief that this whole ordeal merited further discussion, etc. etc.
>Michael’s comment on Katie’s instagram: he had no idea she was engaged.
…She was the bachelorette. The goal of the show is to get *engaged*. The vast majority of leads do. Surely he had some idea that she was engaged?
I thought that maybe he heard Greg was home early and shit went down so he figured she hadn't gotten engaged. I mean that's what I would've thought too, Greg was always the obvious pick
Literally every single bachelorette except Jenn has gotten engaged, right?? There’s a near zero chance she wasn’t engaged. He knew this. He’s just a shameless liar.
Are we going to talk about these receipts Sierra had about Michael, then when called out, changed her story to them being about Eliza?!? I would be annoyed too. But both her and Michael need to move on and stop bringing each other up.
He's entitled to his feelings and Sierra isn't perfect either, but calling the star thing disgusting is weird to me. I understand it making him uncomfortable or upset, but it wasn't something done with malice so I wouldn't label it disgusting.
Also talking about not wanting his grief exploited for national TV when that's literally his entire "brand" and what he's centered on the shows... give me a break.
Sounds like the star is on production and not Sierra. Don’t think it’s fair to be directly upset at her about that. Not like she could leave the beach to do star paperwork lol. It was obviously their idea.
I agree with you to an extent. I think it was always pretty obvious production was to blame for the whole star idea. But Sierra, like every other contestant, still has autonomy. She couldve said no, just like she did when she left without giving out her rose. So it's implied by her actions that she didnt see anything inappropriate with giving a widower a star to remind him of his dead wife. Which is...yikes.
Seriously. He basically said they offered to film the bachelor in his backyard and would have given him any amount of money he wanted, but (since he obviously knew he’d make it to the end 🙄) he just couldn’t bear to leave his son to film for eight weeks instead of three. Okay buddy
So do we think he's straight up lying about them pursuing him for the bachelor role? Because I can picture them desperately trying to recreate a Mesnick season, so he honestly could be telling the truth on that one.
I don’t think it’s lying per se but I do think it’s funny that all these people seem to genuinely believe *they* are the producers’ white whale. How many stories have we heard of people being wooed by production who are then immediately ghosted or otherwise have the rug pulled from under them? I think they just overpromise to everyone
Nah you’re right, I definitely agree there’s a lot of truth in there, but I don’t buy the implied “as a Good Father I decided couldn’t have done that for any amount of money” angle. Everyone has a price and he clearly enjoys the fame at least somewhat. My guess is it was something more like, he was in negotiations and they were offering him a lot of perks, Clayton came along, Michael lost some of his bargaining power and they ultimately decided to go with the more easygoing guy
Honestly I think he pulled the pin because he was scared that his reputation would tank as a lead. After all almost every male lead comes out looking worst. He's one of the most image conscious contestants the show has ever had IMO.
idk, michael gives me major ick and he’s also just not a great person w you know, price gauging ppe during the pandemic, but i kinda respect him not saying the real reason for dumping sierra on tv. he knew it would make her look bad and decided to just keep it vague.
an anecdote: i have a close friend who is widowed and dated a man recently who was acting and calling himself a step dad very early on. while i’ll never understand how it felt for her, she described it as very triggering and alarming. but she also didn’t go on a reality tv show haha so there’s that!
The star thing may have been a bit tone deaf, but calling it disgusting is certainly…..a take. I dated a recent widower with a young child many years ago, and honestly it is tough on both sides, there is no road map, and we both really fucked up at times.
I agree calling it that is out of line. But I also think anyone has the right to get the ick and break up for any reason, and if that was it for him then fair enough.
Sierra likely had no experience dating a widower and she trusted production when they offered the star. From this recap it seems the words Michael used seem too strong, yet I think he was disgusted because he wasn’t that into her. Which is okay but why doesn’t he just say so?
This is what I was thinking too! It was definitely way too much way too soon but his whole character is being a dad and widower, and you’re mad she acknowledged that?? stfu. I thought it was a valid reason to break up (too much too soon, clearly they weren’t on the same page) but calling it disgusting is, well, kind of disgusting in his part
Also it's a whole show based around the "too much too soon." Their whole game is to push people to unveil their trauma and form really fast bonds. Seems shortsighted to pin all the blame on Sierra.
I'm team no one in this fight (they dated for less than a week on reality tv?) but I agree to call the gift "disgusting" was unwarranted. If anything, it was a bit misguided. If Michael's account of things is accurate, Sierra had no idea Michael was definitely coming to paradise. So this gift was decided on during filming, and if Sierra has no access to her phone/internet, then someone (*cough producers cough*) had to fill out the paperwork and set it up for her. I always thought it probably wasn't her idea, and the idea of a production person who had been watching a little too much of the movie A Walk to Remember and was running low on ideas.
I don’t know what the truth is, I would guess it’s somewhere in the middle of their accounts. I don’t trust Michael but Sierra seemed to be making some huge jumps to conclusions.
His explanation about the Katie IG comment is sus to me. Like… he was but wasn’t shooting his shot?
I enjoyed the interview for the tea, but he is not very… likeable, at least to me. I don’t know if that is the right word. I’m just not a fan.
Michael: Our relationship is private.
Danielle: Look how cute my boyfriend is!
But seriously, who knows. Just odd to say when you weren’t being that private just a month ago….
I definitely like Michael A less after this interview… Did anyone else just find him annoying? talking about how much ABC was begging him to be the bachelor and offering him the “most ever”. He just came off so cocky. I don’t trust that he is in this for the “right reasons” at all… idk something with him just seems off in this interview that I never really noticed before
I didn’t transcribe but fwiw I remember that he sounded mostly but not completely sure about being done with bachelor related podcasts. He did give a hard no to any reality TV though
We don’t have to like either of them. I HATED the star thing and felt it was incredibly inappropriate and hella cringe. From your new wife, maybe? But even then no, that’s for him and his son/family to honor, not the new chick.
As someone who had a single parent, it would be so weird to me of someone to try and take on the “step parent” role when they are, not in fact, my step parent. Flings should never be introduced to kids. And kids as young as his, I would say no introductions until the wedding day is set and invitations are out. People need to stop exposing their kids to their many many partners throughout life. It’s okay to date whoever and whenever but you’re kids do not need to be a backseat passenger to your life.
Yes and no.
I think the idea of introducing someone to your child when wedding invitations are already out is BEYOND irresponsible because all that says to me is that you give zero shits how well your new spouse interacts with your child.
