9 'Bachelor' Stars Who Stepped Away From Fame

It seems like every guy who has a starring role on the Bachelor ends up on another reality show like Dancing With the Stars or Marriage Bootcamp. And a lot of them end up selling teeth whitening products on Instagram. Aside from (occasionally) finding true love, many Bachelors end up finding fame and doing what they can to remain in the public eye. However, there are a few former Bachelor stars who stepped out of the spotlight. This is something that makes total sense to me, especially because it seems like a lot to deal with having your love life up for public consumption.

I can see why some Bachelor would just want to retreat and have a normal life, especially the dudes who did not actually end up living happily ever after with the lady who received their final rose. I really don't blame these guys for wanting to take a step back from the obsessive fandom that comes with being a part of Bachelor Nation.

One of the best parts about being a Bachelor fan is keeping up with the show's stars after the season ends, but the men below really prefer to keep things private after sharing their lives on reality TV.

1. Alex Michel

Alex was the very first Bachelor, so he will always have a special spot in Bachelor Nation, but it really seems like he wants nothing to do with the franchise at this point. Even Bachelor host Chris Harrison implored fans to reach out if they had any idea what Alex was up to in 2016, so he could appear on a special gathering of former Bachelors. Alex never turned up for the special, but the last the fandom heard about Alex was that he was working in media production, according to the Gazette Review. I also assume that he is secretly watching The Bachelor and all its spinoff shows, but that's just a little fantasy in my head.

2. Aaron Buerge

Unfortunately, things did not work out for Aaron Buerge and his winner, Helene Eksterowicz. However, he did get married to his wife, Angye McIntosh, in 2009, according to People. The former Bachelor has laid low for the most part other than declaring personal bankruptcy, which he told People about in 2011. It's very clear that he has left Bachelor Nation very far behind him.

3. Andrew Firestone

The third Bachelor got married to a model named Ivana Bozilovic in 2008 and is now a father of three. Andrew Firestone is done with reality TV and is focused on his family and representing his family brand Firestone Tires at automotive events, according to an update from Gazette Review.

4. Byron Velvick

Unless you're a fan of fishing, then it's safe to characterize Byron as one of the Bachelors who has remained under the radar since his since season wrapped. But, even if you are super into fishing, the former Bachelor retired from competing in fishing tournaments in 2016, so he is definitely out of the spotlight these days, according to BassMaster.

5. Lorenzo Borghese

Although the Italian prince is done with reality TV, it seems like he's been pretty busy these days. Lorenzo is a very into animal activism and is a founder for the non-profit organization called Animal Aid USA that encourages pet adoption from shelters.

6. Brad Womack

It's kind of surprising that a guy who was the Bachelor twice decided to take a break from the spotlight, but it's clear that he is way over Bachelor Nation. After dating fellow Bachelor alum AshLee Frazier in 2003, according to Wetpaint, Brad basically fell off the face off the Earth. Well, that's not really what happened, but he did get rid of his social media accounts so that's basically the same thing in my eyes.

7. Matt Grant

It's not at all surprising that Matt Grant has distanced himself from the reality TV franchise. In an interview on E!'s special The Bachelor: Then and Now, Matt said of his former fiancée Shayne Lamas, "Did I find true love on the show? Um, no. Not one little bit. I proposed to a woman who was about a foot and a half shorter than me, who had nothing in common with me, and thought there were palm trees in London. Did I make a mistake? Yes. Did I look like an idiot? Yes. Do I regret it? A little bit.” Wow.

8. Ben Flajnik

Fans know that Ben's relationship with Bachelor winner Courtney Robertson did not go the distance, but he did end up finding love in an interesting way. The former Bachelor admitted to meeting his girlfriend after they matched on Tinder in an interview with Huffington Post. If only the app existed sooner he could have avoided the public scrutiny of going on The Bachelor.

9. Juan Pablo Galavis

I really don't blame Juan Pablo for taking a step back from the media after being one of the most heavily maligned cast members in Bachelor history. Even though things did not work out for Juan Pablo's Bachelor romance with Nikki Ferrell, he is now in a relationship with Osmariel Villalobos, a Venezuelan TV host.

Reality TV is not for everyone. You can just ask these former Bachelors who have made an effort to have "normal" lives after looking for love on television. I don't blame any of these dudes for shying away from the spotlight. Being under the microscope of Bachelor Nation has to be a lot to handle.

Images: ABC (4)