On The Bachelor, back in 2016, Olivia Caridi made quite a name for herself, and it’s time to share information about what happened to her after the season ended. Introduced on night one, Olivia was Ben Higgin’s first impression rose recipient, which immediately placed a target on her back. Her comments and actions were quickly vilified, and the last that fans saw of her, she was stranded on an inhabited island in The Bahamas.
While her relationship with The Bachelor lead Ben was up and down throughout the first few weeks of the season, she received multiple group date roses. However, during the fifth week, tensions flared between the other women and Olivia, after she called a fellow contestant who is a single mother (Amanda Stanton) a teen mom. Following a conversation with Ben about the other women’s accusations towards her, Olivia received a rose but was later selected for a two-on-one date with Emily Ferguson the following week. During the date, Ben spoke with both women and revealed that his relationship with Olivia had been compromised. He stated that he no longer saw a future between them, and ultimately decided to send Olivia home.
Later that season, Olivia appeared on The Bachelor: Women Tell All with 16 other contestants and discussed her time on the show, including what she said about Amanda in Mexico City. Olivia shared that she felt targeted and bullied on The Bachelor, particularly regarding her appearance. Some of the women came to her defense but others, including Amanda and Emily, confronted her with more accusations. Olivia also shared that the months following the season premiere had been difficult; “I used to watch this show and I would see things, and we all judge. But no one really knows. And no one really knows all of us fully.“
Since The Bachelor, Olivia has learned a lot and has taken accountability for her actions on the show, but she has also struggled with her mental health. She decided to lay low on social media and temporarily gave her accounts to her sister because the negative comments were too much. As someone who has lived with depression, the messages that Olivia has received almost pushed The Bachelor alum to the edge. She has since received apologies from Ben and Chris Harrison, although fans are hesitant to believe the former franchise host’s apology.
Now in her late twenties, Olivia lives in New York City, where she is a full-time graduate student at NYU. Currently enrolled in the university’s integrated marketing program, Olivia found a passion for digital marketing through her podcast, “Mouthing Off with Olivia Caridi“, which she built from the ground up. The podcast allows reality TV contestants to speak fairly about their experiences behind the scenes, and share how their reality TV stints have affected their mental health. Olivia is a lifetime learner, so podcasting is a natural fit for the Bachelor alum. She has a degree in Journalism and experience working as a news reporter and anchorperson.
Along with her podcast, the former Delta Air Lines employee and The Bachelor star has been sharing her passion for traveling with fans on her website and social media. She hopes that fans are able to learn more about her by looking at where she has traveled. Olivia has also revealed that her travels have helped to improve her mental health.
