The Bachelor

Ben Smith's trying to play it cool on making the jump from 'Bachelorette' hunk to the full-blown 'Bachelor' ... and ya gotta see his reactions to all the burning questions!!!

We got the 'Bachelorette' fan-favorite leaving his Bodybuilding Club in Los Angeles, and he tried to play coy and bashful when we asked him straight up if he wants to be the next 'Bachelor.'

As fans of the shows know ... Rachel Lindsay claims Ben's putting on a full-court press to become the next 'Bachelor,' but she says he's not a good fit and says she's been begging producers not to give him the coveted role.

It's the first time folks are seeing Ben in public since Tayshia Adams sent him home on this week's episode following a disappointing hometown date, but Ben's not taking the bait our photog puts out there. We'll let you decipher his non-verbal answers.

There's never been a chance to literally rent out THE 'Bachelor' pad ... until now.

The famous mansion featured on "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette" has hit Airbnb for a whopping $6,000 per night ... roses and ladies/gentlemen not included. But, you do get a ton of other goodies for that dough.

Villa de la Vina, its official name but more commonly known as "The Mansion," sits on 10 acres within the Santa Monica Mountains of Malibu. The Mediterranean-style pad -- which has been HQ for the reality series since 2007 -- has 7 bedrooms and 8 bathrooms on 10,000-square-feet. The entire place sleeps 13 guests.

Bach fans will easily recognize the famous archways in the swimming pool ... the same pool where Nick Viall entertained, among other ladies, Alexis, who showed up in a shark suit. Fans who have the dough can also relax in jacuzzis, slay away at a pool table or simply sit back and enjoy the canyon, mountain and vineyard views.

Fun fact ... an actual family lives in the mansion, but vacates twice a year for around 42 days so ABC and co. can do their thing.

If walls could talk, right?

One of the new guys looking for love with Tayshia Adams on "The Bachelorette" just had an incredibly bad day ... starting with his coronavirus test results.

Peter Giannikopoulos says he tested positive for COVID-19 Tuesday after feeling pretty crummy for a few days, and was very distraught over the news because he felt he'd been extremely careful.

Even worse, he says his emotions and anxiety got the best of him as he was driving home from the clinic, and he lost consciousness, veered off the road and hit a pole.

Peter says when he came to, all he remembers is people shouting for help. Fortunately, he walked away with just a small gash on his nose -- as you can see -- and he says he's keeping his chin up and is now focused on beating the virus.

Still, that's one helluva day ... but Peter's reminding everyone to remain positive and lean on each other for support during these trying times.

Peter was one of 4 new suitors to enter the picture on Tuesday night's episode of "The Bachelorette" after Tayshia took over for Clare Crawley ... who made history by finding her soulmate just days into filming, getting engaged, and saying so long to the other fellas.

Cassie Randolph apparently no longer feels threatened by her ex Colton Underwood ... 'cause she dropped the restraining order against him ... in fact, she's dropped everything.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Cassie dismissed the restraining order with prejudice, meaning she can't refile it.  We're also told the police investigation is being dropped -- per her request.

Colton tells TMZ, "Today Cassie asked the court to dismiss the temporary restraining order against me. The two of us were able to reach a private agreement to address any of Cassie’s concerns. I do not believe Cassie did anything wrong in filing for the restraining orders and also believe she acted in good faith. I appreciate everyone’s respect for privacy regarding this matter."

As we reported ... Cassie filed a police report with the L.A. County Sheriff's Dept. claiming the "Bachelor" star put a tracking device on her car.

Remember, she had made these allegations last month when she filed for a restraining order against Colton. TMZ broke the story ... Cassie claimed her brother found the tracking device taped to the bottom of her car's back bumper. As for why Colton allegedly did that ... Cassie claimed he was trying to track her whereabouts long after they had broken up.

'Bachelorette' contestant Dale Moss had some tricks up his sleeve before becoming a contestant on the show.

We found these pics of Dale who was modeling costumes for Party City Halloween.  The costumes are, well, interesting. Check out Dale in a taco get, a jacked Superman and an adult centurion. He posed for the pics in 2016 and 2017.

Dale's the fav to steal the heart of Clare Crawley ... in fact, he's rumored to be her fiance.  When Clare met Dale, she said, "I think I just met my husband."

This season has been riddled with drama, but the centerpiece has been the relationship between Dale and Clare.

