Michelle Young canceled a cocktail party as her integrity was questioned on Tuesday’s episode of The Bachelorette on ABC.
Jamie Skaar, 32, a biotech CEO from San Diego, told Michelle, 28, that other men had been discussing whether she might have known Joe Coleman, 28, a real estate developer from Minnesota, in some capacity before the show.
It was Jamie, however, who had been telling the men that Joe and Michelle already knew each other. He sat down with Michelle prior to the rose ceremony and told her that there was talk among the men that she knew Joe before the show.
Party canceled: Michelle Young canceled a cocktail party as her integrity was questioned on Tuesday’s episode of The Bachelorette on ABC
‘Me, personally I don’t care,’ said Jamie. ‘But everyone else keeps feeling it. Given that this journey is about authenticity and about trust and that is the standard that is set, I think there are people out there that are just questioning that.’
Jamie also told Michelle that he saw a friend who saw her walking out at a bar in Minneapolis and that she was already paired up with a ‘tall, light-skinned baller.’
Kaitlyn Bristowe, 36, and Tayshia Adams, 31, consoled a clearly upset Michelle and discussed what Jamie told her. Michelle told the show’s co-hosts that she didn’t know who to trust.
The men, meanwhile, questioned who would bring this to Michelle’s attention moments before the rose ceremony.
Spreading rumors: Jamie Skaar, 32, a biotech CEO from San Diego, told Michelle, 28, that other men had been discussing whether she might have known Joe Coleman, 28, a real estate developer from Minnesota, in some capacity before the show
Michelle spoke to all the men and told them the first night of the show was the first night she met all of them. She said she exchanged a few messages with Joe but then he ghosted her.
She then opened it up for questions, but walked away when she was greeted with silence. The men wondered who spoke about Joe to Michelle and agreed they thought it was one person who spoke to her intent on causing drama.
Jamie didn’t say anything.
Group speech: Michelle spoke to all the men and told them the first night of the show was the first night she met all of them
Stayed silent: Jamie didn’t tell anyone else about his conversation with Michelle
Kaitlyn and Tayshia addressed the men and told them that Michelle was emotionally drained and decided to cancel the cocktail party and the men went straight to the rose ceremony.
The show started on a lighter note with 23 men vying for Michelle’s attention.
Brandon Jones, 26, a traveling nurse recruiter, from Portland, Oregon; Will Urena, 28, an academic interventionist from Grand Rapids, Michigan; Romeo Alexander, 32, a mathematician from New York City; Rick Leach, 32, a medical sales rep, from Munroe Falls, Ohio; Leroy ‘LT’ Murray, 38, a yoga guru from Bellevue, Washington; Olumide ‘Olu’ Onajide, 27, an IT analyst from Newark, New Jersey; Casey Woods, 36, an advertising creative director from Miami Beach; Daniel Tully, 26, a firefighter from Austin, Texas; and Peter Izzo, 26, a pizzapreneur from Port St. Joe, Florida, went on the first group date.
Show co-hosts: Kaitlyn Bristowe and Tayshia Adams addressed the men and told them that Michelle was emotionally drained and decided to cancel the cocktail party
The date card read ‘Today’s Lesson is Love’ and the guys were excited as ran to meet Michelle.
She told them she brought three friends that have real high standards who would not take it easy on them. The friends turned out to be students from a 5th grade class. The men sat at small school desks and were given first multiplications and other math questions to answer. Next the men put on lab coats and did chemistry lessons and then musical chairs.
Peter was very competitive during the musical chair round.
Love lesson: Michelle was helped out by three students as they quizzed the guys
Michelle said later in a confessional that you can tell a lot about a person through how they play musical chairs and that ‘it’s not necessary in these positive ways.”
Then the kids gave the men a spelling test. Brandon wrote ‘protien’ instead of protein and he said ‘I’m not getting a gold star am I?’.
Michelle said later in a confessional that Brandon couldn’t spell, but that maybe he would be a good kisser.
Bad speller: Brandon Jones wrote ‘protien’ instead of protein and he said, ‘I’m not getting a gold star am I?’
Peter kept calling attention to himself and Will said in a confessional that he was ‘sick of it already.’ When Michelle asked everyone to spell narcissist on their dry erase boards, Will wrote ‘Peter’ and the little kids laughed.
In a confessional, Peter said that he was mad and thought Will’s comments were ‘low.’
At night, the men gathered for a beach party. Michelle pulled Brandon aside and asked about his spelling and he told her was going to learn from his mistakes and move forward. She told him that he made her laugh and then they kissed. Later in a confessional, she said that there were definitely sparks with Brandon.
Pulled aside: Michelle pulled Brandon aside and asked about his spelling and he told her was going to learn from his mistakes and move forward
Peter asked Will if he could talk to him. He told him that he thought it was really inappropriate of him to call him a narcissist. Will told him that he was just having fun. The conversation between them got heated.