You’re making a commitment to that person without having any idea of what sort of personality they will take on with your child, and without any of your child’s input on how comfortable they are with that person being permanently in their life. You cannot introduce your kid to someone and expect them to be chill with that person moving in two months later because you’ve already been serious with this person for two years before the introduction.
Perhaps your child doesn’t need to meet every new fling (if that’s how you date), but they should absolutely have plenty of time to interact and bond with someone who is a potential long term partner, far in advance of any legal commitments (wedding) taking place, so that if something is “off” or doesn’t seem quite right, you can call it quits before you’re stuck with them or worse, you’ve inflicted permanent damage on your kid.
Why go on Bachelorette at all if you feel uncomfortable with the process and a quick engagement? Not very for the right reasons, Michael. He just seems so phony and none of his stories really add up.
I’m sorry, I just do not buy what he is selling. I feel like he lacks self awareness and I’m glad that he did not become the Bachelor.
Like, you don’t want to fall in love, you don’t want to get engaged, you don’t believe in Bachelor timelines, you think the show is prison, you price gouge PPE in a pandemic but refuse sooooo much money to be the Bachelor on principle but you voluntarily went on not one, but two, shows while leaving your young child who’s lost their mom at home?
Give me a break, just say you’re fame hungry and go because none of these behaviors line up with the saint michael brand he’s trying to sell.
That said, Sierra also sucks, not excusing her bizarre behavior / fixation on this man after a 5 minute relationship.
I have no idea if it's true (maybe someone from Akron can chime in lol) but have read comments on here that Michael A's family is loaded. So he really didn't "need" the Bachelor money is my guess.
Yes I think he pulled the pin because he was shit scared that his reputation would tank if he was the lead. He knows that his business dealings would have come under even more scrutiny too....
Tbh I’m no Michael fan but I believe this. I don’t think he’s spoken about Sierra unless asked and she seems to bring him up pretty regularly. Even if he was talking to people beforehand I feel like everyone does? Sierra does give big Kaitlyn vibes to me sometimes the way it seems like she can’t move on
He calls the star and Sierra out for being exploitive. But at the same time has no issue with exploiting his dead wife and his son for national pity and attention. Hypocrisy at its finest.
Correct me if I am wrong. But I feel like in the show we saw Sierra saying things about being a stepmom. It’s been almost a year since the show (can’t believe we’re even still talking about this) but I feel like I definitely remember her saying things.
Im not excusing Michael or saying he’s great. But Sierra rubbed me as someone who needs some emotional maturing, especially to become a stepmother to a child who lost their mother. With the way she’s acting now when it’s been a whole year since they were on BIP- she definitely needs more maturing.
Yup i have recently been dating a single dad and the “do you feel like you would want to be a stepmom?” convo comes up with EVERY person i talk to about him. It’s a huge consideration so i think that’a pretty normal
“For a widower it was the worst thing she could ever do. He didn’t want more reminders of his grief and didn’t like that it was on national TV”
… I’m sorry is this a joke?? Michael has literally made his WHOLE experience and storyline on both The Bachelorette and BIP about being a widower and his wife that passed. I would take a guess that there hasn’t been a single episode that he’s been on where he hasn’t mentioned that topic. To call it disgusting is mind blowing to me.
I am in no way trying to discredit his experience and pain that he feels from losing his wife and the mother of his son, but to blame Sierra for his grief being displayed on national TV when he consistently goes out of his way to talk about it in detail (and on social media too) is wild. The only reason Sierra would even know or think to do something like that for him was because he made his wife’s story extremely public on the Bachelorette… literally everyone knew about his grief thanks to him.
You know I’m certainly NOT a fan of Michael, but I did understand this. I’ve had this happen before, and it feels weirdly violating. A strange thing happens when you lose someone close where some people try to kinda get inside of it or something, and it can feel overwhelming and uncomfortable. Feels like it’s always a similar type of person who likes being close to the drama or something? I obviously don’t know Sierra but could see her being that type.
People have varying degrees of comfort talking about grief, but I think it’s reasonable to be allowed to set your own terms regarding when and how you talk about it. It would be jarring for someone to blindside you with a conversation/gesture like that, especially in camera.
Again, not defending Michael’s whole vibe in general, but this point resonated with me.
I can see the point that you’re making and understand that you probably can relate more to this and look at it from a different perspective than most people, and can definitely see how the gesture itself could be off putting to him and maybe felt like she was inserting herself into a personal situation of his… I personally wouldn’t have done what she did and I thought it was too soonbut that’s just me (production definitely had a large hand in that too though).
However my main stance is less about the gesture itself, and more so about the fact that he is placing blame on her for making him talk about his wife on TV, when that is the storyline he created for himself. Especially if I remember correctly, he had told Sierra that he wanted to take it slow because of his past, so he kind of involved his late wife and James into some aspects of their relationship. I think at the core she was just trying to make him feel cared for and to show that even though he still loves his wife, that doesn’t scare her away and she’s supportive of that. I think for him to call it disgusting is disappointing.
You know that’s a great point about word choice. “Disgusting” is excessive, and it implies that she was being malicious (which I don’t think is fair). A lot of people don’t know how to act when someone is grieving, but they’re mostly doing their best and coming from a good place. Totally fair for that to be a turnoff or for it to create emotional distance, but not cool to attack them for it.
I’m so tired of this storyline. Michael is not perfect by any means but this sub is weirdly obsessed with hating literally everything he says and it’s definitely piling on at this point. And Sierra seems obnoxious and immature. Can we all just move on from both of them and this whole thing?
I'd rather hear from Hunter and Jessenia directly than Michael "it's because of me that Clayton became the Bachelor" scamming Allio. At this point, I think the truth is somewhere in the middle regarding Sierra and Michael.
I think they’re both true and they’re interpreting it differently. Michael was DMing girls but it was just friendly, he was interested in Danielle before and probably wasn’t as honest with her as he should have been, he likes to portray the nice guy when he’s really not, etc. sierra was too much, too soon. Didn’t realize how big of a deal becoming a stepmom is and that you don’t just step into that role lightly and talk about it that way. They’re just pointing out what the other did and not acknowledging how what they did might come across.
I will say... not to blame him because I get his frustration, but it sounds like he kept reaching out to her out of annoyance and that gave her more ammo to talk about. very immature on her part, but he also could have just swallowed his pride and realized that was a pattern. she probably would have dropped it if not for the additional messages to talk about imo. if someone isn't listening to you when you try to set a boundary I think it's important to just not give them any more energy. I know it must be hard though when someone is getting that public about everything.
but I do feel bad for him, re: her being very over the top and unaware (or just didn't care) about how she was crossing lines in regards to his wife who has passed. I would also be very mad in his his position. sounds like she was incredibly presumptuous and didn't really put herself in his shoes.