Call this a new kind of love-love for tennis star Genie Bouchard ... TMZ Sports has confirmed she's now dating Pittsburgh Steelers QB Mason Rudolph!!!

A source close to the couple tells us the two began a romantic fling recently ... and have gotten pretty serious.

In fact, 26-year-old Genie was just spotted at a fancy restaurant in Pittsburgh this week ... posting a pic of her at the place with the caption, "Pitt stop."

25-year-old Mason -- who was presumably on the other end of the camera -- dropped a "like" on the photo.

Of course, the new relationship means the end of a possible old one for Rudolph ... as we previously reported, the quarterback had been seen in L.A. in April getting cozy with "Bachelor" star Hannah Ann Sluss.

Unclear how serious the two were ... but Rudolph's clearly moved on either way.

As for Genie, she's been no stranger to famous dates in the past ... remember Super Bowl bet guy?!

But, seems she's finally found her special someone ... which is awesome for her, considering just a few months ago she tweeted that going through quarantine "would be a lot more fun with a boyfriend."

Congrats!!

Here's the "Even Stevens" reunion we've all been waiting for ... Ren Stevens is back, and she's bringing along her trusty sidekick Beans!!!

The "Even Stevens" reunion 17 years in the making went down on Christy Carlson Romano's YouTube series, "Christy's Kitchen Throwback," and she's got a lot of catching up to do with Steven Anthony Lawrence.

Steven, best known for playing fan-favorite and Shia LaBeouf's on-screen pal Beans, has largely remained out of the public eye since the hit Disney Channel show ended way back in 2003, and ya gotta see how Beans looks these days!

As you know, Steven's character was famous for his love of bacon on the show ... but he tells Christy he didn't eat bacon for 3 months after filming wrapped, and he even dealt with nightmares, cold sweats and traumatic experiences just from swine.

Fortunately, Steven's gotten over his bacon issues and is back to eating the best part of the pig. This is Beans we're talking about, after all!!!

It's pretty cool ... Steven also explains how Beans went from a potential one-episode guest star to a series regular and cult favorite ... who Christy credits with saving the show!

Christy and Steven also chop it up in the kitchen on potential future projects ... how does an "Even Stevens" spinoff sound?!?

If that's not enough ... wait till you hear Steven's pitch for Beans on 'The Bachelor.'

Former 'Bachelor' Nick Viall is adulting like a baller ... 'cause he just closed on his first house.

The 'Bachelor' from season 21 has just sealed the deal on this North Hollywood crib for a cool $1.72 million -- a slight deal 'cause it was listed at $1.75 mil. The 3-bedroom, 3-bathroom house is 2,412-square-feet of perfect space ... for a bachelor, quite frankly.

The house, remodeled in 2017, has a cool indoor/outdoor floor plan that features soaring 15-foot ceilings, walk-in closets and a spacious master bathroom.

In his backyard, he's got plenty of privacy, and infinity pool and a spa -- and he can recreate some 'Bachelor' scenes in the poolside cabana with surround sound and an ambient fire feature.

Nick's already boasting about his first palace ... saying "6 years ago I left a career I really liked for a chance to do something I loved. I did it at a point in my life where the expectation was to settle in and live the life I had. 6 years later I’m buying MY First HOUSE and doing what I love. It’s never too late to change things up and take a few risks."

You'll recall ... Nick proposed to Vanessa Grimaldi in the season 21 finale and they moved in together into a mid-rise luxury apartment in DTLA. The relationship ultimately fizzled, but he'll have no problems impressing a new lady in his new home.

'Bachelor' star and former NFL player Colton Underwood better avoid his ex-girlfriend, Cassie Randolph, at least until he can plead his case in front of a judge ... TMZ has learned.

According to new court docs, a judge signed off on Cassie's request for a temporary restraining order against Colton, requiring him to keep at least 100 yards from her, her home, her work and avoid any contact or threatening behavior.

In October, he'll have a chance to appear at a hearing where he can argue his side of things ... but in the meantime, he has to steer clear of Cassie.

One last thing ... Cassie attached photos of the alleged tracking device she claims Colton stuck to her car in order to keep up with her whereabouts. It's a small, black contraption ... and she says it was taped to the bottom of the back bumper of her car.

As we first told you ... Cassie claims that -- in addition to allegedly trying to track her -- Colton was also bombarding her and others with harassing texts.

