The Bachelor featured Sydney Gordon and Madina Alam accusing Maria Georgas of bullying them, Joey Graziadei "distraught" over "mean girl" drama, Joey having a romantic one-on-one date with Jenn Tran, and three women going home during the Season 28 episode that aired Monday night on ABC.
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RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' FRANCHISE COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER?? (PHOTOS)
The Bachelor broadcast began with 18 women left in the running for Joey's heart.
Maria, a 29-year-old executive assistant from Kleinburg, Ontario, was shown saying she was ready to start fresh after having a "misunderstanding" with Sydney, a 28-year-old vintage store owner from Newport, RI.
The Bachelor host Jesse Palmer then arrived and shared how there would be two group dates and a single one-on-one date this week.
The Date Card revealed the following women would be accompanying Joey on the group date: Sydney; Maria; Chrissa; Edwina Dorbor, a 25-year-old entrepreneur from Atlanta, GA; Kelsey Anderson, a 25-year-old junior project manager from New Orleans, LA; and Alexandra "Lexi" Young, a 30-year-old digital strategist from Atlanta, GA.
The Date Card also included Allison Hollinger, a 26-year-old realtor from Philadelphia, PA; Madina, a 31-year-old mental health therapist from Charlotte, NC; and Lea Cayanan, a 23-year-old from Los Angeles, CA.
The date required the women to compete in a Mrs. Right beauty pageant in front of a live audience with Joey and The Golden Bachelor ladies Nancy Hulkower, Kathy Swartz, Susan Noles and April Kirkwood serving as the judges.
Both Maria and Lea were out of their comfort zones, but Sydney had competed in Miss Massachusetts Teen USA when she was 16, so she felt confident and in her element.
The pageant included lounge wear, a Q&A portion, and a talent competition.
During her interview, Kelsey A. said if she and Joey ever got trapped in an elevator, they could "create some new memories" together, and when asked to reveal Joey's best quality, Lexi complimented his good looks before mentioning how he has a kind and sincere heart.
Lexi added how The Bachelor star paid attention to the little things, which is very important in a relationship.
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Edwina wrote a song for Joey, even though she's not a singer, and Chrissa attempted to play the trumpet but failed. Maria performed a skilled dance with flips and splits, and Sydney did a cheerleading routine that left the crowd speechless -- but not in a good way.
For Lexi's talent, she said she's the world's best kisser. Lexi therefore kissed The Bachelor star and had the audience applause, and in the end, Lexi won the Mrs. Right pageant.
"I felt like she was the one who surprised me. I can still feel her lip quiver. I can tell that she's nervous. It was out of her comfort zone and that's what today was. Lexi is already a good kisser; I'm in trouble if she gets any better," Joey told The Bachelor cameras.
At the afterparty that night, Joey told Lexi that their connection felt "effortless," and he told Kelsey A. that he was "so excited" about her and something "felt right" when he was in her presence.
"I can't believe how strong I feel about Kelsey already. Without even having a one-on-one, I can tell there's so much to her, and I'm excited to get to know more," Joey said in a confessional.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELORETTE' COUPLES NOW: WHOM DID 'THE BACHELORETTE' STARS AND THEIR BACHELOR PICKS ULTIMATELY END UP WITH?! (PHOTOS)
The Bachelor star also gushed about how Allison is extremely attractive and fun to be around.
But Edwina complained about how kissing is not a talent and someone who had put effort into her performance should've gotten the crown. And Lea and Maria agreed.
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Maria lamented about how she felt "embarrassed" for dancing in a serious, competitive manner. Joey assured Maria that the he competition wasn't about the talent and she knows how to work a room. Joey said he loved seeing that side of her and she's a ball of energy.
Joey warned Maria that he can be very low key in his normal daily life, but Maria shared how she's actually an introvert. The Bachelor star thought Maria was gorgeous and mysterious, and he looked forward to peeling back more of her layers.
Joey then spoke to Madina, who revealed, "Some girls were saying, 'She's not even that old,' which felt very invalidating. And then yesterday, one of the girls came up to me and was mad that I wouldn't tell her who told me that she said the comment about [being old]," Madina explained to Joey.
"If I have to describe it, I felt like I was being bullied. 'Tell me who it is. Tell me who it is.' And I kept saying, 'Can we please just move past it? That's not why we're here.'"
