'The Bachelor' Ben Higgins reportedly gets dumped again -- a "blow to his ego" that leaves him "incredibly shaken"

The Bachelor star Ben Higgins will face his insecurity of being "unlovable" again this season, as another bachelorette reportedly quits.


In the last The Bachelor episode, Lauren "LB" Barr, a 23-year-old fashion buyer from Stillwater, OK, walked out on Higgins during the Rose Ceremony after he offered her a rose to stay. Barr told Higgins the process was simply too overwhelming for her.

"He took it hard," a friend of Higgins told In Touch Weekly in its January 18 issue.

"You have to really detest someone to leave after you're offered a rose," added a source. "So to say that Ben was crushed would be an understatement."

If one girl leaving wasn't enough to deal with, Higgins will reportedly be faced with rejection all over again during the upcoming January 18 episode.


According to insiders, a "villain" who caught Higgins' attention early on chooses to go home.

The two villains so far this season are Olivia Caridi, a 23-year-old news anchor from Austin, TX, and Lace Morris, a 25-year-old real estate agent from Denver, CO.

"It's a huge blow to Ben's ego," the source told In Touch. "It left him incredibly shaken."

So shaken in fact, Higgins started to question himself and his decision to become The Bachelor star.

"Being rejected was a punch to the gut," the source explained.


"He was totally spoiled by being on [Kaitlyn Bristowe]'s season of The Bachelorette because she was so open and real about her emotions. Plus, he was a fan favorite who all women adored. But the tide has turned. He wasn't prepared for the humiliation."

Higgins had a really tough time dealing with two girls leaving the show so early on.

"Ben broke down on more than one occasion -- it was brutal," noted the Higgins friend.

The 26-year-old software accounts manager frequently called home to his parents for support and pep talks.

"He needed constant reassurance that he was making the right decisions," the source told the magazine.


However, Higgins was ultimately able to pull his act together.
  
"He vowed not to let a few bad seeds ruin this experience for him," explained the source. "Despite all of the setbacks, he was able to follow his heart. So I think he's walking away with no regrets."

The Bachelor airs Monday nights at 8PM ET/PT on ABC.






About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski