The Inside Story Of Tia Booth's Dramatic Bachelor Exit

The Bachelor is one of the longest-running, and most beloved, franchises in TV history, but its truthfulness is frequently called into question. Former contestants blame harsh editing for making them out to be villains, and fans complain when dramatic teases end up paying off in the least satisfying or logical manner. However, many of the alleged issues with the franchise are symptomatic of reality television in general. All things considered, it's meant as entertainment rather than as a documentary.

Tia Booth, who was featured on Arie Luyendyk Jr.'s season (one of the worst Bachelor seasons), had one of the most shocking exits. Since leaving, she's become firmly ensconced in Bachelor Nation, even enjoying a relationship with fellow former Bachelor star Colton Underwood. She's a fan favorite, for sure, particularly since her infamous "little weiner" gift set things off on the right foot with Luyendyk Jr. It's worth noting, however, that Booth's exit from the show wasn't as complicated as it seemed producers wanted viewers to initially believe.

As People notes, throughout the season, fans were teased with footage of a man showing up to the mansion in an effort to win back his fiancée. This unidentified suitor had a strong Southern accent, which immediately tied him to Booth, who hails from Arkansas. Many fans therefore decided he must be after her. In the end, the man was actually revealed to be an ex of Becca Kufrin, who obviously didn't take him back. Booth, meanwhile, placed fourth overall. She was ultimately sent packing after the hometown dates and sobbed the entire time. 

Booth admitted to it being a "very devastating" experience in an interview with Entertainment Tonight. In a follow-up interview with People, Luyendyk Jr. revealed there was no real reason to get rid of Booth, saying, "It was just my feelings for her weren't as strong as my feelings for the other women." The Bachelor star admitted that seeing her so upset afterwards "broke my heart." Clearly there are no hard feelings, however, as Booth defended her former paramour in an interview with Glamour, in which she asserted that Luyendyk Jr. unfairly gets labeled "a player."