Chad Johnson, noted villain of The Bachelor franchise, was arrested for domestic violence against his girlfriend. The news is barely a surprise, considering the hotheaded nature of the guy who was kicked off Bachelor in Paradise.
Chad’s tumultuous journey began on JoJo Fletcher’s season of The Bachelorette. He was nearly universally despised, butting heads with Evan Bass and Alex Woytkiw. He had one moment where he grabbed Evan early in the season during a group date, but ultimately did not inflict violence. When he was on a tense two-on-one date with Alex and JoJo, he avoided escalating things with Alex after he was eliminated, instead pouting all the way back to the house to collect his belongings. He was brought back on Bachelor in Paradise. When he made the other contestants feel uncomfortable, Chris Harrison kindly asked him to leave. Chad departed in a blaze of glory, yelling “F**k you, Chris Harrison” as he stormed off. Instead of being unanimously shunned by the reality television world, he received further opportunities, including starring on Ex on the Beach. Unsurprisingly, his dangerous behavior was not simply a television stunt.
According to TMZ, Chad was arrested this week for fighting with his girlfriend Annalise Mishler. She reportedly called 911 when he was at her apartment during a heated exchange. Chad was apparently intoxicated and punched a hole in Annalise’s wall, which sounds perfectly on-brand for Chad. Red marks were discovered on Annalise’s face when the cops arrived. Chad was booked for felony domestic violence and robbery.
The Bachelor has rarely had to step in and act in cases of violence. Chad was sent home on Bachelor in Paradise before he could do anything truly harmful. In the latest season of Bachelor in Paradise, Jordan Kimball and Christian Estrada were kicked off for fighting. The show has long attempted to get the contestants at each other’s throats without actually reaching for the jugular.
The problem with fostering this culture of conflict-driven narratives is that it celebrates guys like Chad who are a real danger to women. While Chad had more haters than supporters, being on television gave him enough positive reinforcement to believe that the way he was acting wasn’t wrong. The Bachelor is complicit in the actions that led to Chad’s arrest, as are the other networks that used his minacious behavior for pure entertainment. Real people are going to keep getting hurt if these television shows continue to push unhinged personalities further into the spotlight.
Next: Bachelorette’s Jordan Kimball Joins Chippendales for Valentine’s Day in Vegas
The Bachelor airs Mondays at 8pm on ABC.
Source: TMZ
