ABC/Craig Sjodin
On The Bachelor 2019, star Colton Underwood said that contestant Caelynn Miller-Keyes was someone he was attracted to from night one. Miller-Keyes is a pageant queen, who has had to overcome many obstacles in her life, so being on The Bachelor should’ve been a breeze, right? Get to know more about Caelynn’s hardships, her relationship with Colton and her background in our 5 Fast Facts below. Keep in mind that Fact 5 is a MAJOR SPOILER. If you do NOT want to know Caelynn’s fate on The Bachelor this season, do NOT read past fact 4.
1. Caelynn Miller-Keyes’ Father Is Not In Her Life
Going into the hometown dates, Caelynn revealed to Colton that he would not be meeting her biological father because he is not a part of her life. She said that her stepfather is the man in her life who has helped to raise her. And, her stepdad shows he is definitely protective of Caelynn when he gets to meet Colton.
According to ABC, on their hometown date together, “A visit to Caelynn’s hometown of Fredericksburg, Virginia, turns emotional as her protective family needs convincing that Colton is serious about his desire to be married … Caelynn takes Colton on a wonderful, old-fashioned carriage ride through historic Fredericksburg, Virginia, and then he is treated to a family ‘fry party’ under the watchful eye of her vigilant stepfather. Will Colton get his blessing to marry Caelynn if she is his chosen soulmate?”
Other members of Caelynn’s family got to meet Colton during her hometown date as well and some of them have quite impressive backgrounds. According to Marie Claire, her grandmother was the first woman to be the head of the FBI in Los Angeles, California.
2. Her Intentions Were Questioned on ‘The Bachelor’
ABC/Aaron Poole
Two of the women on the show this season were accused of not being ready for an engagement and one of them was Caelynn. When confronted by Colton, she said that the claims made no sense to her. She said that the readiness she feels is in her heart. Multiple women on the show warned Colton that a couple of women had their eyes on becoming the next star of The Bachelorette, rather than becoming Mrs. Colton Underwood. Caelynn was infuriated by the accusations.
Caelynn confessed to Colton that she was scared the accusations would affect his feelings for her. She said that she was on the show for him and wouldn’t be there if her feelings weren’t strong for him.
The other woman who was questioned about her intentions was Cassie Randolph, who is another front-runner on the show. Over the course of the season, Underwood has admitted to the camera that this has been one of his fears – that he could pick someone who isn’t ready for the commitment.
3. As a Kid Caelynn Was Told She Wouldn’t Walk Again
Caelynn revealed on The Bachelor that she had a disease as a child that nearly prevented her from being able to walk. In her Miss USA contestant bio, it states, “As a small child, she was given a 10% chance to walk again after struggling with a life-threatening illness.” The name of the disease has not been revealed.
As for the rest of Caelynn’s childhood and upbringing, she has said that her grandmother is her mentor and she got her degree in broadcast journalism. Today, she still lives in her hometown, working as social media consultant in Asheville, North Carolina. She is also a pageant winner. In fact, she was crowned Miss North Carolina USA in 2018.
She actually competed against a fellow Bachelor contestant, who was eliminated this season on the show – “Hannah B.”
4. Caelynn Miller-Keyes Was Raped in College
Caelynn attended college at the Virginia Commonwealth University and while in school, she said that she was sexually assaulted. Caelynn was allegedly drugged by a group of male acquaintances who put something in her drink, as well as in the drinks of two of her friends. She recalled to People, “I woke up the next morning and I was completely naked in my bed and I knew that something bad had happened.” She also said, “Another guy, I was passed out on a couch from the drugs, and … in front of his fraternity brothers … lifted up my dress, they watched and laughed and took photos and Snapchats. It was horrible.”
People reported that Caelynn said she wasn’t confident about filing a police report at the time of the assault. Caelynn explained, “They told me they wouldn’t do a rape kit unless I filed a police report. At that point, these were friends of mine and I wasn’t entirely sure what had happened, so I wasn’t positive I wanted to file a police report. But later that night, I did, once I figured out what had really happened … The reporting process is a lot more difficult than people realize. I had no idea what to do … Thankfully, I had a good support system and people went to a second hospital with me and I was able to get a rape kit and speak to authorities and go through that process. But it’s a lot more difficult than it seems.”
On The Bachelor, Caelynn told Colton that the rape happened at a fraternity house. She said that the results of the rape kit that was administered were inconclusive and that all except for one of the men got away with the crime.
5. How Far Does Caelynn Make It On ‘The Bachelor’ 2019
ABC/Rick Rowell
For those wondering if Caelynn gets engaged to Colton Underwood on The Bachelor, we have the answer for you. Reality Steve has reported that Caelynn gets eliminated during the hometown dates episode and that the remaining three women are Tayshia, Hannah G., and Cassie. Caelynn and Colton were reportedly not on the same page emotionally.
According to Reality Steve, the winner this season is Cassie Randolph, but it’s not your typical ending. Cassie reportedly got cold feet during the overnight dates and she didn’t want to get engaged. Colton apparently was head over heels for her and actually left the show to be with her despite her not wanting the full commitment.
It’s interesting because both Caelynn and Cassie were accused of not being ready to get engaged. Clearly, this was exactly the case with Cassie.