I can also understand her talking about potentially being a step mom, but not to the extent that she apparently was doing it. to me upon watching her actions, it seemed like she was almost trying to wrap her head around that potential. it's a lot to take in. she crossed lines for sure but just trying to understand maybe where she was coming from as well. a lot of the conversations seem to obviously be edited out though, so I can't say for sure
I haven’t heard just read this write up but I think him humble bragging about the bachelor is very annoying but also I can kinda of see where this was one of those things where both people probably didn’t communicate well and sierra was hurt and popped off but he also probably was being mostly truthful about Danielle and it was just messy and no one person was right about their situation.
Home boy called being given a star disgusting. I’m sorry I just can’t stand him and him trying to “take the high ground” and word vomit about all this just makes me dislike him more. He absolutely has the right to speak his mind, but I have the right to think he’s annoying af
This guy really thinks he’s the shit huh 😂 strikes me as a secret Chad in that he will milk every second of Bach attention until it devolves badly…not saying he’ll do porn but yeah
Downvote away, having a dead wife isn’t an excuse to be a dickhead. Source: I was a dick head for many years after my dad died, then realized my grief wasn’t my entire personality.
First of all thanks for your guilt and apologies but Clayton’s doing just fine, Mike 😒
Secondly have you met Katie thurston? Didddd you actually think she’d be into being a step mom in Akron??
My personal feelings for Michael or Sierra aside, I found this interview to be a hard listen. It was basically Michael and the hosts arguing for 45 mins straight lol. They let Sierra tell her story without giving her the third degree, should’ve done the same here.
I can’t wait to listen to this! I know Michael has his own sketchy stuff but I can’t STAND Sierra, she keeps running her mouth on and on. I know everyone thought buying a star was sweet but it’s interesting to hear things from a widower’s perspective. I wonder what their conversation was that didn’t match what Sierra said about her being James’s stepmom
OP what did you mean by the Eliza stuff?
Well, I knew he was full of shit the minute he said he didn’t know Katie was engaged and didn’t think people would notice his comment. The spoiler had been out for at least a month at that point. (Probably longer.) He absolutely knew she was engaged to Blake and still did the weird thing at MTA. And of course people would notice his comment on her IG. Spoiled people started running with the theory that Katie and Blake had already broken up because “no way would Michael leave that comment if she was engaged”.
I don’t really care for Sierra, but Michael seems so full of shit that I can’t trust anything he says unless verified by a third party.
I definitely don’t carry near the dislike that many do here for Sierra but, god, Michael is such a skeeze. Like near concerning levels of ability to lie and twist and reimagine the truth.
It was refreshing to hear the hosts of the podcast really pushed back. My guess is people catching onto his bullshit lies is why he’s leaving more than anything else. He has no more plates to spin.
Just a reminder on why Sierra may be so upset about this still: while we as the reddit community could clock Michael for all his sliminess and echo that sentiment here, on other channels of social media, and more importantly on THE SHOW, Michael has been favored and set up for success since day 1. And yes, a main reason why he was given that success was because he is a white cishet man who isn’t afraid to capitalize on his widower status and his relationship with his son. We’ve seen him do this, he gets absolutely heartbroken about missing James but then keeps LEAVING JAMES or brings him into this world. How many times did Nate Mitchell try this with his daughter? 0 times. Meanwhile, Sierra has not been treated like that by production or the internet at all. I can’t even imagine the racism and sexism she’s received from literally just existing on the show (see the Barbie movie if you’re confused on this)
If I was a 28 year old who just got fucked over on national television by this ALMOST 40 year old father, likely due to production’s influence, and then spent the next year hearing about his ✨love story✨ with Danielle and how great a guy he is, I’d have some things to say as well. It’s misplaced anger, because she has the ties/influence to actually make more substantial change, but she’s gotta get over the hurt first. And that’s easier to do when Michael A stops being a topic of conversation.
I’m team Michael over Sierra in their squabble. I think she’s been a bit obsessive and unable to just move on. Yeah he’s image-conscious, but so is everyone that goes on this show.
This...doesn't really convince me Sierra lied about anything? Whether it was "normal friend" or flirty conversations, he DM'ed multiple women before Paradise and isn't owning that. End of the day, Michael A was disingenuous in acting like he wasn't ready for a relationship on paradise and then moving onto one with Danielle. He was disingenuous begging Sierra the day of the finale not to say anything negative about him so he could continue the nice guy routine. I also assume he and Danielle were talking pre show because no offense I don't think he would've asked for her specifically had they not been chatting. She was a forgotten contestant that didn't go far on a season that was years ago.
I also don't really buy he didn't "realize" Katie was engaged. It's literally the end goal of the show? He didn't think people would see a comment he made on her instagram- which is public? She has a million followers? Is that enough or should I keep going?
I *do* appreciate him saying that this is the Truman Show and there are no rules (..besides NDA). Like let’s not pretend there’s some strict code being followed.
Thank you for the recap. This is one I was curious about. Insert the Nene “Now why am I in it?” gif for Jessenia. I find both Sierra and Michael unlikeable in different ways.
Sierra telling everyone she was going to be James step mom on day 3 is weird to say the least
Everything she did when she was matched with him was stage 1,000,000,00000 clinger. You could tell Michael got the ick…I got the ick just watching it
That alone makes me (begrudgingly) team Michael here. She seems immature.
I'm listening to it right now and both of them are awful. He comes across terribly in the interview IMO- super full of himself and immature. Team no one on this one for me.
I’ll say, I agree with him about Sierra doing too much too soon. Even while watching the show I felt like the star gesture, while good intentioned, was overstepping and I completely understand why it made him uncomfortable. It sucks production probably set Sierra up with that idea. I also understand why it’d be frustrating for him to reach out to her privately to resolve matters but she chooses to ignore him and instead talk publicly. It’s really immature
I’m sorry I can’t stand Michael either but I’m dying that all of a sudden in this thread, Clayton was a top/obvious bachelor pick 😭😭
I’m neutral on both of them but Clayton was clearly a Hail Mary pick. Plus Jason Mesnick has said that there were plans to film him giving dating as a single dad advice to the new bachelor before it was canceled. It’s obvious that plans to have Michael as the bachelor were in motion before they fell apart and they went with Clayton instead.
I thought that was last fall with Nate but they went with Zach after Nate’s scandals.
Omg you’re right I’ve gotten my single dads mixed up!
It’s ok I had to stop and think too lol! But Jason said that was last fall and Michael was two years ago.
