The Bachelorette

'Bachelorette' runner-up Nick Viall's flirt game is still strong ... based on his run-in with a TMZ photog at LAX, anyway.

We got Nick at baggage claim when he happened to run into a pair of our photogs -- Jake and Brittany ... who happens to be a huge 'Bachelor/Bachelorette' fan.

Check it out, she fires off a bunch of questions -- including how he thinks Kylie Jenner would do on the show -- but Nick seems preoccupied with something ... or someone.

Former 'Bachelorette' contestant Ed Swiderski says he got screwed out of his apartment security deposit because his landlord is blaming him for $12,000 worth of damage!

Ed and his wife Natalie moved out of the pad in Chicago's West Loop this past July, and he says they left it exactly the same way they found it -- minus reasonable wear and tear -- but never got back the $3,700 security deposit.

According to the lawsuit, Ed's landlord, Robert O'Bryan, tagged him for the following:

-$100 for missing chandelier crystals

-$60 for missing parking remotes

-$1,500 for fixing 5 doors with dog scratches on them

-$1,150 for a new carpet after he found dog feces and urine stains on the old one

-$4,950 in repainting costs ... all things the landlord says aren't "regular wear and tear."

Those are just the highlights, there's much more, but Ed says it's all BS since he cleaned the place, and a new tenant moved in the very same day he moved out.

O'Bryan tells TMZ the damage he found during inspection was "shocking," and thinks Ed is being ungrateful. He says he was willing to just take his deposit, and eat the rest of the damage ... which would have been more than $9k.

Ed and his wife are suing for $11,100 -- 3 times their deposit.

"​The Bachelorette" star JJ Lane got bit so badly during a hockey game he almost lost his finger.

JJ was on the ice Tuesday in Denver. He checked a guy, pinning him against the boards, when the opposing player went loco, chomping down on JJ's pinky.

One of JJ's teammates sprung into action, bashing the aggressor on the back with his hockey stick until the guy released JJ's digit.

JJ went to the ER where doctors cleaned out the bloody mess and splinted it up.

JJ's had a spate of bad luck lately ... he was hospitalized back in July after allegedly being jumped by gang members.

Perpetual 'Bachelorette' runner-up Nick Viall insists he didn't spoil this season's finale by hanging with an attractive woman who wasn't Kaitlyn Bristowe ... on the eve of the show's finale.

Viall says he's got nothing but love for the newly-crowned bachelor Ben Higgins ... a role Nick coveted.

As for finding love on reality TV ... he's just not giving up.

Hilary Swank, a two-time Oscar winner who's dated Hollywood stars, has gone reality, because she's getting cozy with a former contestant from "The Bachelorette."

Swank spent her 41st birthday Thursday night at Gjelina -- a popular restaurant in Venice, CA -- with Kasey Stewart, who was eliminated in week 9 during Desiree Hartsock's season of "The Bachelorette."

Stewart posted, "Happy Birthday to this beautiful soul. @hilaryswank."

This boy's not cryin'.

Turns out ... Swank and Stewart go back to at least 2013 ... when the pair posed for a photo together in nearly matching v-neck t-shirts.

"​The Bachelorette" star Shawn Evans says he was the victim of "reality-star-on-reality-star crime" ... after getting hit in the head by a brick.

The alleged brick tosser is Mickey Rapaport, aka Mickey Coco, who was featured on MTV Canada's show "Grand Benders."

Shawn was leaving a bar in Grand Bend, Ontario last week when Mickey allegedly hurled a brick from a second story balcony in Shawn's direction, hitting him in the head.

Canadian cops arrested Rapaport for assault with a weapon and busted Rapaport's son Justin as well ... for obstructing a peace officer.

Evans says he suffered a concussion and plans on suing.

'Bachelorette' runner-up Nick Viall ruined the big finale -- making it clear he wasn't picked -- because he was openly and notoriously cavorting with a hot girl who was NOT the bachelorette.

