The Bachelorettes toxic work culture exposed – | TV Shows

Following bombshell reports that The Bachelorette wasn’t coming back for a new season in 2025, and news that staff members were laid off, more reports have surfaced alleging a “toxic” work culture behind the scenes.

News broke earlier this month that the show was being put on pause for summer 2025–and while reasons like the return of Bachelor in Paradise and a string of failed engagements were originally cited, the recent news of huge layoffs has also revealed the alleged actual issue. 

According to reports, the show, which is run with Claire Freeland and Bennett Graebner at the helm as executive producers, actually has a toxic work culture and environment. 

The allegations come after Jenn Tran’s season of the show ended with heartbreak when her engagement to  Devin Strader ended–and their engagement was still aired after their live post-breakup confrontation. 

According to Deadline, that particular moment was orchestrated by Freeland, and she and Graebner stand accused of promoting a toxic environment by only moving forward with their own ideas. 

“When Mike [Fleiss] left there was a sigh of relief. Never did we think that two [of the] people that would take over would make us wish that he was still here,” one crew member told Deadline. 

“The last two years, but particularly the last six months, have just been incredibly hostile, toxic and horrible,” another said.”It’s a dumpster fire right now.”

Sources also said that Freeland and Graebner have been running things in a passive-aggressive way for a long time, and the environment is so heavily pervaded with “silent toxicity” that workers were often fearful that they would be let go if they didn’t “step in line,” and should just be “grateful to be working” at a time when getting another job is difficult. 

“They don’t outrightly treat people poorly, it’s not obvious,” a source said. “They don’t scream at people. It’s more that everything they do is secretive and passive aggressive and they know that they’re doing it to affect people.”