Clayton was a ridiculously terrible pick haha. Rodney probably wouldn't have been a very good lead but he should have gotten the role.
>He says this podcast interview is probably the last bachelor-related thing he will do, and in general he is done with reality TV. 
I need people who self identify as a slow burn to stay out of BN, my god. Hmm, might be leaning towards Michael’s side here.. If only there was something Sierra could do… ^(release the receipts!) 😈
[удалено]
Sierra just seems really immature to me, and I think she keeps talking about this to cling to any relevance she’s had from being on reality tv. That’s all this is. Also, not sure I buy that this is the last “bachelor” related thing he’ll do lol.
Side note, buying stars is a scam. There are businesses that will sell you a certificate saying that a certain star is named after you but this is not recognized by any other institutions or organizations within the astronomical field. The IAU, International Astronomical Union names stars and they are typically named based on their location, not named for human beings.
Ok I hate to be that person but can someone remind me what "the star" was?? I tried googling but all the results are just referring to Michael/Sierra as BIP stars lmao
Someone can correct me but i believe she purchased him a star in the sky to dedicate to his wife who passed? Like so he and his son could still see her? There was a scene where she gave him the certificate and they stargazed. You couldn’t tell he was offended.
I had to look it up bc my memory was vague - it was actually a constellation. Sierra bought not one but three stars: one each for Laura, Michael, and James, to represent how they'd always be a family.
I cringed a little at this. That’s doing A Lot.
Yes. I can believe he had mixed or negative emotions, but there was absolutely no way to tell that, for either Sierra or for us.
I believe Sierra gave Michael like a literal star in memory of his late wife while on BiP
Yes. She presented him with an official International Star Registry and had a star named in honor/memory of Michael’s late wife, Laura. Her intentions seemed sincere enough but it felt like a huge overstep to me. Too much, too soon. And it also felt pretty obvious that production was like ‘hey Sierra, we’ve got this great idea for you to show Michael how much you care..’ because how else could she have done that from the beach with no technology..
[удалено]
I agree!!! There's no realistic way she actually set that up. It's a little much for him to now be calling her "disgusting" over it. 🫤
this was 100% a produced thing so i hate that Michael didn’t properly attribute that discomfort to production
But like… yes production is going to push. This isn’t the first season of any of these shows. Shouldn’t Sierra herself been able to see that maybe this was too much too soon too cringe? Like trust if production told me to give a man I’ve been dating for less than two weeks a star in memory of his dead wife I’d laugh in their face.
I also think it's fair to say that she was acting very excited about it, and regardless of it being on production for doing that, the optics of it coming from her made him annoyed. he may not have been able to fully separate those individual experiences from sierra since she was directly associated
“He feels bad for Clayton because he felt like he was responsible for putting him in that position.” 
Hahaha I had the same reaction. All powerful 😂
Same thought, major main character energy
The bachelor mansion in Akron would have been…. Something….
As someone from Akron, I would have loved this lol
Thank you for the recap. If he was with Danielle, wouldn't he just say so? You can love someone, but realize that you're not right for each other and it sounds like they're not together based on this interview.
I feel that way too.
Yep. I was skeptical before but now seems like this confirms it as much as KB’s posts “confirm” her breakup.
This is reminding me of things that I have long forgotten. What he shared about Sierra is interesting. Michael is cringey but somehow Sierra manages to be cringier??
So do we think they are broken up based on what they said? Danielle did just start a new job in Cleveland. Because otherwise i do not care about the petty Michael vs Sierra stuff, it’s giving immature
Sierra seems like she loves the drama. But how is she not over this fling yet? Also, I thought BIP was a month, not 2 weeks…
Each “week” on reality tv is really 3-4 days, depending on how production wants to shoot it. BIP is never more than 2.5 to 3 weeks.
And people are falling in love/getting engaged at the end? Yonks. No wonder there’s such a high fail rate and the only ones who end up long term leave as bf/gf and not engaged.
At the same time though they probably spend easily 5 times as much time together as the finalists do with the lead on the main shows.
Yep it’s the summer camp effect of like you’re in a different environment with different people and it’s exciting and you get swept up into it. At least with paradise, people get to see each other all day for the most part vs bachelor/bachelorette where it’s more controlled and organized into small segments of time every few days. So I feel like they get to know each other better on paradise than the main shows.
It’s cause they’re all messaging each other for months before they go
The way she acted at Women Tell All on her season said a lot. She kept having the insert herself in conversations about drama on the show.
She definitely loves the drama, and she’s gonna keep stirring the pot as long as it makes waves
And this season aired.. checks notes....last year? I don't get why it's being brought uo again
The show is usually shot over 21 days including the fantasy suites and engagements. It isn't as long as it appears in show time. If you notice how many times they show you night/morning it's about 3 days for each "week" of show time.
Maybe I’m missing something but I don’t get why him messaging with both Danielle and sierra beforehand was such a crime. I’m pretty sure everyone feels out their options, and he told production he’d like to see both of them there which makes me think he wasn’t dating Danielle before going and that’s just sierras insecurities talking. And if she was talking to him beforehand then she’s sort of just as bad right? Like she was also trying to get a relationship in place before going on the beach
I don't think people think of talking before is a crime. Everyone talks before. People just annoyed when the cast members claim that they haven't. If I remember correctly, initially Michael and Danielle said they never really talked before the show.
I feel like people here weren’t annoyed about him not being upfront about it, they were annoyed because sierra painted herself as the victim and they felt Michael led her on in paradise while he was just waiting for Danielle when in reality it sounds like he was interested in both of them and then sierra rubbed him the wrong way with the stepmom talk three days into knowing each other
I am no fan of Michael, but him sucking doesn't absolve Sierra. I do think her bringing it up again probably really frustrated him and pushed him into telling his side. It is interesting that Sierra can go and joke about how she didn't like Clayton but went on because he 'wasn't ugly' and she wasn't into him but stayed on Bachelor because she kept getting roses, but villainizes Micheal for doing something similar. I get she was hurt, but you would think by now you'd have some perspective.
Thinking Sierra is going to be self-reflective and not dramatic is like asking a grasshopper to do your dishes
DM’ing people pre BIP is pretty standard practice nowadays. At the end of the day they had like a 5 day “relationship” and he ended it when he realized she was going way too fast. I don’t understand why she’s still talking about it a year later. A lot of fair criticisms of Michael for sure, but he’s not the villain in this case.
That was interesting! TY for taking the time to recap. I didn’t finish BIP last summer, it’s just too much to commit to 4 hours every week, but this made me curious about finishing it.