Viall was hanging poolside Sunday afternoon at the Mondrian Hotel in West Hollywood, clearly not caring that everyone around him could easily guess he was not bachelorette Kaitlyn Bristowe's choice. It's all the more interesting because most people assumed he was gonna win during Monday's show.

We're told Nick is saying the chick in the pool is just a friend from home.

He clearly has a type ... she looks just like Kaitlyn, but we're not calling her a consolation prize.

JJ Lane -- one of the so-called 'Brokeback Bachelors' from this season of “The Bachelorette” -- got ambushed by a gang of dudes waiting outside a cast and crew after-party.

The beatdown happened Saturday night when JJ was leaving the "Men Tell All" after-party. Production sources tell us he and a crew member got jumped by a group of at least 5 thugs.

It got ugly, real quick -- we're told JJ and the crew member took a few shots to the face, and the brawl continued until someone ran into the club to grab fellow contestant Ben Zorn. The hardbodied, badass jumped in and broke up the fight.

JJ suffered 2 black eyes, and his suit got shredded, but witnesses tell us he fought the good fight, considering the numbers. JJ believes the attackers were a gang, according to our sources.

We're told he ended up in an ER because he was feeling ill, and friends were worried he had a concussion. For some reason, neither JJ nor anyone on the production chose to call cops about the brawl.

JJ's only consolation -- he doesn't have to get engaged to Kaitlyn. She booted him 4 weeks ago. We hear Clint's still available.

Kaitlyn Bristowe and Nick Viall apparently were the wet dreams of "The Bachelorette" producers ... they were drooling to make a story line out of the sexual tryst, but the other guys wouldn't bite.

Sources connected with the show tell TMZ, some of the contestants definitely knew Kaitlyn and Nick had sex. We're told producers did everything they could to goose those contestants into talking about it and making it a big deal.

Now here's the rub. The contestants wouldn't bite. We're told they all knew producers wanted to make it a story line and a source of conflict, but they felt if they did that it would help Nick and therefore hurt them.

The show has still not squarely addressed the liaison.

The so-called 'Brokeback Bachelors' – aka JJ and Clint -- may not be gay, but they do enjoy water sports ... as in showers. Naked. Together.

As we first reported, the new ‘Bachelorette' promo baits viewers into thinking the guys are hot for each other ... even though they're straight. However, sources on set tell TMZ the alpha males did have a bromance because they’re ex-athletes who dig locker room style showers.

We're told JJ and Clint frequently took advantage of the mansion's communal shower ... and bro'd down with soap and suds. Yes, they drank beers together ... IN THE SHOWER.

We're told that's what led producers to ask the guys strategic questions ... intended to build up the 'Brokeback' plot. As we told you, JJ and Clint are getting a kick out of all the attention they're getting now.

It’s all fun and games until the hot water runs out.

The Bachelorette's big gay event -- the so-called "Brokeback Bachelor" moment where 2 of the guys fall in love with each other -- is missing something ... 2 gay guys.

TMZ has learned both guys -- Clint and JJ -- are both straight as arrows. Multiple sources tell us the 'Brokeback' promo ABC's been airing is just that ... a promo.

We're told Clint and JJ did have a bromance while trying to woo Kaitlyn Bristowe, but "nothing gay ever happened" ... not even in the shower ... as Clint mentions in the promo for next week's episode.

Our sources say both guys are in on the whole 'Brokeback' thing and "just think it's funny." They even gave producers soundbites to run with. Of course, they've also been getting a ton of attention on social media, and they love it. We're told they "think of funny things to write back to people on Twitter."

Case in point ... Clint's tweet comparing himself to Heath Ledger.

So, bottom line -- nothing gay to see here folks. Just a very effective ad.

Freshly booted 'Bachelorette’ contestant Shawn Evans wants Ryan McDill to man up and apologize for his drunken banter -- including the "rape" comment -- or he’s taking matters into his own hands.

