The Untold Truth Of The Bachelorette's Zac Clark
Zac Clark may not have stolen Clare Crawley's heart on The Bachelorette, but it looks like this New York hottie is making quite the impression with Tayshia Adams, who took over the coveted role mid-season (via People). As seen in the show's November 2020 promo, Zac has told Tayshia he's falling in love with her. That's a pretty big statement. But wait, let's back up. You're probably wondering who Zac really is.
Zac hasn't shied away from his past. Quite the opposite actually. On the ABC show, he's been upfront with Tayshia about his past, opening up about the struggles he's experienced in his life. And he's made it through, eventually finding his way to The Bachelorette. As he told Tayshia in one episode, he's at a time in his life that he's ready to be a husband and father.
Let's take a further look at the untold truth of Zac Clark.
Zac Clark suffered a life-threatening event post-college
Zac Clark's young adult life was going pretty smoothly until one day it wasn't. His future looked promising. He had just graduated from York College in 2006, per ABC 27, with a degree in sports management and had big aspirations to work in the industry someday soon. However, once he learned he had a brain tumor, those dreams were quickly put on hold. Zac told Tayshia Adams as much during a one-on-one date on ABC's The Bachelorette. In an attempt to be open and honest with the Bachelorette, Zac confessed over dinner that having brain surgery was a "crazy, life-altering experience."
Zac was only 23 when he underwent surgery, and he told Tayshia that he decided to see a doctor prior to his diagnosis because he started feeling dizzy, though he didn't elaborate on his other symptoms. While Zac had it tough in his earlier years, we can all agree he seems to have come a long way since then.
The Bachelorette's Zac Clark turned to drugs after his brain surgery
After having major surgery to remove his brain tumor, The Bachelorette's Zac Clark grew to rely heavily on drugs. He admitted to smoking pot, drinking, and experimenting lightly with drugs in his younger years, according to a 2014 interview with the Reading Eagle. Post-surgery, however, he suddenly had access to more kinds of drugs like Dilaudid, an opioid, per WebMD, and morphine. And he took full advantage of it. "Now I had something I could go to doctors with, legitimate," he was quoted as saying in the Reading Eagle. He also admitted to using OxyContin.
Zac spoke more in-depth about his drug addiction to the woman he's courting, The Bachelorette's Tayshia Adams, and the millions of viewers at home. During a one-on-one date, Zac described his life following brain surgery as the "perfect storm," which set off years of drinking, doing drugs, and partying. "Just totally being selfish," he added. He also started hanging out with "sketchy people" and was even arrested for a DUI. Zac admitted there were days he didn't know if he'd make another day and felt completely "hopeless."
Zac Clark credits this for pushing him to turn his life around
Zac Clark was a drug and alcohol addict. He realized he'd hit rock bottom when he stole one of his father's checks and went to cash it at a nearby bank to use for drugs. But he wasn't going to get away with it. "The bank teller calls my dad ... and basically says like, 'Your son's here. It's not good. And you need to get down here,'" Zac told Tayshia Adams during their one-on-one date on The Bachelorette.
After his dad picked him up and took him home, Zac said that was the moment he realized he needed to stop ruining his life with drugs and alcohol. "I had some type of, I don't know, spiritual, crazy moment of clarity," he added. It was then that he decided to go to rehab, though it wasn't the first time, and spent more than four months turning his life around at one of the Caron Treatment Centers, where he now serves as a board member, according to a press release from the center. Zac has clearly come a long way from those days.
The Bachelorette's Zac Clark co-founded a recovery center once he achieved sobriety
It took a long time for Zac Clark to achieve long-term sobriety. But once he did, he saw it as his duty to give back and help others struggling with drug addiction. He did that by co-founding a recovery facility called Release Recovery in 2017, to help men and women achieve long-term sobriety through recovery coaching, sober companionship, case management, and intervention services, according to the center's website. Release has locations in New York City and Westchester County. The facility's motto is "Give thanks. Live life. Release."
Zac co-founded Release with long-time friend Justin Gurland, and they've since made it "their life's work to share the gift of recovery with as many people as possible," as the website notes. Given that Zac has dealt with drug addiction in the past and has since become sober, it sounds like he has a lot of insight to offer.
Bachelorette star Zac Clark loves sports
Before The Bachelorette's Zac Clark walked down the path that would lead him to co-found a rehab facility, he wanted to be a professional athlete. Zac played baseball in college, per ABC 27, and he was a pitcher. Judging from his Instagram feed, sports still play a huge role in Zac's life, although he ultimately didn't pursue a career in athletics. Even so, he clearly loves football. He's a big Philadelphia Eagles fan and even got a chance to pose with the Vince Lombardi Trophy after the team won the 2018 Super Bowl.
Zac is originally from New Jersey, but Philly isn't too far away, so it makes sense he grew up as a major Philly fan. It appears he loves Philly for more than just its sports teams, however. As his Bachelorette bio once noted, Zac hopes to share a "Philly Cheesesteak with his future wife while watching the Eagles win a Super Bowl" again. We wonder if Tayshia Adams is up for the yummy challenge.
Zac Clark had one failed marriage in his early 20s
If Tayshia Adams gives the final rose to Zac Clark, she won't be his first fiancée. Zac was married before in his early 20s, but he later got divorced, as he told the Bachelorette herself during a one-on-one date on the ABC show. He admitted that he didn't know what to do following his brain surgery, so he thought the next logical step was to get married to his girlfriend at the time. Eventually his battle with drug addiction ended the marriage. "She did nothing wrong. It's important to say. But at that point like I'm drinking, doing drugs, and just partying," he confessed.
