Nine years after its premiere, The Bachelor Series 19 remains one of the most talked-about seasons in franchise history, not for the love story that unfolded on screen, but for the dramatically divergent, and often shocking, paths the lead and his final women took in the years that followed. Airing in early 2015, the season promised a fairy-tale ending for "Prince Farming," Chris Soules, but the reality of life after the final rose proved to be far more complicated, involving everything from a tragic legal battle to a groundbreaking celebrity engagement, as of this
The season featuring Iowa farmer Chris Soules was a massive hit, drawing in viewers eager to see a small-town man find love. While his journey culminated in a proposal, the engagement was short-lived, paving the way for the women he sent home to find happiness, fame, and even a new kind of love that transcended the show's traditional narrative. This is the definitive, up-to-the-minute look at where the key players from Season 19 are today.
Chris Soules: The Bachelor Series 19 Lead Biography & Current Status
Chris Soules, the lead of The Bachelor Season 19, was famously dubbed "Prince Farming" by the media and fans. His life since the show has been a series of extreme highs and lows, defining a legacy far more complex than his time on reality television.
- Full Name: Christopher Douglas Soules
- Born: November 6, 1981 (Age 44 as of 2025)
- Hometown: Arlington, Iowa
- Occupation: Fourth-Generation Farmer, Reality TV Personality
- Prior Bachelor Nation Appearance: Contestant on The Bachelorette Season 10 (Andi Dorfman's season), finishing in third place.
- The Bachelor Result: Engaged to Whitney Bischoff; the couple split in May 2015, two months after the finale aired.
- Current Relationship Status: Reportedly still single as of a recent 2024 update, years after his season aired.
- Post-Show Controversy: Faced major legal issues following a fatal car crash in April 2017 near his Iowa farm.
The Tragic Accident and Legal Turmoil
The biggest story to emerge from Chris Soules' post-Bachelor life is his involvement in a fatal car crash in 2017.
In April 2017, Soules rear-ended a tractor driven by 66-year-old Kenneth Mosher, who later died from his injuries.
Soules was initially charged with a felony for leaving the scene of a fatal accident.
While he did call 911 and waited for first responders, he left the scene before police arrived.
The case drew national attention and resulted in Soules eventually pleading guilty to a misdemeanor charge of leaving the scene of an accident.
This event completely overshadowed his reality TV fame and permanently altered his public image, shifting his focus back to his life as a farmer in Arlington, Iowa.
The Winner and Runner-Up: Finding Love Outside of 'The Bachelor'
The women who made it to the final two of Season 19—Whitney Bischoff and Becca Tilley—both found lasting happiness, but in ways that had nothing to do with Chris Soules or the Bachelor process.
Whitney Bischoff: The Happy Ending with Ricky Angel
Whitney Bischoff, the fertility nurse from Chicago who received Chris’s final rose, saw her engagement end quickly in May 2015.
However, she found her true match just a few months later. In September 2015, Bischoff met her now-husband, Ricky Angel, on the dating app Bumble.
The couple got engaged in July 2016 and married in a beautiful Cape Cod ceremony in October 2017.
They have since welcomed two children: a son in May 2019 and a daughter later on, solidifying her happy life outside of the spotlight.
Whitney Bischoff’s story is often cited as a prime example of a contestant who successfully moved on and built a life far more stable than the one promised by reality TV.
Becca Tilley: The Groundbreaking Engagement to Hayley Kiyoko
Runner-up Becca Tilley has arguably had the most headline-making post-show journey.
After being sent home, Tilley became a fan favorite, appearing on Bachelor in Paradise and building a successful career as a podcaster and influencer.
In a major, recent update, Tilley announced her engagement to pop star Hayley Kiyoko in July 2024, after seven years of dating.
The couple, dubbed "Becca and Hayley," had kept their relationship private for the first four years before going public in 2022.
Kiyoko proposed to Tilley on a beach in Mallorca, Spain, marking a significant and celebrated moment for the couple and the LGBTQ+ community within Bachelor Nation.
Tilley's journey from a conservative runner-up on a traditional dating show to an openly engaged partner of a major pop star represents one of the most unexpected and inspiring outcomes from The Bachelor Series 19.
Kaitlyn Bristowe and Other Notable Contestants: Building a Media Empire
While the final two women found love, one other contestant from Chris Soules’ season leveraged her appearance into a massive media career, demonstrating the true power of the Bachelor franchise as a launching pad.
Kaitlyn Bristowe: From Contestant to Podcast Mogul
Kaitlyn Bristowe was eliminated relatively early in Season 19 but was immediately chosen as the lead for The Bachelorette Season 11.
She has since become one of the most successful and enduring personalities in Bachelor Nation.
Her primary success comes from her highly popular podcast, Off The Vine with Kaitlyn Bristowe, which has been on the charts since 2017 and features unfiltered conversations and deep dives into pop culture and personal life.
Bristowe also won Season 29 of Dancing With The Stars and continues to work as an entrepreneur and television personality.
Following her recent split from fiancé Jason Tartick, Bristowe confirmed in a 2025 update that she is "dating and happy," continuing to focus on her career and personal well-being.
The Extended Bachelor Nation Family
Other notable contestants from Season 19 also cemented their place in the franchise, particularly on Bachelor in Paradise:
- Jade Roper: Married Tanner Tolbert after meeting on Bachelor in Paradise, and they are one of the show’s biggest success stories, with three children.
- Carly Waddell: Also married an alum from Bachelor in Paradise, Evan Bass, though they later divorced.
- Ashley Iaconetti: Became famous for her emotional journey on Bachelor in Paradise before marrying fellow Bachelor alum Jared Haibon, with whom she has a son.
The season may have failed to produce an enduring couple in Chris Soules and Whitney Bischoff, but it served as a powerful incubator for future stars, proving that often, the journey after the final rose is far more interesting than the one that led to it.
The Enduring Legacy of The Bachelor Series 19
While The Bachelor Series 19 is now nearly a decade old, its impact on the franchise is undeniable. It was a season of contrasts: the wholesome appeal of "Prince Farming" clashing with the harsh realities of public life and high-stakes legal drama. The lead’s story is a cautionary tale about the pressures of fame, while the contestants' narratives are a testament to finding genuine love and massive career success on their own terms.
From a wedding on Bumble to a high-profile engagement to a pop star, and the creation of a multi-million-dollar podcast empire, the true legacy of Chris Soules' season lies not in his final choice, but in the extraordinary, unexpected, and often dramatic lives of the women he ultimately let go. The season continues to be a crucial reference point for understanding the long-term, unpredictable ripple effects of reality television stardom in the 21st century.
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