Beverly Ortega and Grant Ellis on Season 29 of ABC’s ‘The Bachelor’.Photo:Disney/John Fleenor
Disney/John Fleenor
Beverly Ortega has leftThe Bachelor, marking the first self-elimination of season 29.
Ortega — an insurance salesperson from Howard Beach, N.Y. — was one of the25 womenlooking for love and vying for BachelorGrant Ellis' final rose. During the week 3 episode that aired on Feb. 10, Ortega was excited to learn that she would be getting a one-on-one date with Ellis.
“Carolina and I are not on the group date, so we are going to be spending some special one-on-one time with Grant,” she said. “There is a group date today with 12 girls, and I couldn’t be happier to not be on it.”
But soon after, she mysteriously left the show with little explanation — other than a fellow contestant saying she had gotten sick.
So, why did Beverly Ortega leaveThe Bachelorearly? Here’s everything to know about her exit — and whether or not she’ll be returning to Bachelor Nation.
Beverly Ortega and Grant Ellis on Season 29 of ABC’s ‘The Bachelor’.Disney/John Fleenor
During a Feb. 11 appearance onBachelor Happy Hour, Ortega elaborated on how she really was sick, which led to her exit.
“I honestly was so excited, because I’m like, ‘We’re gonna have the whole day to ourselves. I’m gonna get to eat, sleep, just relax, no drama.' And I take a nap, and I wake up, and my stomach’s hurting,” she said. “I’m in excruciating pain, I’m continuing to throw up. It’s a mess. This goes on for 12 hours.”
“I knew something was not right. I was like, ‘I know my body. I’m listening to my body. Something is not okay,’ " she continued.
Ortega then spent multiple hours in the emergency room, where she learned she had appendicitis and needed emergency surgery. Her mom flew in and helped her fly home.
Beverly Ortega and Parisa Shifteh on Season 29 of ABC’s ‘The Bachelor’.Beverly Ortega/ Instagram
Beverly Ortega/ Instagram
The Bachelordid address that Ortega got sick — albeit very briefly. According to fellow contestant Chloie Costello, Ellis left the women with a “mic drop” that Ortega had been “missing in action.”
In a confessional, Parisa Shifteh clarified the situation, saying, “Today was supposed to Beverly’s one-on-one date with Grant, but yesterday morning she was very sick and today we found out that she will not be coming back to the house.”
As a result, Ortega’s solo date was replaced with a three-on-one date with Litia Garr, Dina Lupancu and Sarafiena Watkins.
Beverly Ortega.Disney/Matt Sayles
Disney/Matt Sayles
While on theBachelor Happy Hour, Ortega said that it took her a month and a half to “recover emotionally” from her exit.
“I was really, really sad,” she said. “Physically, obviously I was okay, but emotionally I was not. I left with the what if. Obviously, we were building a connection. He saw and felt exactly what I was seeing and feeling. I know they didn’t show a lot of our moments, but we did have a lot of cute little moments.”
“I was really sad, really, really bummed out,” she said. “I didn’t get to tell him what happened, I was like, I hope he didn’t think I left just because.”
Beverly Ortega on Season 29 of ABC’s ‘The Bachelor’.Beverly Ortega/ Instagram
Ortega explained onBachelor Happy Hourthat although she wanted to stay on the show, she thought it was best for her to “go home and recover” — especially given that the show was gearing up for its international travel on top of the already “long days and late nights.”
Although she was “sad about leaving,” she knew once she was settled in back at home that exiting the show was the “best decision” for recovery purposes.
While she won’t be returning to Ellis’The Bachelorseason, Ortega teased it might not be the end of her run in Bachelor Nation altogether, as she would “1000%” consider going onBachelor in Paradise.
She explained that had she “made it further” in Ellis' season, she probably wouldn’t have considered going onBachelor in Paradise. But with her time cut short, she would “definitely be interested” in giving it another shot at love.
“I do want to get married. I’m 30 years old. I’m ready for kids and family,” she said. “I’ve always been a relationship type of girl, and so that was my intention going on the show.”
Beverly Ortega.Beverly Ortega/ Instagram
source: people.com