Back at the men’s hotel suite, the other men were wondering who was getting the one-on-one date. It turned out she picked Jamie. He told the men that the date was important for him to know whether she was the right person for him.
Rick brought his ‘homework’ of a fill in the blank paper for Michelle. At the end, they kissed and Michelle told him she was happy that he was there.
Brought homework: Rick brought his ‘homework’ of a fill in the blank paper for Michelle and they later kissed
Michelle pulled Peter aside and said she heard a ‘ton of yelling’ from him. Peter told her that he thought what Will did was disgusting behavior. He told her that his screaming was out of character for him. Later in a confessional, he said he got his rose robbed because someone decided to be a ‘petty b****.’
Michelle then gave the date rose to Brandon. He said in a confessional that ‘I’m falling for this girl. There is no doubt in my mind.’
The next day, Michelle took Jamie on a date to Joshua Tree National Park. He said in a confessional that he wanted to see if there was a spark between them. She planned a picnic for them on top of a rock formation. They climbed up ropes and rock climbed up to the top. He helped, coached and encouraged her up to the top.
Heated conversation: Peter and Will got into a heated conversation that Michelle overheard
One-on-one date: The next day, Michelle took Jamie on a date to Joshua Tree National Park
Michelle told him she was really happy that she chose him. She said she felt like she had already learned so many things about him during the date.
‘Today’s a good start, I can’t wait to see what is next,’ said Jamie and then they kissed. ‘I’ll remember this for the rest of my life.’
Over dinner, the two discussed their family backgrounds. Jamie told her he had a difficult childhood and that his mother struggled with mental illness. He said when he was 24 his mother committed suicide and it ‘imploded’ his life.
Candid conversation: Jamie told her he had a difficult childhood and that his mother struggled with mental illness
His story brought Michelle to tears. She said he was a beautiful person and that she was impressed. She told him she loved every second of their day and gave him a rose at the end of the date. The two kissed.
‘This is one of the best first dates I’ve been on,’ Michelle said later in a confessional.
The two danced as singer Caroline Jones gave them a private concert.
Private concert: Michelle and Jamie then enjoyed a private concert
Special performance: Caroline Jones serenaded Michelle and Jamie
The next day Joe found out that his former basketball coach had died and he was upset. He said he was a teacher to him of not just basketball but of life.
Michelle had planned a basketball date for some of the men and said she was curious to see how the guys did at the game. She brought out her two friends Dearica Hamby and Diamond DeShields, two professional basketball players, to join them. The men ran drills and played one-on-one games.
Joe and Michelle played a game of one-on-one. Michelle said in a confessional it was so comfortable with Joe because they were both trained basketball players.
College player: Michelle played college basketball at the top tier Division 1 level for Bradley University
Pro players: Dearica Hamby and Diamond DeShields, two professional basketball players, helped out Michelle
The men split up into 5-on-5 teams where the winning team would go to a party with Michelle. Joe stepped up his game and bought his team back from war behind. In the end, Joe’s team lost by one point.
Michelle then gave Joe an MVP award so he could go to the cocktail party. The other members of the red team were bummed that they couldn’t go to the cocktail party.
In the evening, Michelle sat down for drinks with the winners and with Joe. She pulled Joe aside and he told her that he learned that his basketball coach just died. He told her it felt good to be out on the date. Joe said his former coach was like family to him. Michelle told him she felt they had this level of understanding between them.
Sideline spectators: Michelle, Tayshia and Kaitlyn watched the close game
Showing support: Michelle pulled Joe aside and he told her that he learned that his basketball coach just died
‘I feel it too,’ Joe said and they kissed.
Michelle spent a lot of the night with Joe and he said in a confessional that he could see himself falling for her.
Nayte Olukoya, 27, a sales executive, from Austin, Texas, said in a confessional that he was not worried about Joe because he knew he had something with Michelle. The two talked. He told her she was gorgeous and then they started making out. Nayte said later that ‘the kissing was out of this world.’
Early frontrunner: She spent a lot of the night with Joe and he said in a confessional that he could see himself falling for her
Ultimately, Michelle gave Joe the group date rose. She thought that he really pushed himself to open up.
At the final rose ceremony, Michelle gave roses to everyone except Pardeep Singh, 30, a neuroscientist from Brooklyn,; Daniel Tully, 26, a firefighter, Austin, Texas; PJ Henderson, 30, a firefighter from Houston; Alec Thompson, 29, an engineer from North Charleston, South Carolina.
The men who remained still wondered who had spoken to her about Joe.
The Bachelorette will return next Tuesday on ABC.
Group date: Ultimately, Michelle gave Joe the group date rose