Clare Crawley's journey on "The Bachelorette" is a short one, it turns out, and now her replacement, Tayshia Adams, will be the 2nd black leading woman on the show.

TMZ has confirmed the 39-year-old 'Bachelorette' (who was getting a second shot at love) apparently found her perfect match early on during taping. Sorry, spoiler alert -- but there's been a buzz about it for a couple days.

In light of Clare finding her perfect dude ... producers have decided to switch up the storyline -- bringing in Tayshia, who competed on Colton Underwood's 'Bachelor' season, and then went on to appear on "Bachelor in Paradise." So, she's a familiar face.

Word is that the season will start with Clare's story ... and then pivot to Tayshia. Unclear if the guys who were still standing for Clare will stick around for Tayshia, or if they'll get a whole new crop for her to choose from. Either way, its gonna make for great TV.

Rumors of the change started percolating on social media this weekend, especially after Tayshia teased a possible surprise for Bachelor Nation. Clare is also said to have liked an IG post talking about Tayshia being the new 'Bachelorette' -- a huge signal in and of itself.

Of course, she follows in the footsteps of Rachel Lindsay -- the first black 'Bachelorette' ever -- and it also comes on the heels of Matt James being cast as the first black 'Bachelor' a couple months ago.

Congrats to Tayshia ... and Clare! Again, spoiler alert.

Colton Underwood has a new woman in his life ... and it's Lucy Hale.

Our sources tell us the "Pretty Little Liars" actress reached out to Colton soon after his split from ex-girlfriend Cassie Randolph ... and the two have been seeing each other a lot.

The ex-'Bachelor' went on a hike with Lucy Wednesday at Paseo Miramar Trail in Los Angeles' scenic Pacific Palisades neighborhood, and as you can see ... Colton and Lucy were pretty sweaty, close and without masks.

Our sources say Colton and Lucy have gone on a few of these "casual hike dates" over the last few weeks, so it seems their relationship has legs.

Lucy's had her eye on Colton for years too ... back in 2018, she said he would make a good 'Bachelor' because he's "wholesome," a "good guy" and "beautiful to watch." Oh, and we're also told they have mutual friends.

As for Colton being out without a face covering ... well, he's already survived his battle with COVID-19. True, outdoors is safer than indoors, but it's unclear just how much immunity -- if any -- people have who already contracted the virus.

BTW ... walks and hikes are kinda Colton's thing during the pandemic, only now he's transitioned from Cassie to Lucy.

Dude's definitely still a bachelor!!!

DeMario Jackson -- who crossed interracial dating lines in 'Bachelor' nation -- says the franchise's first black leading man is gonna get blasted for his final rose pick ... there's just no way around it.

Matt James has a tough road ahead of him, including chock-full of scrutiny about the women with whom he connects on the show ... according to DeMario. His take is if Matt chooses anyone but a dark-skinned black girl, he'll draw unwarranted outrage from blacks and whites.

DeMario uses his own experience on Rachel Lindsay's historic season of 'Bachelorette' as well as 'BiP' -- where he hooked up with Corinne Olympios -- to back up his argument.

Be it racist white dudes in his DMs telling him to stay away from "their" women, or black people encouraging him to exclusively date his own race -- DeMario says everyone will have something to say to Matt throughout his season.

In his opinion, America ain't ready to see the first black 'Bachelor' pick a white woman ... IF it plays out that way.

DeMario's already banking on a scenario like that. Fortunately, he's got some advice for MJ on tuning out all the chatter, regardless of who he falls in love with on the show.

Matt James celebrated his new "Bachelor" status by hopping on a boat with buddy and fellow "Bachelor" Tyler Cameron and his female friend.

Matt was enjoying the R&R aboard Tyler's boat in sunny Jupiter, Florida.

As you know, "The Bachelor" has finally selected the show's next leading man -- the first African-American in that role in the 40 seasons.

Rachel Lindsay became the first black female lead on season 13 of "The Bachelorette" ... way back in 2017. It's clearly no coincidence ... Matt got tapped because of what's going on in the country and the world.

ABC said, "We know we have a responsibility to make sure the love stories we're seeing onscreen are representative of the world we live in, and we are proudly in service to our audience. This is just the beginning, and we will continue to take action with regard to diversity issues on this franchise. We feel privileged to have Matt as our first Black Bachelor and we cannot wait to embark on this journey with him."