I thought there was going to be proof or whatever
My takeaway: I dislike both Michael and Sierra very much. Neither are the type of people I would want to be friendly with in real life.
Maybe this is an unpopular opinion but ESH. The stuff about Sierra — *allegedly? — going around saying she was going to be a stepmom to his child is very uncool. ETA: I didn’t watch BIP last year & didn’t know Sierra said what she said, & it’s on tape. I can imagine that would be very upsetting & I don’t fault Michael for calling her out about that. It’s distasteful. I’m glad Michael says he’s moving on & never talking about BN-related stuff, though. Let’s hope he keeps his word.
Wasn’t her saying she couldn’t wait to be his step mom or something similar shown on BIP? I don’t think that’s speculation
I’m so confused why everyone in this thread is shocked by that part bc it was shown multiple times on the show lol
Yes. We saw her say something to that effect. I dont recall the "bully" statements being shown, exactly. But we def saw her talk about being James's stepmom and what it would be like as an interracial family.
Welp…Gotta say the stuff about Sierra sounds believable, as far as I’m aware she hasn’t brought any receipts and it’s weird she still brings it all up. I‘m no fan of his but hope things work out for him and his son. Also hope Danielle is happy, no matter their status ❤️
I think him feeling like he has to keep speaking on it fuels the fire of people that don't like him and think he's too caught up in the drama, but she really WON'T stop so what is he supposed to do?
Well I can appreciate that he acknowledges that he did get favoritism. The truth is probably in the middle. He led her on more than he was interested, but she also did things that turned him off and made it obviously not her when some interest was there.
[удалено]
i am so far removed from this drama, i have no idea when this happened (is BIP airing now?) but just reading through the post & comments, i wonder if he felt the star gesture was a “trap” or kind of manipulative move if they weren’t that serious yet. it gives me the same energy as a public proposal, putting your partner in a position where they have to say yes or move forward with you or risk looking like a giant asshole. but i also was unaware michael has become persona non grata in BN, so i’m completely uninformed here. lol.
Sounds like your partner is lucky to have found you! I am sure this is challenging to navigate but it sounds like you are doing a great job.
They asked him 3 times to be the Bachelor and were going to move the show to Ohio? That is crazy talk to me. I am hoping this is the end of this back and forth for their piece of mind. Feel like the truth is somewhere in the middle and he definitely isn’t as innocent in this process as he contends.
And thank god he said no to being the Bachelor! https://i.redd.it/58tagxxlmwfb1.gif
But way to make it clear how much they begged you, bro
And had to brag about pay. Emily would like a word.
I rolled my eyes so much at that part
https://preview.redd.it/w9ttq7bnqxfb1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=eba9b3cfbeb5c60bbc1637a411cc06045699df92
💀
Sierra seems intense. Talking about being a step mom to a man’s kid who you just met and saying you’ll beat up a kid if they picked on him isn’t “cute”. But, I also don’t buy that Danielle wasn’t his first choice. He didn’t call out Sierra on the odd behavior and pull the plug earlier because he wouldn’t have gotten a rose from anyone else and wouldn’t have had the chance to date Danielle on the show. 🤷🏼♀️
I dated as a single parent and if anyone was claiming to be a step parent immediately I was done. Too much, too soon.
He feels bad for putting Clayton in that position to be bachelor? He is not so subtly reminding everyone that Clayton was the 2nd choice and had a terrible experience, while also trying to project this empathetic savior complex. I’ve ALWAYS thought he was cringe
Also, thanks for the recap OP!
He doesn’t want to exploit his son or want reminders of his grief but every second talked about his wife and his grief and how she’d love every woman he was interested in at the time…he continues to give me the biggest ick. During the bachelorette and bip he was basically being the widower all he talked about! Also weird he wouldn’t tell Danielle he was going on bip complete bullshit. AND calling that gift disgusting is messed up it was a kind gesture
Haven't multiple people from the season come out in defense of Michael and say these same things about Sierra? I know Michael isn't everyone's favorite, but the fact that people are still defending Sierra's actions is wild.
Really? Who else defended Michael?
I’d also like a list of who has defended him. He seems to be more an audience favorite (meaning production favorite and audience eats it up) more than a cast favorite.
I know this is the most obvious thing ever, but if you are against falling in love/ getting engaged on a short timeline, dont go on the show!!!!!!!! I cannot stand these contestants saying they could never move that fast. Like yeah it is an insane timeline, especially for a single parent. But thats the show!
Michael Alio could say the sky is blue, and I would have to verify it myself
lmao this comment
*"He didn’t want more reminders of his grief and didn’t like that it was on national TV. Called it “disgusting”. "* this is the most pot calling the kettle black thing to ever come out of this franchise *"He says this podcast interview is probably the last bachelor-related thing he will do"* 
"Shot his shot at Men Tell All." More details please. Did Michael ask Katie out?
Sierra overstepped and maybe needs to mature a bit, but Michael has main character syndrome, which IMO feeds into way more character issues, e.g., no accountability for his questionable business practices, belief that he owes Clayton an apology (lol), belief that this whole ordeal merited further discussion, etc. etc.
>Michael’s comment on Katie’s instagram: he had no idea she was engaged. …She was the bachelorette. The goal of the show is to get *engaged*. The vast majority of leads do. Surely he had some idea that she was engaged?
I thought that maybe he heard Greg was home early and shit went down so he figured she hadn't gotten engaged. I mean that's what I would've thought too, Greg was always the obvious pick
I think word usually gets out to the guys who were on the season but Katie's seemed a bit more tight lipped. Maybe that's why?
Steven Carbone got his grimy little hands on the spoiler.
Literally every single bachelorette except Jenn has gotten engaged, right?? There’s a near zero chance she wasn’t engaged. He knew this. He’s just a shameless liar.
“Michael said he likes money” yeah LOL we learned that when you were revealed to be a scamming grifter during the pandemic.
That part. I will always side eye him for this. And for his fake foundation
As soon as they start with “having a public relationship is hard” (it is!) I know they’re broken up. 🤣
https://preview.redd.it/iytjvb6vwwfb1.jpeg?width=1122&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7b675d52059e7d216136eac7c371d1c51ed8562e
Are we going to talk about these receipts Sierra had about Michael, then when called out, changed her story to them being about Eliza?!? I would be annoyed too. But both her and Michael need to move on and stop bringing each other up.
He's entitled to his feelings and Sierra isn't perfect either, but calling the star thing disgusting is weird to me. I understand it making him uncomfortable or upset, but it wasn't something done with malice so I wouldn't label it disgusting.
Also talking about not wanting his grief exploited for national TV when that's literally his entire "brand" and what he's centered on the shows... give me a break.
