James’ father is expected to appear on the series in an upcoming episode, even though the Bachelor and his father have a rocky history. Judging from a preview clip shown during Monday’s “Women Tell All” episode, it appears that James and his father aren’t close; but it looks like they’ll have a powerful heart-to-heart on the series, which would be a welcome change from everything else that’s going on with the reality TV series.
Some viewers considered Monday night’s “Women Tell All” boring and unnecessary because it focused on the women’s on-screen arguments—mostly the ones surrounding “Queen” Victoria Larson. Off-air, other problems have drawn loads of attention, like Chris Harrison stepping down from his role as host after he defended Rachael Kirkconnell for attending a “plantation-themed” party a few years ago. Meanwhile, Bachelor alum Taylor Nolan, who was calling for Harrison to be fired, is at the center of her own controversy, after old racist tweets of hers resurfaced online recently.
So, yeah, to say that a lot is happening is an understatement. And most of it is exhausting, disappointing news to many viewers. A reunion between James and his father may actually produce a positive moment, depending on how the conversation goes.
James was raised by a single mom after his parents divorced. In a clip uploaded by Us Weekly, James is seen confronting his father, Manny, about his absence. “When I needed you, you weren’t there,” James says in the video.
His father responds: “Do you know what I went through with your mom?”
Their conversation will seemingly dig into James’ experience with divorce as a child. The Bachelor previously admitted that he’s never been in love, and in a January interview with Tamron Hall, he alluded to the idea that his parents’ history has played a role in how he handles relationships himself.
“There [are] very tough conversations that I have with individuals that allude to where I’m at in my life and why it’s been so difficult for me to be in a relationship,” he explained to Hall. “A lot of that stems from my dad and my mom’s relationship. I saw what infidelity looked like at a young age. I saw family members that were against the relationship and doubling down on it after seeing the infidelity between my dad and my mom.”
Viewers still don’t know the full story about James’ relationship with his father and how often they communicate. But more should be revealed shortly, when James has to choose between his final three contestants, and his family will be there to help.
