Entertainment
Five years after coming in second place on Season 8 of The Bachelorette, Arie Luyendyk Jr. is making his return to Bachelor Nation in January as ABC's newest Bachelor. But while some fans are already getting their wine glasses ready and settling down in front of the small screen to see which lucky lady will get the first rose of the season, Luyendyk's return is likely causing many fans to wonder what the other Bachelorette Season 8 contestants are doing now.
Appearing on reality TV — dating shows, especially — can be such a life-changer, though not everyone always feels comfortable staying in the spotlight. We were able to find out what a handful of the men who appeared on Emily Maynard's season of The Bachelorette have been up to, though a heavy majority of the men who were on the show appear to be keeping their lives under wraps. Men like Doug Clerget, Travis Pope, Charlie Grogan, Nathan Baake, Stevie Alberino, Alessandro Goulart, Tony Pieper, Aaron Martell, Kyle Dillon, Joe Gendreau, Brent Richter, David Homyk, Jackson Longnecker, Jean-Paul LaCount, Lerone Anu, and Randy Lee Woyak were a little difficult to track down. Others who were able to make a bigger impression during the season were a little easier to find. So here's what everyone else from Emily's season of The Bachelorette has been up to.
1
Jef Holm
Jef took home the final rose, though he and Emily ended up calling it quits three months after he proposed to her during the season finale. It's hard to tell what exactly he's been up to lately but at least fans know what he won't be doing come January: Tuning in to watch Arie on The Bachelor. Holm revealed back in September that the two are no longer friends, even calling Arie "disgusting" while he was at it.
2
Sean Lowe
After his run on The Bachelorette, Sean was chosen to be the 17th Bachelor back in 2013. His season ended with him proposing to contestant Catherine Guidici, and the couple married the following year. Sean and Catherine are now expecting their second child.
3
Chris Bukowski
Bukowski was a fourth-place finalist on Emily’s season, and after his elimination he went on to attempt to find love a second time on Bachelor in Paradise during the show’s second season in 2015. But he ended up leaving BiP after a short time, telling Us Weekly that he was retiring from Bachelor Nation altogether.
After some time out of the spotlight, Bukowski spoke to Business Insider back in March about how being on reality TV almost derailed his personal life. He still has no interest in being on television again, and he’s currently working on the digital web agency he helped found, KCM Create. He’s also an adviser for the dating app, The Catch.
4
John Wolfner
He may not have gotten the final rose, but he did find love elsewhere, since he’s currently married to a former NFL cheerleader. John and his wife Rachel are currently expecting their first child together.
5
Ryan Bowers
Ryan was given the boot from the show in Week 6. According to his Instagram, he’s still a sports trainer, but what’s even better is that he’s also found love. He and his wife Ana Christina have been married for just over three years, and the couple welcomed a son, Boston Douglas Bowers, last year.
6
Alejandro Velez
Alejandro co-founded a company, Back to the Roots, in which he and his business partner sell organic mushroom farming kits.
7
Kalon McMahon
It looks like Kalon has found love since appearing on Emily’s season. He’s also really into golfing and talking about financial wellness, according to social media. He's contributed to Forbes and is also a wellness strategist at Financial Finesse.
8
Michael Nance
Earlier this year, it was reported that Nance died at the age of 31. The former Bachelorette contestant was rushed to an Austin hospital on May 28 after being found unresponsive, and was pronounced dead on arrival. An autopsy report that was released in September revealed that Nance died as a result of an accidental drug overdose.
9
Tony Pieper
Tony went on to appear on Bachelor Pad after being sent home on The Bachelorette. According to his Twitter bio, he's now a fitness model and he's since settled down with a new beau.
So only two of the men have gone onto become The Bachelor, but the rest of Emily's former suitors seem to be doing well for themselves after their time in Bachelor Nation.
