The Stunning Transformation Of Bachelor Star Ashley Iaconetti
Unlike Bachelor star Ashley Iaconetti, some contestants on The Bachelor slip away from fans' memories after their season ends. But when it comes to Ashley's run on the famous franchise, her legacy is a lasting one. The time she spent on The Bachelor, and subsequently Bachelor In Paradise, was memorable to say the least. Between her infamous crying episodes on Chris Soules' season to her endless drama in Paradise, Ashley's reality show days haven't always been pretty. Then again, reality shows seldom are.
What sets Ashley apart from her peers, however, is her relatability to regular folks. Bachelor Nation watched as she struggled with her feelings for Jared Haibon for three years (before he finally fell for her too), and it was one of the most tumultuous franchise relationships of all-time. Plus she grew up in an average American family, and has always been candid with fans.
Looking back, Ashley admits it's been a transformative couple of years. "It's a hyper-emotional environment," she said of The Bachelor per The New York Times. "I'm a very emotional person, but it was in constant rotation there." Curious to know more? Read on to see Ashley Iaconetti's stunning transformation.
Bachelor star Ashey Iaconetti grew up the daughter of a doctor
Bachelor star Ashley Iaconetti may be one of the most recognizable reality stars out there, but she actually grew up in a regular American family. Ashley was born on March 6, 1988, as Reality TV World reported. The daughter of a doctor, Ashley's father was first introduced to Bachelor Nation during an appearance on After Paradise, a post-show discussion of each week's episode of Bachelor in Paradise.
Although he holds down a white collar job, Ashley's dad has been super supportive of her entertainment career. As Bustle reported, during his time on After Paradise, Iaconetti said he's "very happy" with his daughter's reality TV run.
Ashley has also said she takes a lot of personality traits from her dad. "I get my passion and my tendency to be very expressive about my loves from him," she said in an Instagram post. "My dad has taught me work ethic, but above all, taught me to always remember what really matters in life: love, family, health, and people."
Ashley Iaconetti made a decision about abstinence early on in life
Even when she was young, Bachelor star Ashley Iaconetti was firm in her stance on abstinence. The former star of The Bachelor has woven those beliefs into the public persona she shares with fans, and is never afraid to speak out on her choices. For instance, she proudly touted a t-shirt that read "Virginity Rocks" in an Instagram post, and shared the tee's backstory. "For years I felt left out and awkward when the topic of sex would come up," she wrote in the caption.
Ashley went on to explain how it's important to her to let other women they're not alone in choosing abstinence if they so wish to. "I just thought I'd use this shirt as a means to say, it doesn't matter why and it doesn't matter how old you are," she continued. "You're not weird and you're not alone."
The post wasn't the first time Ashley had spoken out about her religious beliefs. She also previously told Page Six that her favorite childhood memory was going to church on New Year's Eve.
Ashley Iaconetti looks up to her parents a lot -- especially her dad
Bachelor star Ashley Iaconetti is all about family, and she's been overtly vocal on social media about her upbringing. She frequently praises her dad's character and the life lessons he's taught her. In June 2020, she shared the sweetest family photo to Instagram, but made the caption all about her pops. "My dad is that kind of guy that people want to party with and people want to work with," she penned in the caption. "My dad taught me how to work and love hard and to be vocal about my passions, which include people most importantly." Ashley went on to share that people have said she grew up to be like him, which makes her entirely "proud."
The former Bachelor In Paradise star also credits her mom for her strong upbringing as well. For example, she gushed about both of her parents in another endearing social media post. "I couldn't imagine better role models in life and love," she said of her parents. "I'm forever grateful for being raised in the presence of such a positive, loving relationship."
Bachelor star Ashley Iaconetti has a master's degree under her belt
Bachelor star Ashley Iaconetti has much more going for her than being a reality star. For one, The Bachelor alum has a master's degree under her belt. After graduating from Langley high school in Northern Virginia in 2006, Ashley went on to study at the Newhouse School at Syracuse, Bustle reported. There she obtained a degree in Broadcast Journalism in 2013. In further proof is needed that Iaconetti is one smart cookie, the Newhouse School has less than a 50 percent acceptance rate, Testive claims.
As fans of The Bachelor know, Ashley has put that degree to good use and worked as a professional journalist after college. In fact, the job title displayed on her show bio was "freelance journalist." Before receiving her master's degree, Ashley attended James Madison University for her undergrad education, according to her Facebook page.
More recently, Ashley is known for her TV appearances and her headline-making romance with Jared Haibon, but she still has a solid education to fall back on if needed.
Ashley Iaconetti has held down some pretty impressive jobs
Bachelor star Ashley Iaconetti has one impressive resume! Before being infamous for her crying on The Bachelor or chasing after Haibon's heart on Bachelor in Paradise, she put her journalism skills to use at some big-name companies. For example, Ashley has contributed to both Cosmopolitan and Access Hollywood. She also runs her own beauty blog, byashleyi.com, which, according to Romper, gives readers a front row seat to her fandom for the Kardashians.
That's not all the Ashley is known for, either. In addition to being a writer, she's the owner of her own video company, E&S Media Creations. As Romper also reported, Ashley got her start interning at NewsChannel 9 WSYR, so being a member of the media was always in the cards for her. And while appearing on The Bachelor may have put a bump in that road, Ashley has no regrets about the detour, as it was an incredible experience for her.
Bachelor star Ashley Iaconetti was cast in Chris Soules' season of The Bachelor
As E! reports, Bachelor star Ashley Iaconetti's foray into reality TV was on Chris Soules' season of The Bachelor, and she was a standout fixture on the farmer's roller coaster chapter. She appeared on the show in the nineteenth season of the famous ABC reality juggernaut, and though she didn't get picked to marry Soules in the end, she still had quite the run.
Much like Ashley, Chris started out as a contestant himself, initially placing third on season 10 of The Bachelorette featuring Andi Dorfman, per E! But when it came to his own season, there was some stiff competition in the battle for his heart. The season concluded on March 9, 2015, when Chris got down on one knee and proposed to Whitney Bischoff, a fertility nurse.
Ashley may not have got her way on The Bachelor that time around, but the experience propelled her into the spotlight at lightning speed, and she eventually found love after all, as noted by The New York Times.
Ashley Iaconetti was sent packing just six weeks into The Bachelor
Try as she might, Bachelor star Ashley Iaconetti didn't scoop up farmer Chris Soules' heart on The Bachelor. In fact, she got sent home during a particularly painful episode that left her sobbing (yet again). It was after an awkward two-on-one date with the season's "villain," Kelsey Poe, that she finally got axed from the cast. Ashley repeatedly pushed Chris to send Kelsey packing, but in the end, she was the one got the boot, according to the ABC episode recap.
After the show, Ashley and Chris patched things up. So much so, in fact, that Ashley actually expressed interest in going on a double date with him and his reported new girlfriend, Victoria Fuller. "Chris is such a sweet soul," she gushed in an interview with Life & Style. "I haven't met her in person yet, but I told Victoria I hope to double date them once we all can go out to dinner again!"
Ashley Iaconetti shared a very public relationship with The Bachelorette alum Kevin Wendt
Bachelor star Ashley Iaconetti and hubby Jared Haibon are the picture of happiness in 2020, but the road to romance wasn't always easy for ASHLEY. She's had a number of failed relationships in the public eye, and her romance with Kevin Wendt was one of those. Kevin was a contestant on the first season of The Bachelorette Canada, but eventually found his way to Bachelor In Paradise alongside Ashley. And though she was still very much in love with Jared at the time, who was playing coy, Ashley struck up a relationship with Wendt anyway.
As she later reflected on during a segment on her show The Ben & Ashley I Almost Famous Podcast, Ashley has some regrets as to how their relationship ended. "I was dating Kevin like out in the real world for two weeks and Jared came out about his feelings and he kissed me in the airport," Ashley told fans. "Whether you call that cheating that is up to you, by most definitions that is true." She ultimately added that she should have abstained from locking lips at that time.
Ashley Iaconetti returned to Bachelor Nation with an appearance on Bachelor in Paradise Season 3
Bachelor star Ashley Iaconetti just couldn't stay away from Bachelor Nation for long. When the reality TV franchise announced casting for Season 3 of their spinoff, Bachelor In Paradise, E! shared that Ashley was one of the familiar faces on the list. Ashley and her fellow contestants headed to Mexico looking for love, but many of them found drama instead.
Ashley's season of Bachelor In Paradise premiered on Aug 2, 2016, and the beach-side shenanigans that ensued were put on full display on the show. For starters, the cast was chock-full of fan-favorites, with a number of ladies plucked from Ben Higgins' season of The Bachelor. Recognizable faces like Emily and Haley Ferguson, Leah Block, Izzy Goodkind, Lace Morris, Amanda Stanton, and Jubilee Sharpe were seen on Iaconetti's season. Most importantly, Bachelor in Paradise was where Ashley met her future husband, Jared Haibon.
