NEED TO KNOW
Sean McLaughlin raised red flags among his castmates on the Aug. 18 episode of Bachelor in Paradise after trying to strategize a plan to make it to the finale
He and Allyshia Gupta were making the group worry that they were there for the wrong reasons as they went into a rose ceremony where the group voted off two couples
New episodes of Bachelor in Paradise air Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC
Bachelor in Paradise’s monetary incentive is bringing out people’s true colors.
Sean McLaughlin found himself in hot water the Aug. 18 episode of the reality dating series after revealing his plans to increase his chances of taking home the ultimate $500,000 cash prize.
When the cast learned that they would have a group vote to decide which two couples would be voted off this week, they began to contemplate who deserved to stay as they inch toward the finale.
“I think a lot of the couples do see, not only do we have the compatibility as a couple, we’re pretty strategic, intelligent, smart, funny, attractive, humble,” Sean explained to girlfriend Allyshia Gupta. “They might put a target on our back because of that, you know. So I’m always thinking about, ‘How can we protect ourselves?’”
He added that because he grew up with a politician father, he “learned to be able to think and operate in a certain way that really gives me a leg up.”
“I think about things kind of diabolically,” he admitted.
Allyshia agreed that they should build “strategic alliances” with other couples who might have the power later on to send them home.
Sean then made it his goal to get Dale Moss and Kat Izzo, as well as Jeremy Simon and Bailey Taylor Brown, “on our side.” As he began introducing the idea to the others, however, they grew skeptical of his intentions.
“I think if you’re only focused on the money, then you’ve lost the plot,” Bailey noted. “You’ll stop caring about your relationship and why you want to get to know your partner. Is it because you actually really like your partner, or is it because you want the money?”
Golden contestant Keith Gordon agreed, telling Kathy Swarts that Sean was “scheming too much,” but she understood his perspective.
“The game is no longer about love — it’s about money,” she claimed.
“I want the strongest couples to remain at the very end, to have a chance at the money, so I want the strongest couples here,” Keith argued back.
“Oh, that’s interesting,” she replied, explaining that “the strongest couples are going to walk away with love. I want the person who plays the game the best to win.”
Knowing that he and Kathy, along with Jonathan Johnson and Lea Cayanan, were the two couples in platonic partnerships, Keith believed that they should be the ones sent home. He even contemplated self-eliminating to give them a better chance.
“At least I’d feel good about myself, I feel honorable, the integrity is there,” he said.
Disney/Sami Drasin (2)
Kathy Swarts and Keith Gordon
Later, Allyshia conveyed the group’s concerns to Sean, telling him she didn’t want people to think they were being “sneaky.”
“I get that this is a game, and I think we’re absolutely right for thinking about it three steps ahead, but it does come across like that,” she said.
Still, Sean insisted that his method was the only way to make it to the end. When he continued on with the mission, Allyshia grew “frustrated” that he didn’t listen to her warning.
Before the rose ceremony, Sean sat down with Kat, who he considered one of his closest friends.
Revealing he heard she denied their friendship, Sean was caught off guard when Kat doubled down on that sentiment.
“I think that there’s a lot of things that are going on that are making people question character and integrity and trust, and that’s where I’m at right now as well,” Kat shared, which made Sean feel “betrayed.”
“There’s the difference between me and you, truthfully,” he snapped, adding in his confessional: “If anyone has ever defended Kat more than me, I’d be shocked. In every situation I’ve ever been in where Kat’s character has been questioned, I’ve been the first one to come to her defense.”
Disney/Bahareh Ritter (2)
Kat Izzo and Sean McLaughlin
At odds with everyone during the rose ceremony, Allyshia interrupted host Jesse Palmer before the elimination was even announced.
“Sean and I came into paradise looking for love,” she began. “We didn’t know what else it was going to entail, and the one thing we’re not willing to compromise is our character and integrity. And to have that questioned is very difficult to hear, but we would like to make the decision to leave together on our own accord.”
“We are leaving here with something so much more valuable than money can ever buy, and we’ll continue our relationship back in Tampa and get a big fat bucket of popcorn to watch this all back,” she concluded.
Before walking off together, Sean declared: “I think you guys just voted off the strongest couple here. I did not vote for at least.”
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New episodes of Bachelor in Paradise air Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
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