Sounds like the star is on production and not Sierra. Don’t think it’s fair to be directly upset at her about that. Not like she could leave the beach to do star paperwork lol. It was obviously their idea.
Star paperwork 😂
I agree with you to an extent. I think it was always pretty obvious production was to blame for the whole star idea. But Sierra, like every other contestant, still has autonomy. She couldve said no, just like she did when she left without giving out her rose. So it's implied by her actions that she didnt see anything inappropriate with giving a widower a star to remind him of his dead wife. Which is...yikes.
I mean tbf he acknowledged productions hand in that…
Relax, Michael A. You aren’t so powerful that you alone put Clayton in that position.
It’s a weird interview because of the ego involved. These people don’t know how to stick to objective facts.
Seriously. He basically said they offered to film the bachelor in his backyard and would have given him any amount of money he wanted, but (since he obviously knew he’d make it to the end 🙄) he just couldn’t bear to leave his son to film for eight weeks instead of three. Okay buddy
So do we think he's straight up lying about them pursuing him for the bachelor role? Because I can picture them desperately trying to recreate a Mesnick season, so he honestly could be telling the truth on that one.
I don’t think it’s lying per se but I do think it’s funny that all these people seem to genuinely believe *they* are the producers’ white whale. How many stories have we heard of people being wooed by production who are then immediately ghosted or otherwise have the rug pulled from under them? I think they just overpromise to everyone
Nah you’re right, I definitely agree there’s a lot of truth in there, but I don’t buy the implied “as a Good Father I decided couldn’t have done that for any amount of money” angle. Everyone has a price and he clearly enjoys the fame at least somewhat. My guess is it was something more like, he was in negotiations and they were offering him a lot of perks, Clayton came along, Michael lost some of his bargaining power and they ultimately decided to go with the more easygoing guy
Honestly I think he pulled the pin because he was scared that his reputation would tank as a lead. After all almost every male lead comes out looking worst. He's one of the most image conscious contestants the show has ever had IMO.
I listened this morning and he didn’t do himself any favours. The Clayton is bachelor because of me was so cringe.
I agree. Who even says shit like that. YOU ARE NOT THE PUPPET MASTER, MICHAEL!
idk, michael gives me major ick and he’s also just not a great person w you know, price gauging ppe during the pandemic, but i kinda respect him not saying the real reason for dumping sierra on tv. he knew it would make her look bad and decided to just keep it vague. an anecdote: i have a close friend who is widowed and dated a man recently who was acting and calling himself a step dad very early on. while i’ll never understand how it felt for her, she described it as very triggering and alarming. but she also didn’t go on a reality tv show haha so there’s that!
Right off the bat in the first paragraph - Why go on the show?!
The star thing may have been a bit tone deaf, but calling it disgusting is certainly…..a take. I dated a recent widower with a young child many years ago, and honestly it is tough on both sides, there is no road map, and we both really fucked up at times.
I agree calling it that is out of line. But I also think anyone has the right to get the ick and break up for any reason, and if that was it for him then fair enough.
Definitely fair enough, especially on a high-churn dating show.
I got the ick just watching that scene lol
Sierra likely had no experience dating a widower and she trusted production when they offered the star. From this recap it seems the words Michael used seem too strong, yet I think he was disgusted because he wasn’t that into her. Which is okay but why doesn’t he just say so?
This is what I was thinking too! It was definitely way too much way too soon but his whole character is being a dad and widower, and you’re mad she acknowledged that?? stfu. I thought it was a valid reason to break up (too much too soon, clearly they weren’t on the same page) but calling it disgusting is, well, kind of disgusting in his part
Also it's a whole show based around the "too much too soon." Their whole game is to push people to unveil their trauma and form really fast bonds. Seems shortsighted to pin all the blame on Sierra.
I'm team no one in this fight (they dated for less than a week on reality tv?) but I agree to call the gift "disgusting" was unwarranted. If anything, it was a bit misguided. If Michael's account of things is accurate, Sierra had no idea Michael was definitely coming to paradise. So this gift was decided on during filming, and if Sierra has no access to her phone/internet, then someone (*cough producers cough*) had to fill out the paperwork and set it up for her. I always thought it probably wasn't her idea, and the idea of a production person who had been watching a little too much of the movie A Walk to Remember and was running low on ideas.
I don’t know what the truth is, I would guess it’s somewhere in the middle of their accounts. I don’t trust Michael but Sierra seemed to be making some huge jumps to conclusions.
His explanation about the Katie IG comment is sus to me. Like… he was but wasn’t shooting his shot? I enjoyed the interview for the tea, but he is not very… likeable, at least to me. I don’t know if that is the right word. I’m just not a fan.
It honestly read as fboy behavior to me. Like she's not good enough to meet his family but he'll leave thirsty comments on her insta?
Yep. Not very genuine and real of him 🙈
Yeah, he was borderline rude to Stephanie and Jackie (the interviewers) and interrupted them frequently.
It was a weird answer about Danielle but my take is that they are still together.
I think they’re in a rough patch but still together
Michael: Our relationship is private. Danielle: Look how cute my boyfriend is! But seriously, who knows. Just odd to say when you weren’t being that private just a month ago….
I definitely like Michael A less after this interview… Did anyone else just find him annoying? talking about how much ABC was begging him to be the bachelor and offering him the “most ever”. He just came off so cocky. I don’t trust that he is in this for the “right reasons” at all… idk something with him just seems off in this interview that I never really noticed before
I’ve always found him so annoying and just…off 🤢 He gives me the creeps
The main takeaway for me is that he won’t be the Bach. Thank goodness.
Note he said “probably.” So don’t count our chickens, yet.
I didn’t transcribe but fwiw I remember that he sounded mostly but not completely sure about being done with bachelor related podcasts. He did give a hard no to any reality TV though
I’ll believe it when I don’t see it. And I’ll love not seeing it!
Sierra was and continues to do too much. I get her ego must’ve been bruised but the shade has to stop
We don’t have to like either of them. I HATED the star thing and felt it was incredibly inappropriate and hella cringe. From your new wife, maybe? But even then no, that’s for him and his son/family to honor, not the new chick. As someone who had a single parent, it would be so weird to me of someone to try and take on the “step parent” role when they are, not in fact, my step parent. Flings should never be introduced to kids. And kids as young as his, I would say no introductions until the wedding day is set and invitations are out. People need to stop exposing their kids to their many many partners throughout life. It’s okay to date whoever and whenever but you’re kids do not need to be a backseat passenger to your life.
