5 things to know about Clare Crawley, the new Bachelorette
Clare Crawley is the Bachelorette for the show’s 16th season, and Bachelor Nation can’t wait.
Social media cheered on Monday when it was announced on “GMA” that the 38-year-old from California would be returning to the franchise to find love.
We can’t forget Crawley, 38, from Juan Pablo Galavis’ season 18 of “The Bachelor,” where she famously stood up to him after he constantly left her to question her self-worth. She then went on to find love on several other “Bachelor” shows.
Now, Crawley is back and she’s ready to find love. But first, here’s what you need to know about the new “Bachelorette” star:
1. She’s a California girl
Crawley is a native of Sacramento, California, and loves spending time outdoors. Based on her Instagram posts, you can find her hanging outdoors and soaking up the California sun on hikes and at the beach.
Crawley, who is also a hairstylist, can also be found spending time with her two dogs, Elby and Honey, doing yoga and going on more hikes with friends.
2. She loves her family
Crawley puts family first. Since she was first introduced on “The Bachelor” back in 2014, debuting on the show during Juan Pablo’s season, she said she was looking for a man that resembled her late father, who she described as “gentle, compassionate, and a real, genuine kind man.”
Crawley is also the youngest of six sisters and will lean on them during her journey to finding love. “I’m the baby, so I’m their little baby sister,” she said on “GMA.” “They’re always gonna have opinions.”
3. Crawley is the oldest Bachelorette
The "Bachelor" alum, who is 38-years-old and will be 39 during filming, will be the oldest “Bachelorette” by far in the show's history -- a fact which many on social media applauded for reflecting the realities of modern women dating in their late thirties.
The franchise, which has cast many women under 25 years old in the past, has faced criticism if women at that age are ready for marriage.
On “GMA,” Crawley addressed her age and said it would be an asset when it comes to finding love.
“A lot of people put it out there as this negative thing for me, it just is more years under my belt, more learning and knowing what I want, what I don’t want and what I won’t settle for,” she said. “I have been known to date younger guys, so that’s not a problem for me. The thing is I’m wondering if they’re ready for me, for my age. I feel like that would be more of an issue than me with them, because I feel so much younger at heart than my actual age.”
“I’m proud of my age, but I just feel younger and I feel like that to me is what’s important,” she added.
4. She can hold her own
The season 18 finale of “The Bachelor” will forever be linked to the moment Crawley stood up to Juan Pablo Galavis after he treated her poorly throughout the course of the entire season, which included an awkward conversation where Galavis shamed her for sharing a steamy moment with him in the ocean on television.
But that didn’t bring Crawley down, and she ended up standing up to Galavis in the final episode, just seconds after she thought that she might be accepting a proposal. She kept her head held high and made a promise to herself that she would never allow a man to treat her like that again.
On “GMA,” Crawley recalled that moment and said, “A lot of people have seen that side of me that stood up to Juan Pablo and is like, ‘Don’t mess with me,’ and I am that strong woman still.”
“But what even more so is added to that is, like I said, taking off that armor and actually saying, I’m strong enough to let somebody in, to be vulnerable and open up and share that with them,” she added.
5. She’s a reality show veteran
This will be the fifth time that Crawley looks for love on a “Bachelor” show. After making it to the finale on Juan Pablo’s dramatic season of “The Bachelor,” Crawley went on to find love on Season 1 and 2 of “Bachelor in Paradise” and also returned for “Bachelor Winter Games.”
There, she met Benoit, the charming romantic with the French accent from “The Bachelorette” Canada, where the two fell head over heels for each other. Benoit proposed during the “Winter Games” finale, but they both realized that marriage wasn’t in the cards for them. The two still are friends to this day.
"The Bachelorette" airs Monday, May 18 on ABC.
