‘The Bachelor’ Showrunners Claire Freeland, Bennett Graebner Exiting Amid Toxic Workplace Allegations
“The Bachelor” showrunners Claire Freeland and Bennett Graebner are exiting the ABC reality dating franchise amid a report of the pair fostering a “toxic” and “hostile” work environment.
The pair’s departures, which Deadline reported are currently being negotiated with producer Warner Bros. Television, follow the resignations of co-executive producers Michael Margolis and Keely Booth earlier this month.
The allegations of a toxic workplace first surfaced in an earlier Deadline report. Margolis is Freeland’s husband and Booth is Freeland’s longtime friend, though WBTV told the outlet that the studio pursued a formal conflict-of-interest process and noted neither staffer reported to Freeland. Neither Margolis nor Booth, however, were mentioned in regard to fostering a toxic work environment on set.
Representatives for ABC and WBTV declined to comment.
“The Bachelor” franchise has been undergoing shifts across the board, most recently deciding to skip the typical production cycle for “The Bachelorette,” meaning that the ABC dating show will not debut in its regular summer premiere slot.
In January, news broke that Scott Teti (Bravo’s “Summer House” and ABC’s “Claim to Fame”) had been tapped to serve as showrunner for “Bachelor in Paradise” Season 10, which is set to film later this year. Teti was brought in to helm the upcoming season, whose production is set to overlap with other “Bachelor” franchise productions, especially given that “Bachelor in Paradise” typically shoots in Mexico.
“The Bachelor” franchise had previously put a pause on “Bachelor in Paradise” for a year as it rolled out the first seasons of the “Golden Bachelor,” with the inaugural season of “The Golden Bachelor” airing alongside Season 9 in fall 2023 while “The Golden Bachelorette,” led by “Golden Bachelor” alum Joan Vassos, aired in fall 2024 without a new season of “Bachelor in Paradise.”
The franchise is in the midst of rolling out Season 29 of “The Bachelor,” which sees “The Bachelorette” alum Grant Ellis step into the spotlight.
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