‘Bachelor’ Star Kelsey Poe is Considering Taking Legal Action Against Show’s Producers

Kelsey has one of these dirty looks coming for you, ABC!
Kelsey has one of these dirty looks coming for you, ABC!

Don’t expect to see Kesley Poe on Bachelor in Paradise this summer! In fact, the only place Kelsey wants to meet up with those involved with the production of The Bachelor franchise is a courtroom!

According to Radar Online, Kelsey– the woman nicknamed the “Black Widow” on Chris Soules‘ recent season of ‘The Bachelor’–is considering suing the producers of show if they do not agree to pay for the therapy she’s undergoing to help her deal with the pain she experienced from appearing on the show.

Kelsey, whose first husband, Sanderson Poe, died tragically in 2013, told Radar in a previous interview that she felt ABC and the show’s producers, “twisted the plot and played off the tragic death of her beloved ex-husband in order to get ratings.” By doing this, Kelsey claims she suffered emotional distress via the other girls on the show and viewers, and she wants ‘The Bachelor’ gang to pay for her treatment.

“Kelsey is being treated for EMDR [Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing], which is an effective form of treatment that is used to alleviate the stress associated with traumatic memories,” an anonymous source told Radar. Kelsey says she was “destroyed by pain” from appearing on the show, and if they producers don’t agree to pay for her treatment, she is planning to sue them, says the anonymous source. (Being that Kelsey spoke on the record to the site just days before this anonymous “source” did, it’s most likely Kelsey herself behind this interview as well. It would make sense that she would not want to be quoted on the record if she’s preparing for a lawsuit.)

Anyway, the story states that ABC has yet to offer financial compensation or pay for Kelsey’s treatment, so Kelsey is supposedly “preparing the records she would need for a trial.”

Unfortunately, Kelsey will have a difficult journey ahead of her if she does go ahead with the lawsuit. Many former reality contestants have attempted to sue reality show production companies or networks after they felt that they were portrayed inaccurately or unfairly on television. However, it is rare that anyone ever wins these types of lawsuits, due to the fact that the contestants are forced to sign extremely detailed and defining contracts before participating in a show.

In fact, the ‘Bachelor’ franchise contract, like most reality show contracts that contestants must sign, give the producers permission to edit you however they’d like, as well as intentionally embarrass or humiliate the contestant. (There is usually even a section that specifically spells this out.)

Even Reality Steve thinks Kelsey  has no chance of ever winning a lawsuit against the producers.

“Even if EVERYTHING you said on TV was all taken out of context, it doesn’t matter,” he wrote in a recent column. “They own you, they can do whatever they want to your edit, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

Regardless, Kelsey apparently feels that she might have a case, given the bullying she says she endured.

“The whole experience set me back months,” she told Radar earlier this month. “I feel battered and bruised.”

ABC has not yet commented on this to any media site.

UPDATE: Kelsey recently addressed this story on her blog. While she does, indeed, feel that she was damaged by appearing on the show, she has decided not to sue anyone.

“Suing is an option I choose not to pursue because I want to live a life full of happiness,” she wrote. (Click here to read her full blog on the subject.)

(Photo: ABC)

16 Responses


  1. You go Kelsey! It’s so crazy how big ABC can get away with anything they want These people that think the contestants know what they are in for don’t have a clue what is happening on these shows. So many of these contestants are abused and have to live with people actually hating them just for the ratings of the shows. Wake up people!


  2. What an Ass…she made a fool of herself on TV and now this! Go away crazy lady! Everyone is Sick of you!


  3. Self absorbed.. she portrays herself as the only woman who lost a husband or lover. Be it a tragic accident, causualty in war an illness etc. Who does that.. goes on national TV saying “I have an amazing story and its my story, this is not just the Bachelor story” oh REALLY?! She has delusions of granduer.. a panic attack. Seriously! Then in the same scene “I’m gonna get a rose” are you kidding me! she needs therapy alright a good dose of reflecting on herself. She showed no regard for the other bachelor contestants as well.


  4. What she’s the one that thought her “husband” dying was a funny attention getter all her fault shed straight up evil


    1. What a freak!!!!! Waaaaa a cry baby…and she calls herself smart..really???? What a fool she made of herself. .she can say and do whatever she feels and as soon as the others spoke up she claims they are being mean. .ok girly haven’t you seen the show and how it goes…she should be embarrassed of her behavior on national television. ..I would pull my kids out of her school so fast…how can she be a guidance counselor. .well. now she is a writer. ..ha horror ….fic6tuon…fairy tales


  5. I think Kelsey would benefit from therapeutically-guided self-reflection. AND I do think it is irresponsible of ABC to put a woman on their show who’s husband has died so recently. The bachelor pretends that they “check-out” these “contestants” IF they do, the possiblilty of more drama is more important than the health and safety of their cast. Though Kelsey is an adult and makes her own choices….she certianly seemed like a a delusional adult. If you just lost your husband would be clammering to go on The Bachelor? What was she expecting when she exposed herself to media….become a media darling and find true love, did she not think of the other side of that coin? Whoa did she get the other side of the coin alright. No love, in fact lots of hate. It is a risk for all contestants of any reality show, to be the loser or be exposed to embarrassment. Ratings before Feelings


    1. She’s an adult, she made the decision to go on. So did Juliea who lost her husband a year or so ago. The producers of The Bachelor are in the business of making a good TV show. Not determining who has a screw loose. If they check out on the initial mental and physical exam, it’s not up to TPTB to decide who can handle it and who can’t. If they thought she couldn’t handle the show and pulled her off, she’d be suing for being forcibly removed and losing her chance at finding love.

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