The 28-year-old works in real estate, and was a football player at Wake Forest University. He tried unsuccessfully to make it on a couple NFL teams.

"The Bachelor" finally has an African-American male calling the rose ceremony shots -- Matt James is the show's next leading man.

ABC made the announcement Friday morning, saying it's "privileged to have Matt" as the first black Bachelor. Saying it's been a longtime coming is an understatement ... it hadn't happened in 40 seasons of the franchise.

Rachel Lindsay was the first black female lead on season 13 of "The Bachelorette" ... way back in 2017. It's undeniable Matt finally got the nod due to the whole country becoming laser-focused on equality and increasing diversity.

In fact, ABC said, "We know we have a responsibility to make sure the love stories we're seeing onscreen are representative of the world we live in, and we are proudly in service to our audience. This is just the beginning, and we will continue to take action with regard to diversity issues on this franchise. We feel privileged to have Matt as our first Black Bachelor and we cannot wait to embark on this journey with him."

The lack of a black 'Bachelor' has been a big issue for the show for years, and most recently an online petition calling the franchise's lack of diversity "unacceptable" got nearly 100k signatures. At least 'Bachelor' producers, like many companies and individuals, finally seem to be listening and learning.

As for Matt ... he's no stranger to 'Bachelor' Nation. You'll recall he was cast on Clare Crawley's season of "The Bachelorette" in season 16 though nobody really got to know him because production was shut down due to the pandemic.

Here's what ya need to know: The 28-year-old works in real estate, and was a football player at Wake Forest University. He tried to make it on a couple NFL teams, but no dice. Hey, at least he's the 'Bachelor' now.

BTW, Matt is also one of Tyler Cameron's best friends, and at one point even roommates who quarantined together.

Mike Johnson -- one of the few black men who tried to woo Hannah Brown on "The Bachelorette" -- says her use of the n-word was outta line, and he'd love to teach her a lesson.

Mike tells TMZ ... "What Hannah did was unacceptable. Issues like this bring light to the bridge of pop culture and racism within our country." He goes on to explain, "I'm inviting her and everyone to a conversation, in hopes to educate everyone that this type of behavior needs to be changed and is unacceptable. My aim is that in this moment we don't divide, we come together, learn from this and create change for the better."

He also tells us that on Sunday -- when he first addressed the scandal on social media -- he had not seen the video of Hannah dropping the word while reciting DaBaby's "Rockstar" lyrics.

Welp, he has now and he's got strong feelings. His response is a balanced mix between what Rachel Lindsay had to say, and what another one of Hannah's exes, Tyler Cameron, said as well.

Some people called Mike out initially for not backing up Rachel -- who's also African-American -- but he put that matter to bed ASAP.

ICYMI, Rachel -- the first black 'Bachelorette' -- didn't seem satisfied with Hannah's apology, and she went in on her and anyone who isn't black using the n-word, even if it's in song. Tyler was more forgiving, saying we outta use this as a teachable moment.

It appears Mike is splitting the difference, but it's obvious he thinks re-education is needed on Hannah's part. That's huge, considering Mike was a fan fave and reportedly in the running to be the series' first black 'Bachelor.' He still might be, in fact.

BTW, Mike says he never experienced any type of racist behavior or language from Hannah during his time on her season.

Hannah Brown is apologizing to her fans for using the n-word on social media, and then trying to play it off like she didn't say it at all.

The 'Bachelorette' star took to Instagram Sunday and issued a full mea culpa for the viral moment that started making the rounds over the weekend -- which showed her singing a song, in the company of family, and dropping the n-word as she recited lyrics, something she seemed to acknowledge was wholly inappropriate and cringe-worthy in the moment.

Later in the day, Hannah was back on IG Live and noticed people calling her out for it, but she didn't seem ready to cop to it right then and there. She tried playing dumb and being coy about it, with another woman next to her suggesting it might've been her brother.

It definitely wasn't though, and Hannah finally admitted her mistake, writing on IG ... "I owe you all a major apology. There is no excuse and I will not justify what I said. I have read your messages and seen the hurt I have caused. I own it all. I am terribly sorry and know that whether in public or private, this language is unacceptable. I promise to do better."

A lesson learned ... people are always watching, and are more than willing to speak up when they hear/see something wrong. Especially during quarantine.