Evans – who pulled up to the bachelor mansion in a hot tub car -- says he’s “disgusted” with McDill’s unapologetic remarks and sexually aggressive behavior with "our Canuck Bachelorette.”

He has given McDill a deadline for a public apology – the end of Monday’s episode. If McDill does not comply, Evans says he will “MAKE him apologize for his actions.” Exactly how, we're not sure.

Evans says he feels a responsibility to stand up for bachelorette Kaitlyn and all his offended fellow Canadians … even though they didn’t spend a ton of time together because he was nixed on one of the first episodes.

Booted 'Bachelorette' contestant Josh S. is livid over being portrayed as a creepy stripper by host Chris Harrison because he was only getting naked on demand -- the producers' demands.

Sources close to Josh tell TMZ ... producers put him up to the striptease after nixing his original plan to simply hug Kaitlyn Bristowe and Britt Nilsson. We're told producers said his nice guy act was too boring and forgettable -- so, he caved and did as they suggested ... losing his shirt and rubbing the girls' hands on his bare chest.

Our sources say Josh is especially pissed because Harrison called him "creepy" on his blog and "The View" -- because he feels like he was forced to make those "creepy" moves.

Here's the kicker ... Josh actually is a stripper, so he's no prude. We're told he just feels like he'd still be on the show if he'd gone with his more subtle and gentlemanly approach.

The 'Bachelorette' contestant who's getting blasted for dropping a rape comment on a cast member isn't backing down -- and says his controversial line saved the whole show.

If you missed it ... Ryan McDill -- a self-proclaimed amateur actor and comedian -- was booted during the first episode after ripping off his shirt and telling another guy on the show, "Why am I not raping you right now?" That line combined with McDill's apparent boozing got him 86'd.

McDill admits he was drinking a lot, but adds ... "I wasn’t blacked out and knew exactly what I was doing.” He also says the rape line wasn't a joke -- as critics have said -- and claims he was really trying to say, I'll destroy you.

He tells us, "People need to get off their high horse. It was awesome and entertaining.”

As for the heavy drinking and groping Kaitlyn's ass -- McDill claims he felt pressure to play it up for the cameras -- and claims all the guys on the show do it too. However, he does NOT say producers told him to act like a tool.

One photo had 'Bachelor' fans losing it ... thinking Josh Murray was rebounding from Andi Dorfman by banging famed virgin Ashley Iaconetti -- but we've learned her chastity is fully intact.

Quick backstory ... Josh was engaged to ex 'Bachelorette' Andi, but they split up in January. Ashley was a cast-off from the most recent 'Bachelor' -- best known for flaunting her virginity.

Fast-forward to Monday night ... Josh meets Ashley at a NYC sports bar -- along with a bevy of hot chicks -- then posts an Instagram with her cozying up to him. He was instantly flooded by fans sounding off -- some happy about the hook-up, but others taking it as a diss to Andi.

Ashley tells TMZ everyone can chill because they're not dating. She says ... yes, Josh reached out to her ... and yes, she thought he was cool, but she viewed it as a group date (she brought 2 GFs for backup). So, hardly romantic and definitely bang-free.

Andi can take a little solace, since our sources say she thought the pic was a "low blow" from Josh.

As for whether Josh and Ashley have a 2nd date? Based on the proximity of her boobs to his back ... we'd guess there's a good chance.

With the finale of "The Bachelorette" having aired Monday night, Andi Dorfman and her new fiancé Josh Murray can finally go out in public together ... and they did so the first chance they got.

Dorfman picked Murray over fellow suitor Nick Viall and the new couple immediately jumped on the red eye at LAX to do the morning shows in New York City.

Andi and Josh clearly couldn't wait to be together -- the video was shot around 9:15 PM PT ... and Dorfman making her pick didn't air on the west coast until around 9:45 PM.