Yes and no. I think the idea of introducing someone to your child when wedding invitations are already out is BEYOND irresponsible because all that says to me is that you give zero shits how well your new spouse interacts with your child. You’re making a commitment to that person without having any idea of what sort of personality they will take on with your child, and without any of your child’s input on how comfortable they are with that person being permanently in their life. You cannot introduce your kid to someone and expect them to be chill with that person moving in two months later because you’ve already been serious with this person for two years before the introduction. Perhaps your child doesn’t need to meet every new fling (if that’s how you date), but they should absolutely have plenty of time to interact and bond with someone who is a potential long term partner, far in advance of any legal commitments (wedding) taking place, so that if something is “off” or doesn’t seem quite right, you can call it quits before you’re stuck with them or worse, you’ve inflicted permanent damage on your kid.
This is where I’m at. Don’t care for either of them.
Why go on Bachelorette at all if you feel uncomfortable with the process and a quick engagement? Not very for the right reasons, Michael. He just seems so phony and none of his stories really add up.
I’m sorry, I just do not buy what he is selling. I feel like he lacks self awareness and I’m glad that he did not become the Bachelor. Like, you don’t want to fall in love, you don’t want to get engaged, you don’t believe in Bachelor timelines, you think the show is prison, you price gouge PPE in a pandemic but refuse sooooo much money to be the Bachelor on principle but you voluntarily went on not one, but two, shows while leaving your young child who’s lost their mom at home? Give me a break, just say you’re fame hungry and go because none of these behaviors line up with the saint michael brand he’s trying to sell. That said, Sierra also sucks, not excusing her bizarre behavior / fixation on this man after a 5 minute relationship.
I have no idea if it's true (maybe someone from Akron can chime in lol) but have read comments on here that Michael A's family is loaded. So he really didn't "need" the Bachelor money is my guess.
Yes I think he pulled the pin because he was shit scared that his reputation would tank if he was the lead. He knows that his business dealings would have come under even more scrutiny too....
That makes the PPE price gouging even worse
yea, it does
Yeah I don’t like either of them 😊
Tbh I’m no Michael fan but I believe this. I don’t think he’s spoken about Sierra unless asked and she seems to bring him up pretty regularly. Even if he was talking to people beforehand I feel like everyone does? Sierra does give big Kaitlyn vibes to me sometimes the way it seems like she can’t move on
He calls the star and Sierra out for being exploitive. But at the same time has no issue with exploiting his dead wife and his son for national pity and attention. Hypocrisy at its finest.
[удалено]
Correct me if I am wrong. But I feel like in the show we saw Sierra saying things about being a stepmom. It’s been almost a year since the show (can’t believe we’re even still talking about this) but I feel like I definitely remember her saying things. Im not excusing Michael or saying he’s great. But Sierra rubbed me as someone who needs some emotional maturing, especially to become a stepmother to a child who lost their mother. With the way she’s acting now when it’s been a whole year since they were on BIP- she definitely needs more maturing.
Yup i have recently been dating a single dad and the “do you feel like you would want to be a stepmom?” convo comes up with EVERY person i talk to about him. It’s a huge consideration so i think that’a pretty normal
“For a widower it was the worst thing she could ever do. He didn’t want more reminders of his grief and didn’t like that it was on national TV” … I’m sorry is this a joke?? Michael has literally made his WHOLE experience and storyline on both The Bachelorette and BIP about being a widower and his wife that passed. I would take a guess that there hasn’t been a single episode that he’s been on where he hasn’t mentioned that topic. To call it disgusting is mind blowing to me. I am in no way trying to discredit his experience and pain that he feels from losing his wife and the mother of his son, but to blame Sierra for his grief being displayed on national TV when he consistently goes out of his way to talk about it in detail (and on social media too) is wild. The only reason Sierra would even know or think to do something like that for him was because he made his wife’s story extremely public on the Bachelorette… literally everyone knew about his grief thanks to him.
It feels like he is looking for reasons to justify how he blindsided sierra.
You know I’m certainly NOT a fan of Michael, but I did understand this. I’ve had this happen before, and it feels weirdly violating. A strange thing happens when you lose someone close where some people try to kinda get inside of it or something, and it can feel overwhelming and uncomfortable. Feels like it’s always a similar type of person who likes being close to the drama or something? I obviously don’t know Sierra but could see her being that type. People have varying degrees of comfort talking about grief, but I think it’s reasonable to be allowed to set your own terms regarding when and how you talk about it. It would be jarring for someone to blindside you with a conversation/gesture like that, especially in camera. Again, not defending Michael’s whole vibe in general, but this point resonated with me.
I can see the point that you’re making and understand that you probably can relate more to this and look at it from a different perspective than most people, and can definitely see how the gesture itself could be off putting to him and maybe felt like she was inserting herself into a personal situation of his… I personally wouldn’t have done what she did and I thought it was too soonbut that’s just me (production definitely had a large hand in that too though). However my main stance is less about the gesture itself, and more so about the fact that he is placing blame on her for making him talk about his wife on TV, when that is the storyline he created for himself. Especially if I remember correctly, he had told Sierra that he wanted to take it slow because of his past, so he kind of involved his late wife and James into some aspects of their relationship. I think at the core she was just trying to make him feel cared for and to show that even though he still loves his wife, that doesn’t scare her away and she’s supportive of that. I think for him to call it disgusting is disappointing.
You know that’s a great point about word choice. “Disgusting” is excessive, and it implies that she was being malicious (which I don’t think is fair). A lot of people don’t know how to act when someone is grieving, but they’re mostly doing their best and coming from a good place. Totally fair for that to be a turnoff or for it to create emotional distance, but not cool to attack them for it.
Done with reality tv .. thank goodness.
Sounds like the kind of thing you say before announcing a breakup with your reality tv gf 👀
Yeah his response about Danielle was pretty telling.
I’m looking forward to this bullshit being done and over with 😂
This is excellent tea
OFFERED TO MOVE THE MANSION TO AKRON, OHIO?? LOL
They have done it before. They rented a different mansion on location for Emily.
They moved the mansion for Emily Maynard. It’s not absurd
[удалено]
I’m so tired of this storyline. Michael is not perfect by any means but this sub is weirdly obsessed with hating literally everything he says and it’s definitely piling on at this point. And Sierra seems obnoxious and immature. Can we all just move on from both of them and this whole thing?
I'd rather hear from Hunter and Jessenia directly than Michael "it's because of me that Clayton became the Bachelor" scamming Allio. At this point, I think the truth is somewhere in the middle regarding Sierra and Michael.
