The 9 biggest 'Bachelor' and 'Bachelorette' controversies of the year

Anneta Konstantinides,Caralynn LippoJan 1, 2021, 03:22 IST

The year started off with Peter Weber's tumultuous "Bachelor" season and only got wilder from there.Craig Sjodin/Getty Images

The "Bachelor" franchise is no stranger to drama, but 2020 was a controversy-filled year.
Peter Weber's tumultuous "Bachelor" season saw him dump the winner, reunite and then dump his runner-up, and end up with another contestant altogether.
The franchise also saw its first midseason lead switch, when Tayshia Adams stepped in after Clare Crawley left the show two weeks into filming.

These last 12 months have been a wild ride for everyone, and the "Bachelor" franchise was no different.

There may not have been a season of "Bachelor in Paradise" due to the ongoing pandemic, but the drama didn't stop all year as we saw a winner and runner-up get dumped, two "Bachelorette" stars get engaged, and the franchise finally appeared to answer for its ongoing diversity issues.

As the year comes to a close - and on the heels of Matt James' historic season of "The Bachelor" premiering next week - we compiled a list of the biggest "Bachelor" controversies in 2020.

In March, Peter Weber broke up with his winner Hannah Ann Sluss, then got back together with runner-up Madison Prewett during the live finale.

Peter Weber and Hannah Ann Sluss during "After the Final Rose" in March. John Fleenor via Getty Images

Also during the March finale, Weber's mom Barbara made her negative feelings for Prewett clear as she rolled her eyes and asked her husband to "say something bad" about the contestant.

Barbara Weber and Madison Prewett during "After the Final Rose" in March. ABC

Also during the March finale, Weber's mom Barbara made her negative feelings for Prewett clear as she rolled her eyes and asked her husband to "say something bad" about the contestant.

Weber and Prewett broke up just a few days later. But by May, he'd confirmed his relationship with yet another contestant from his season - Kelley Flanagan.

Peter Weber and Kelley Flanagan during "The Bachelor." Francisco Roman / Getty Images

"The Bachelor" season 23 lead Colton Underwood and his winner Cassie Randolph announced their split in May - and then she filed a restraining order against him a few months later.

Colton Underwood chose Cassie Randolph on his season of "The Bachelor." Rodin Eckenroth/WireImage

"The Bachelor" season 23 lead Colton Underwood and his winner Cassie Randolph announced their split in May - and then she filed a restraining order against him a few months later.

Also in May, former "Bachelorette" lead Hannah Brown was called out for singing the N-word during an Instagram live.

"Bachelorette" star Hannah Brown chose Jed Wyatt at the end of her season, but the two were broken up by the live finale. Mark Bourdillon/Getty Images

In June, the franchise was finally forced to reckon with its diversity problems as Black Lives Matter protests spread across the US.

Matt James was named as the next "Bachelor" star in June. Craig Sjodin via Getty Images

A strip dodgeball date during Clare Crawley's season made headlines and stirred controversy after the episode aired in October.

Crawley and "Bachelorette" contestants during the strip dodgeball date. ABC

But people mostly forgot about the strip dodgeball drama when it was confirmed that Crawley had left "The Bachelorette" to get engaged to contestant Dale Moss after just two weeks of filming, an outcome that was first reported over the summer but finally confirmed when Crawley's final episode aired in November.

Moss proposed to Crawley just two weeks into filming. Craig Sjodin/ABC

But people mostly forgot about the strip dodgeball drama when it was confirmed that Crawley had left "The Bachelorette" to get engaged to contestant Dale Moss after just two weeks of filming, an outcome that was first reported over the summer but finally confirmed when Crawley's final episode aired in November.

After Crawley and Moss got engaged, rumors began to swirl that they had been in communication before the cameras started rolling - a big no-no in the franchise.

Crawley and Moss have denied speaking to each other before the show. ABC

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The 9 biggest 'Bachelor' and 'Bachelorette' controversies of the year

In March, Peter Weber broke up with his winner Hannah Ann Sluss, then got back together with runner-up Madison Prewett during the live finale.

Also during the March finale, Weber's mom Barbara made her negative feelings for Prewett clear as she rolled her eyes and asked her husband to "say something bad" about the contestant.

Weber and Prewett broke up just a few days later. But by May, he'd confirmed his relationship with yet another contestant from his season - Kelley Flanagan.

"The Bachelor" season 23 lead Colton Underwood and his winner Cassie Randolph announced their split in May - and then she filed a restraining order against him a few months later.

Also in May, former "Bachelorette" lead Hannah Brown was called out for singing the N-word during an Instagram live.

In June, the franchise was finally forced to reckon with its diversity problems as Black Lives Matter protests spread across the US.

A strip dodgeball date during Clare Crawley's season made headlines and stirred controversy after the episode aired in October.

After Crawley and Moss got engaged, rumors began to swirl that they had been in communication before the cameras started rolling - a big no-no in the franchise.