A woman possibly not showing all sides of herself scared Joey, and Madina wouldn't throw any of the women under the bus by revealing their names.
At the end of the party, Joey told the women that if there was something he needed to know, he wanted the women to be forthcoming with information.
The Bachelor star gave a rose to Kelsey A. for showing her true self to him throughout the process, but he clearly ended the afterparty in a bad mood.
Joey told the group that hearing the word "bully" scared him and if there was something that needed to be said, he needed to hear about it.
Madina admitted to the ladies that she told Joey she had "felt bullied" without flat out calling Maria a bully.
Maria was surprised by the announcement, and she pointed out, "'Bully' is a big word. Could you just explain to me how you felt bullied?"
Madina explained how Maria kept asking her to share who had made the comment. But Maria said that was just an attempt to clear her name.
"I also felt bullied as well," Sydney declared.
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Maria told the cameras she had been bullied her entire life and she was definitely not a bully.
Maria couldn't believe this was happening, and she asked Madina to have a conversation later on because she thought everyone needed to stick together in this process and it was never her intention to hurt anybody.
"And Sydney, Missy Troublemaker, needs to stop!... You're making things worse. Just stop," Maria said.
"I don't want to be friends with somebody like that -- a catty person," Sydney clapped back.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' COUPLES NOW: WHO DID 'THE BACHELOR' STARS AND THEIR BACHELORETTE PICKS ACTUALLY END UP MARRYING? (PHOTOS)
Maria asked for context behind her slam, but Sydney said she was happy with her character and how she had handled every conversation.
Maria admitted she felt confused and needed to know more, but Sydney said she was "done" talking and refused to put any more energy into the situation. Sydney then walked away from the "negative environment" because she felt attacked, and Maria said she felt so weird about the bachelorette.
Allison claimed Maria was just "bold" and being herself, adding how some women didn't know how to take that.
Edwina also didn't think Maria was a bully at all and that Sydney was "blowing things out of proportion." Edwina told the cameras how Maria is just a straightforward person who speaks the truth.
Maria was worried this drama, which she didn't want any part of, was going to impact her relationship with The Bachelor star. She broke down into tears and didn't know how to fix the conflict and tension.
Meanwhile, at The Bachelor mansion, a Date Card arrived for Jenn Tran, a 25-year-old physician assistant student from Miami, FL. It read, "Love is a Wild Ride."
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Jenn and Joey put on some wetsuits and went surfing together. Joey felt a nice level of comfort and ease with Jenn, and the couple made out in the ocean and on the beach. Joey said kissing Jenn felt amazing and their lips "fit perfectly together."
During their dinner date that night, Joey told Jenn that he felt "butterflies" with her.
Jenn shared how she had been in a few bad relationships in the past and worried she'd never be in love or find somebody, mainly because she didn't see an example of a happy couple from her parents.
Jenn explained how her parents had a bad relationship when she was growing up and so she felt doomed for the same fate, to have an unhappy relationship or marriage.
Jenn's dad apparently slept in her house's basement and he and her mother never hid their fighting. Jenn felt alone and unloved by her father, and their relationship deteriorated over the years.
Jenn said her father is no longer a part of her life and dealing with something so traumatic made her feel unworthy of love.
Meanwhile, a Date Card arrived at The Bachelor mansion for Evalin; Starr; Katelyn DeBacker, a 25-year-old radiochemist from Santa Fe, NM; Autumn Waggoner, a 26-year-old account executive from St. Louis, MO; Rachel Nance, a 26-year-old ICU nurse from Honolulu, HI; Daisy Kent, a 25-year-old account executive from Becker, MN; Kelsey Toussant, a 31-year-old actor from Los Angeles, CA; and Jessica "Jess" Edwards, a 24-year-old executive assistant from San Diego, CA.
The card read, "I'm done playing Singles."
At the end of Joey's date with Jenn, he said he could picture the bachelorette being his partner in the future. The couple then watched drones create a light display in the sky that ended with Joey asking Jenn to accept his rose. Jenn felt extremely special.
The next day, Joey's second group of bachelorettes gathered at a tennis court, where they were greeted by tennis legends Pam Shriver and James Blake.
The women trained and received some pointers from the pros, and then Jesse showed up and announced how there was going to be some friendly competition.