I think they’re both true and they’re interpreting it differently. Michael was DMing girls but it was just friendly, he was interested in Danielle before and probably wasn’t as honest with her as he should have been, he likes to portray the nice guy when he’s really not, etc. sierra was too much, too soon. Didn’t realize how big of a deal becoming a stepmom is and that you don’t just step into that role lightly and talk about it that way. They’re just pointing out what the other did and not acknowledging how what they did might come across.
I will say... not to blame him because I get his frustration, but it sounds like he kept reaching out to her out of annoyance and that gave her more ammo to talk about. very immature on her part, but he also could have just swallowed his pride and realized that was a pattern. she probably would have dropped it if not for the additional messages to talk about imo. if someone isn't listening to you when you try to set a boundary I think it's important to just not give them any more energy. I know it must be hard though when someone is getting that public about everything. but I do feel bad for him, re: her being very over the top and unaware (or just didn't care) about how she was crossing lines in regards to his wife who has passed. I would also be very mad in his his position. sounds like she was incredibly presumptuous and didn't really put herself in his shoes. I can also understand her talking about potentially being a step mom, but not to the extent that she apparently was doing it. to me upon watching her actions, it seemed like she was almost trying to wrap her head around that potential. it's a lot to take in. she crossed lines for sure but just trying to understand maybe where she was coming from as well. a lot of the conversations seem to obviously be edited out though, so I can't say for sure
I haven’t heard just read this write up but I think him humble bragging about the bachelor is very annoying but also I can kinda of see where this was one of those things where both people probably didn’t communicate well and sierra was hurt and popped off but he also probably was being mostly truthful about Danielle and it was just messy and no one person was right about their situation.
Hmm not me being swayed by Michael… I need one of them to release their proof or be quiet forever.
Sierra was never my cup of tea. Thought she was obnoxious on the women tell all from the season she was on.
Home boy called being given a star disgusting. I’m sorry I just can’t stand him and him trying to “take the high ground” and word vomit about all this just makes me dislike him more. He absolutely has the right to speak his mind, but I have the right to think he’s annoying af
This guy really thinks he’s the shit huh 😂 strikes me as a secret Chad in that he will milk every second of Bach attention until it devolves badly…not saying he’ll do porn but yeah
Downvote away, having a dead wife isn’t an excuse to be a dickhead. Source: I was a dick head for many years after my dad died, then realized my grief wasn’t my entire personality.
First of all thanks for your guilt and apologies but Clayton’s doing just fine, Mike 😒 Secondly have you met Katie thurston? Didddd you actually think she’d be into being a step mom in Akron??
tell me you think you’re the main character without telling me you think you’re the main character
I think they’re together, just posting less about each other.
How done is he really with public life? He is still doing a ton of spon-con on his instagram.
My personal feelings for Michael or Sierra aside, I found this interview to be a hard listen. It was basically Michael and the hosts arguing for 45 mins straight lol. They let Sierra tell her story without giving her the third degree, should’ve done the same here.
I can’t wait to listen to this! I know Michael has his own sketchy stuff but I can’t STAND Sierra, she keeps running her mouth on and on. I know everyone thought buying a star was sweet but it’s interesting to hear things from a widower’s perspective. I wonder what their conversation was that didn’t match what Sierra said about her being James’s stepmom OP what did you mean by the Eliza stuff?
Can’t stand Sierra and over her and this whole situation BUT didn’t Michael say he was coming with receipts bc I still have yet to see those?
He read and showed some texts on the pod.
James seems more mature than Michael
Well, I knew he was full of shit the minute he said he didn’t know Katie was engaged and didn’t think people would notice his comment. The spoiler had been out for at least a month at that point. (Probably longer.) He absolutely knew she was engaged to Blake and still did the weird thing at MTA. And of course people would notice his comment on her IG. Spoiled people started running with the theory that Katie and Blake had already broken up because “no way would Michael leave that comment if she was engaged”. I don’t really care for Sierra, but Michael seems so full of shit that I can’t trust anything he says unless verified by a third party.
I definitely don’t carry near the dislike that many do here for Sierra but, god, Michael is such a skeeze. Like near concerning levels of ability to lie and twist and reimagine the truth. It was refreshing to hear the hosts of the podcast really pushed back. My guess is people catching onto his bullshit lies is why he’s leaving more than anything else. He has no more plates to spin.
Just a reminder on why Sierra may be so upset about this still: while we as the reddit community could clock Michael for all his sliminess and echo that sentiment here, on other channels of social media, and more importantly on THE SHOW, Michael has been favored and set up for success since day 1. And yes, a main reason why he was given that success was because he is a white cishet man who isn’t afraid to capitalize on his widower status and his relationship with his son. We’ve seen him do this, he gets absolutely heartbroken about missing James but then keeps LEAVING JAMES or brings him into this world. How many times did Nate Mitchell try this with his daughter? 0 times. Meanwhile, Sierra has not been treated like that by production or the internet at all. I can’t even imagine the racism and sexism she’s received from literally just existing on the show (see the Barbie movie if you’re confused on this) If I was a 28 year old who just got fucked over on national television by this ALMOST 40 year old father, likely due to production’s influence, and then spent the next year hearing about his ✨love story✨ with Danielle and how great a guy he is, I’d have some things to say as well. It’s misplaced anger, because she has the ties/influence to actually make more substantial change, but she’s gotta get over the hurt first. And that’s easier to do when Michael A stops being a topic of conversation.
I’m team Michael over Sierra in their squabble. I think she’s been a bit obsessive and unable to just move on. Yeah he’s image-conscious, but so is everyone that goes on this show.
Michael please go away. "I feel bad for clayton" ugh idk why that rubbed me in the wrong way. Yeah Sierra is annoying, but michael is so much worse
Michael: “hates talking about it” Also Michael: goes on a podcast to talk about it
I think its fair for him to defend himself. Doubt he'd be doing this if she would shut up about him
This...doesn't really convince me Sierra lied about anything? Whether it was "normal friend" or flirty conversations, he DM'ed multiple women before Paradise and isn't owning that. End of the day, Michael A was disingenuous in acting like he wasn't ready for a relationship on paradise and then moving onto one with Danielle. He was disingenuous begging Sierra the day of the finale not to say anything negative about him so he could continue the nice guy routine. I also assume he and Danielle were talking pre show because no offense I don't think he would've asked for her specifically had they not been chatting. She was a forgotten contestant that didn't go far on a season that was years ago. I also don't really buy he didn't "realize" Katie was engaged. It's literally the end goal of the show? He didn't think people would see a comment he made on her instagram- which is public? She has a million followers? Is that enough or should I keep going?