Bachelor star Ashley Iaconetti and Jared Haibon announced their engagement in June 2018
It was love at last for Bachelor star Ashley Iaconetti and Jared Haibon in June of 2018, when Ashley's long-time crush finally realized he shared the same feelings she did. Jared got down on one knee and asked for Ashley's hand in marriage during a trip to Mexico. The kicker? The Bachelor In Paradise cameras were rolling as he proposed, as noted by The Hollywood Reporter. Yep, Jared asked Ashley to be his "forever" on the same show where they first met in 2015.
Ashley and Jared's romance took flight quickly. The pair confirmed their relationship in May in an episode of Ashley's YouTube series, The Story of Us. It was only a month later that Jared whipped out a diamond ring. And though he played coy for their years-long friendship, there was always something there between them, Jared admits. "I never felt like it was over between us after Paradise," he revealed.
Ashley Iaconetti relocated to Los Angeles with her husband
After catching a taste of fame, it made sense Bachelor star Ashley Iaconetti and Jared Haibon would opt to start their lives together in Los Angeles. Following their final run on Bachelor In Paradise, the pair relocated to California in spring of 2019, but they didn't find a place of their own right away. Instead, they moved in with Ashley's sister, Lauren, and it was a decision Jared seemed to have some reservations about. "The apartment is very female," he lamented in an episode of his and Ashley's YouTube show What Now? "It's very sparkly. It's very glam."
That wasn't exactly what Jared was hoping for when he moved, either. "You have to understand, I moved here, and now I'm living in an all-girls apartment with two women, with none of my friends around," he continued. "I'm not trying to complain, I'm just trying to lay out the facts." He added that he misses home at times, and finds himself a bit gloomy here and there.
As for Ashley, while she seemed pleased about the move, she said she worried about where they were going to store Jared's things.
Ashley Iaconetti launched a podcast with Ben Higgins
Bachelor star Ashley Iaconetti took her knowledge of The Bachelor to the masses, launching her own podcast with fellow Bachelor Nation member Ben Higgins. According to Stitcher, the duo kicked off their show in May 2018, and it's been quite successful. According to the official show description, the podcast will cover all kinds of relationship topics, and "break down" episodes of The Bachelorette. Ashley and Ben also conduct interviews with celebrities, past Bachelor and Bachelorette contestants, and chat it up with their fans.
As Ashley explained in an interview with KTLA, each segment they tape is centered around recent episodes of The Bachelor or The Bachelorette. Ashley says she gets screeners from ABC before an episode airs so she can prep the podcast that week.
Ashley also told KTLA that she's happy to use the podcast for positive change when it's possible. For example, during the coronavirus outbreak in 2020, she made a virtual live show for fans of the Almost Famous podcast, and donated proceeds to charity.
Bachelor star Ashley Iaconetti has her own YouTube show
Bachelor star Ashley Iaconetti wears a lot of hats, and her media gigs just keep on stacking up. As People reported in July 2019, Kinetic Content TV worked with the reality star to develop a new YouTube series entitled Rose Buds. According to the publication, the show will be entirely focused on life after The Bachelor.
The program was filmed documentary style, and also starred Ashley's hubby Jared Haibon, as well as Nick Viall, Dean Unglert, and Jade and Tanner Tolbert. Ahead of the show's launch, Ashley announced the exciting news on Instagram. "It's nice to hang out together on camera and not have the looming worry about who may get eliminated at the next rose ceremony," she explained to People.
The six-episode series also focused on Ashley and Jared's wedding plans and them moving in together. "I feel like everyone loves seeing the friendships that form on the show, but we never get enough in the one hour and 20 minutes of air time," Ashley told People. "I think this is why people love seeing the alums together on Instagram."
Ashley Iaconetti has big plans for the future
Bachelor star Ashley Iaconetti and Jared Haibon tied the knot in August 2019, but it sounds like the pair already have babies on the brain. As Ashley shared with fans during an episode of her Almost Famous podcast in February of 2020, she and Jared could be welcoming a bundle of joy sooner than later. "As somebody who will end up trying to get pregnant within the next 12 months...give me some words of encouragement," she told fellow Bachelor alum Bekah Martinez during the segment.
The former reality star made it abundantly clear she has no plans on waiting long at all to get pregnant. "Some people are like, 'Don't wait too long,' because you need the youth,'" she continued. "But a lot of people are like, 'Wait as long as you can.' And I'm like, 'Oh, God. Why?'"
As to whether she's hoping for a boy or a girl down the line, Ashley revealed she wants both. "I want a boy to have another brother or a girl to have a sister," she told Us Weekly. "But I also need to have a girl."