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Autumn and Daisy were on a team and changed into big-baby costumes. Autumn and Rachel dressed as a hotdog and bun, Katelyn and Jess dressed as a bee and a beehive, and Kelsey T. and Evalin dressed as lobster and butter.
In the championship match, Kelsey T. and Evalin won it all against Autumn and Rachel.
That night, at the afterparty, Katelyn revealed most of the women in her family were single and she had been single for two years. Katelyn told The Bachelor star it was "a family curse." Joey thought Katelyn was strong and beautiful, and she liked how Katelyn didn't need a man to feel validated.
"I'm starting to have real feelings for these women," Joey noted to The Bachelor cameras.
Rachel then opened up to Joey about how she admires and loves her father, who deeply loves and respects her mother, and how she saw many of those same qualities in Joey.
Joey could also feel something with Kelsey T., and he bonded with Daisy by touching her cochlear implant. The Bachelor star thought Daisy was so special, and she gushed about how The Bachelor star is caring and sweet.
Joey ultimately gave the date's rose to Katelyn, and she said she didn't expect that at all.
Back at the house, Sydney insisted to Lea how she's not "the mean girl" or the one to blame for all the drama. Sydney thought Maria was "the problem" and that it needed to be addressed to Joey.
The following day, Joey canceled the cocktail party and had a pool party and barbecue with the women instead.
Sydney told several of the ladies how Maria was manipulating them as well as The Bachelor star. Sydney believed that Maria was eating her alive and would take one of her limbs if she could.
Sydney approached Joey as a result and revealed how Maria was the "bully" who had attacked Madina.
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Joey was upset and worried. He thanked Sydney for sharing that news with him and speaking her mind. Joey trusted Sydney, and so he decided to talk to Maria -- with whom he felt "great chemistry" -- about the "alarming" accusations against her.
The Bachelor star didn't like hearing that Maria wasn't getting along with the other women and was allegedly creating a hostile environment.
When Joey repeated what he had heard to Maria, she appeared distraught and upset. Maria said that all she did was ask Madina why she had mentioned the word bully.
Maria told Joey that she had been bullied in the past and this wasn't an example of that. Maria started to cry and insisted she'd never treat another woman that way.
"I feel like I'm not being received as good as I thought I would be here," Maria shared.
"I thought the least of my problems would be the girls in the house, and so I really want to work on our connection. I just know that word is something I'd never throw around -- ever."
Maria told The Bachelor cameras that Sydney's actions were really hurting her and she didn't appreciate it.
The Bachelor star could see that Maria was surprised and hurt, and so her reaction confused him even more. Joey didn't know what to do, but those allegations had shaken him to his core.
"Sydney, if you like her, there's no way you can like me. Because we are completely different people," Maria told Joey. "I think Sydney is giving these accusations without any explanation as to why she's feeling that way."
"You're right. I probably should've asked her more questions," Joey replied.
Joey shared in a confessional how the way Maria was talking to him "felt more real" than the way Sydney had been talking to him. The Bachelor star admitted he felt "distraught" because he liked both women, who were apparently total opposites.
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Joey went into the evening with a lot of questions, and so the pool party shut down before Joey had a chance to talk to all of the bachelorettes. This news was particularly upsetting for Allison, Evalin and Jess.
At the third Rose Ceremony of the season that night, Joey gave roses to Lexi, Lea, Kelsey T., Rachel, Madina, Daisy, Jess, Edwina, Autumn, Allison, and Maria.
"What the heck! He chose the bully?!" Sydney lamented.
Joey's last rose of the evening then went to Sydney.
Joey therefore eliminated three women: Chrissa, Evalin, and Starr.
"I am sad to leave, but I have great things waiting for me at home -- a job that I love, a family that I take care of. And the only thing I'm missing is somebody to share that with," Evalin said in her final words.
"I'm going to take time to just reflect and think about what I've learned and how I can implement it to find love. I know my guy is out there, and in order to find him, I have to leave."
Maria said receiving a rose meant the world to her, and she was hoping to leave all the drama behind.
Sydney told the cameras after the Rose Ceremony, "I'm not going to let the mean girl win... and I'm the only one who isn't afraid of her."
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' FRANCHISE COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER?? (PHOTOS)
Click here to learn more about Joey's The Bachelor bachelorettes or click here to read spoilers that reveal how Joey's season ends and who he picked as his winner.
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About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
