The Bachelor Drama Between Maria, Sydney, and Lea: Everything You Need to Know

Since the episode aired, Sydney and Lea’s comments sections on social media have been swarmed with questions and accusations about their “mean girl” behavior.

What is the deal with Jess?

But Lea’s not the only woman left in the house who had a problem with Maria. Seemingly upset that Maria spoke to Joey ahead of the rose ceremony after receiving a date rose, she confronted Maria in front of the other women. “Pretty early convo for someone with a rose,” she seemingly said to Maria before calling her “disrespectful” multiple times.

However, fans were quick to point out that Jess had no problem spending extra time with Joey during a previous episode, saying, “he’s worth anyone feeling any kind of animosity.”

Following backlash, Jess apologized on her Instagram Story, saying she was upset about “losing time on multiple occasions due to drama” but that “apologies were made immediately.”

“Although it’s no excuse, I let built up emotions and anger get the best of me & I do regret that whole heartedly,” she wrote, per one TikTok video. “I do not condone bullying, name calling, etc. and apologies were made immediately. We are watching this back for the first time and it’s very hard to see things not play out to their full extent. Please remember that there are many conversations during and after filming that only we are aware of. We are more than just characters on your screens, we are humans with real emotions and feelings.”

Jess then clarified that she has apologized to Maria directly in the comments section of a TikTok video. “The post was to acknowledge that my apology was already made to Maria in person immediately after the tiff,” she commented. “And to acknowledge that I 100% regret my actions regardless of why i was upset then❤️.”

Meanwhile, Madina may be the true winner here.

Once Maria returned from the two-on-one date, Lea was upset that she didn’t face more pushback from Madina. “Maria knows that Sydney and I are close. I don’t have to be mean to Maria because Sydney was my friend,” Madina explained when confronted, adding, “I’m trying to navigate the situation the best I can.”

Fans largely praised Madina’s mature outlook, especially after Madina seemed to subtly address the situation on TikTok. “You ate up Lea. [Everything] you said [was] spot on and mature. Handled it so well,” one user commented on one of Madina’s TikTok videos. Although Madina was sent home during episode four’s rose ceremony, her good standing with the fandom could make her a contender for Bachelor in Paradise or even The Bachelorette.

Sydney says she’s been harassed since the season began airing.

After episode four aired, Sydney took to Instagram to share a series of hateful messages she’s been receiving since her time on the show. “I didn’t know I could feel this low my entire life. Every time I open up Instagram, TikTok, I’m constantly reminded of all the insecurities it took so long to overcome,” she said in the video. “To hear, ‘You’re ugly. You look like a man,’ it almost feels like I went back to square one.”