Season 29 spoilers ahead.
Beverly Ortega’s sudden exit from “The Bachelor” has left the audience confused and full of questions.
Ortega, who was chosen for a one-on-one date with the Bachelor lead Grant Ellis during Episode 3 of the ongoing Season 29, had to cancel her date on the day of as she was “very sick.”
While viewers were not offered much information beyond that on the episode, Ortega, a 30-year-old insurance salesperson from Howard Beach, New York, recently appeared on the “Bachelor Happy Hour” podcast with Joe Amabile and Serena Pitt to give more insight behind her premature departure from the show and share what exactly went down on the day of the date.
Before diving into the details, Ortega said she was “honestly so happy” about the one-on-one date and that she and Grant felt the same about their strong connection. However, fate had other plans for her. Ortega said after it was revealed she would be going on a one-on-one date with Ellis, she took a nap and woke up from it to her stomach hurting.
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‘Excruciating pain’
“I’m like, okay, maybe I should just go to the bathroom, or the food didn’t sit well,” Ortega said. “I start throwing up. I’m like maybe I just need to get it out. So, my stomach is continuing to hurt. I’m like in excruciating pain. I’m continuing to throw up. It’s a mess. This goes on for 12 hours.”
Ortega, who has also been diagnosed with anxiety, said though her panic attacks occasionally cause her to vomit, she knew something wasn’t right because she wasn’t feeling anxious.
“I know my body. I’m listening to my body. Something is not okay. I wasn’t sure if it was food poisoning,” Ortega said. “My whole stomach was hurting, so it’s not like one side. I didn’t think it was anything serious. I was like maybe I’m just in really bad stomach pain. At this point, because I had gone so long throwing up, I was like, this is probably why my stomach’s hurting even more, because I have nothing in my tummy.”
However, as Ortega continued to remain in pain, production eventually decided the best course of action would be to take her to the hospital. After a dose of morphine and three hours in the emergency room, the doctor told Ortega she has appendicitis and needs emergency surgery.
“At that point, I still was not really processing,” Ortega said, adding she previously already had her gallbladder removed in 2018.
Her father suggested she fly back to New York for the surgery but the risk of her appendix bursting on the plane was too high, so she decided to stay put and get her operation done in California.
‘What if’
After the surgery, Ortega said she and her family decided it would be best for her to not return to filming and go back home to recover given the physical stress of the show.
“Honestly, it took me like a month and a half to recover emotionally,” Ortega said of the experience. “Physically, obviously, I was okay. But emotionally, I was not.”
Ortega said she was left with the “what if” because she felt like they “were building a connection.”
“He saw and felt like exactly what I was seeing and feeling,” Ortega said. “I know they didn’t show a lot of our moments, but we did have a lot of cute little moments.”
She added they even kissed but even that didn’t make it to the episodes. On top of that, she didn’t even get a chance to say goodbye to Grant or explain what happened.
“I was really sad — really, really bummed out…I hope he didn’t think that like I left just because,” she said.
However, she feels “everything happens for a reason.”
“I was like, what are the odds that my appendix will act up the day, like days before I get a one-on-one,” Ortega said. “I was looking forward to the one-on-one because, again, I deal with anxiety and I was obviously going to open up to Grant about that, which is a really huge part of my life. I wanted to see what his reaction was — if it was something that he was able to handle… It was really sad that we didn’t get that moment.”
‘Bachelor in Paradise’
While her Bachelor journey may not have ended the way she had hoped it would, Ortega is not letting the experience weigh her down and says she is “1000%” open to going on “Bachelor in Paradise” for a second chance at finding love within the franchise.
“I feel like if I would have made it further, I probably wouldn’t have considered Paradise, but because I didn’t make it that far, yes,” Ortega said. “Because I do want to get married. I’m 30 years old, I’m ready for kids and family. I’ve always been like a relationship type of girl. And that was like my intention going on the show.”
What happened on Episode 3 of Season 29 of ‘The Bachelor’?
Despite Ortega’s untimely exit, the show went on and Ellis had a one-on-one date with Carolina in Las Vegas, while the other one-on-one date turned into a group date with Dina, 31, Litia, 31, and Sarafiena. The quad went to Vanderpump Dogs in L.A., where they helped Lisa Vanderpump take care of some of the rescue’s dogs. After the group activity, Ellis chose to spend the evening with Litia.
For the group date, meanwhile, Ellis invited comedian Hannah Berner and “Shark Tank” star Daniel Lubetzky to help teach the women about finance during which the contestants even participated in a “girl math” test.
The week ended with Grant surprising the ladies with a prom night which also featured Gary, Jack, Jonathan and Keith from “The Golden Bachelorette”
Who is left on Season 29 of ‘The Bachelor’?
The 10 women remaining on the show include:
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Alexe, 27: Pediatric speech therapist, New Brunswick, Canada
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Carolina, 28: PR relations producer, Guaynabo, Puerto Rico
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Dina, 31: Attorney, Chicago, Illinois
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Juliana, 28: Client service associate, Newton, Massachusetts
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Litia, 31: Venture capitalist, Salt Lake City, Utah
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Natalie, 25: Ph.D. student Louisville, Kentucky
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Parisa, 29: Pediatric behavior analyst, Birmingham, Michigan
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Rose, 27: Registered nurse, Chicago, Illinois
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Sarafiena, 29: Associate media director, New York, N.Y.
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Zoe, 27: Tech engineer and model, New York, N.Y.
‘The Bachelor’ Season 29 contestants: Meet the women vying for Grant Ellis’ heart
Who is ‘The Bachelor’?
Season 29’s “Bachelor” is Grant Ellis, a 31-year-old day trader from New Jersey and a former pro basketball player. A Lakers fan, Ellis enjoys “hitting strikes at the bowling alley, or belting out tunes at karaoke nights,” per ABC.
Ellis “captured the hearts of Bachelor Nation on Season 21 of ‘The Bachelorette’ with his infectious smile and unwavering positivity,” ABC says about him, adding “fans saw Ellis’ genuine desire to build a future centered on family” before his emotional exit.
“As the Bachelor, Ellis is eager to embark on a journey filled with romance, adventure and genuine connections,” according to ABC, and “hopes to find a partner who shares his values of loyalty, humor and a deep appreciation for life’s simple pleasures.”
How to watch ‘The Bachelor’ Season 29 premiere
Season 29 of “The Bachelor” airs on Mondays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC and is available to stream on Hulu the next day.
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Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: ‘The Bachelor’ Season 29: Why did Beverly Ortega suddenly exit?