It wasn't until after he was arrested for a DUI that his wife left him. "For the next kind of like eight months, it got pretty gnarly," he confessed. Like Zac, Tayshia also married in her early 20s to long-time boyfriend Josh Bourelle in 2016, per Us Weekly. Her husband filed for divorce a year later. We hope the second time is the charm for these two.
The Bachelorette's Zac Clark has a strong family unit
Zac Clark is a true family man. Images of the Bachelorette contestant and his family fill up his Instagram feed. It looks like he has a niece and nephew too, according to a photo album in which Zac appears to be scoring all the points as uncle by taking them to all the popular NYC spots.
Zac didn't have a tough childhood as you might assume of someone who's suffered a drug addiction. He grew up in an affluent household in Haddonfield, New Jersey, where he "never wanted for anything," as he was quoted as saying in a Reading Eagle article.
Zac's family was always there for him, even during the tough times, like Zac's battle with drug and alcohol addiction. "They wanted me to get well, but they knew they couldn't do anything," he told Tayshia Adams on The Bachelorette. Before Zac had sought help in rehab for the second or third time and found success, he said his family had tried to push him to recovery, but he ultimately had to find it within himself to get better.
Zac Clark's sister signed him up for The Bachelorette
Zac Clark is close to his family, so it's no surprise that his sister of all people signed him up to be one of the eligible suitors on ABC's The Bachelorette. According to an Instagram post on Zac's feed, his sister, Kat, was behind it all. "Who needs a dating app when you have @katcannici?" Zac captioned the post, which was a screenshot of a funny text message chat between him and his sister.
In the chat, his sister asked him randomly for his height and weight. To which Zac replied, "6 foot 1" and "182," respectively. When he asked if it was for a date, his sister answered, "I'm gonna send an app in for Bachelorette," noting, "They're recasting." He wrote, "LOL," and said it "better be funny," so we're assuming he approved of his sister's decision at least. Eventually, Zac was one of the men chosen, and the rest is history. Being the super supportive sister that she is, Kat showered her brother with love on Instagram. If Tayshia Adams doesn't want him, we're sure there are plenty of women out there who would want to swipe right on this man.
Zac Clark is probably one of the more mature contestants on The Bachelorette
Silly cat fights aren't reserved solely for The Bachelor's female contestants. Men can be just as catty, as seen on Tayshia Adams' season of The Bachelorette. Was it really necessary to bring drama to a wrestling match? To be fair, not every eligible suitor plays into the drama of the house. Some rise above the fray. This season, it looks like Zac Clark is one of those men. Even Tayshia Adams thinks so. During an episode of The Bachelorette, she told Zac that he seems way more mature than some of the other guys she's met so far on the show.
To lighten things up, Zac mentioned that his age probably played a factor. He's six years older than Tayshia, per Parade. But Tayshia quickly reassured him that it's because he seems more mature despite his age. "You can be 40 years old and still a child," she said. Zac told Tayshia that he's on the Bachelorette to get to know her and isn't letting himself get caught up in "he said, she said" drama, but to get to know Tayshia. Now that's what we call a mature man.
The Bachelorette's Zac Clark aspires to be a husband and father
Zac Clark made it clear on The Bachelorette that he's ready to be a husband and a father. During an on-camera conversation with Bachelorette star Tayshia Adams, he confessed that he's tired of being single, and for a long time believed it was great to be alone. While he was married in his early 20s, he seems to be open to the possibility of marriage again. "I wanna be a husband and a partner. I wanna be a dad," he confessed, telling Tayshia he came to that realization while filming The Bachelorette. "It feels good to like be growing a little bit here," he added.
Zac already seems to be a great uncle, according to his Instagram feed, so at least we know he's good with kids. As his Bachelorette bio stated, his ultimate dream is to "eat his way" through Italy, so we're wondering if he'd be down for a European vacation à la National Lampoon-style with his family in tow.
Zac Clark loves running marathons
Zac Clark loves spending his free time running marathons. He's already run a total of six marathons, according to his Instagram feed. Running is probably what keeps Zac in such great shape. We definitely noticed his ripped arms when he played a friendly game of splash ball shirtless in an episode of ABC's The Bachelorette. Be still our hearts.
Zac clearly loves living an active lifestyle, though his food choices may not be as healthy. As his Bachelorette bio once noted, Zac loves desserts, but won't eat it if there's fruit on the plate. At least he does a great job at burning off those extra calories. And when he does run a marathon, he's not just doing it for himself and to achieve a runner's high. According to an Instagram post that marked the fifth time he ran the New York marathon, he was also donating money to a nonprofit that helped people recover from addiction. It seems like Zac can't do anything without helping others.
What The Bachelorette's Zac Clark is looking for in a woman
It's no wonder Zac Clark is smitten with Bachelorette Tayshia Adams. She checks off all the boxes, at least according to his ABC bio, which stated that Zac "loves a woman with curves." Check. He also finds "toughness and confidence" sexy. Check. And he also wants a woman with her own thing going on. Check. If that's not Tayshia Adams, who runs the successful podcast Click Bait, we don't know what is.
It seems like Zac knows what he wants, and Tayshia may be his dream come true. After all, they already had their wedding day photos taken. Technically it was a date on The Bachelorette, where Zac dressed in a tux and Tayshia donned a wedding dress, but it seemed super convincing. After Tayshia showed up in a form-fitting wedding dress, Zac told the camera that he'd never seen anyone look more perfect. "Beautiful I don't think is an accurate word in this circumstance. There's another word that will be created to describe her," he said. We're so swooning over this one.