Ben Higgins questioned by former 'The Bachelor' stars Sean Lowe, Chris Soules, Ben Flajnik, and Jake Pavelka

Ben Higgins might be America's favorite Bachelor of all time, but he's certainly taking heat for telling two bachelorettes he loved them.


During Monday night's episode of The Bachelor, Higgins said "I love you" to flight attendant Lauren Bushnell as well as real estate developer Joelle "JoJo" Fletcher before the Fantasy Suite dates commenced.

Bachelor Nation is divided over Higgins' decision to express himself so honestly. Many fans give him credit for having the capacity to fully love two women, while others criticize his lack of empathy for the girl who will head into the Final Rose Ceremony completely confident before she gets crushed with rejection.  

So how do former The Bachelor stars Sean Lowe, Ben Flajnik, Chris Soules and Jake Pavelka feel about it since they had once been in Higgins' shoes?

Lowe, who starred on Season 17 and is currently married to and expecting his first child with his final pick Catherine Giudici, wrote on Twitter Monday night, "Not sure Ben knows what love means. #TheBachelor."


Lowe continued in separate tweets, "Ben is angering Catherine right now. That's not good for Ben. #wratherine #TheBachelor... Ben, dude, bro, that wasn't smart. #TheBachelor... This is going to end very badly."

Soules, who's currently single after starring on Season 19, tweeted words of sympathy to Higgins.

"@benhiggi falling in love with more than one woman at the same time. #beentheredonethat #feelyourpain #TheBachelor," Soules wrote, referencing his strong connections with both Whitney Bischoff and Becca Tilley at the end of his season.

Flajnik served as The Bachelor's sixteenth-season star and got engaged to the villain Courtney Robertson, however, their relationship didn't work out.

"Never tell two women you love them in two consecutive days. #flight666," Flajnik tweeted, adding that he still can't believe he ever "did this sh-t."


And then there's Pavelka, who discussed his split from winner Vienna Girardi live on television in what will likely go down as The Bachelor's most cringe-worthy moment.

"Oh man, Ben. Too many I love you's! #tightspot," Pavelka wrote on Twitter. "Dang! Just rip the bandaid off quick Ben."

All of this advice probably would've been useful to Higgins BEFORE the show was filmed. Higgins joked with People that nobody told him what he could or couldn't do.

"I don't know if there is a rulebook. If there is, nobody gave it to me!" Higgins said.

However, former The Bachelorette star Ali Fedotowsky defended Higgins in her blog.


"I know many of you are really upset with him... [but] Ben is one of the most genuine, loving, sincere men I have ever met. Telling two women he loves them truly came from a sincere place. I think he's a romantic. He loves love! Most men who tell two people they love them do it because they are playboys. Not Ben though. He couldn't be further from that," Fedotowsky wrote.

"I think his fear of being unlovable has made him open up to loving more than one person... It's hard not to tell someone how you feel when you're in the moment. In the end, Ben followed his heart and he is being as open and vulnerable as he can be with all of us watching him and judging him."






About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski