The Bachelorette

"Real Housewives" star Meghan King and "Bachelorette" alum Mike Johnson appear to be getting really cozy ... enjoying each other's company at a popular strip club.

Meghan and Mike hit up Crazy Horse 3 in Las Vegas Thursday night, a source at the club tells us the two arrived hand in hand for the Local Love 2.0 party, which always attracts some big attention.

You can see from the video, the two were ALL over each other all night long -- they even snuck off to a VIP table at one point while Meghan spent some time on Mike's lap.

They also took some time to enjoy the dancers ... grabbing a money gun and spraying the dancers down with some cheddar at one point.

They left together around 1 AM, holding hands on the way out.

Sources close to the two are denying an actual fling, though -- telling TMZ they went to the club as part of her podcast they are doing together -- claiming there's nothing romantic going on between them, just good friends working together.

While they might not be official, they're clearly having some fun together -- Meghan posted about who she "found" in Vegas that night ... calling Mike, "my new fave."

Gabby Windey finally addressed her fiance's old blackface photo from high school -- and it sounds like it's not a deal-breaker ... neither are texts he sent suggesting he's a clout chaser.

The lead star for this season's "The Bachelorette" spilled her guts after Tuesday night's finale, which revealed she gave her final rose to Erich Schwer ... who's been embroiled in a scandal behind the scenes as the final few episodes have aired.

Strangely enough, the couple didn't discuss the blackface saga during last night's "After the Final Rose" special -- but she did tell People magazine she was appalled at first, but seems kinda over it too.

Gabby says of Erich's old Jimi Hendrix costume blunder ... "I was incredibly shocked. [I] just really had to process my thoughts and then think about how we can grow as a couple and learn from this."

Erich apologized, and it seems that was good enough for Gabby ... 'cause that's all she really had to say about it. She also addressed messages that had leaked during the broadcast -- which Erich had apparently sent to an ex-girlfriend right before joining the 'Bachelorette' cast, suggesting he was only interested in getting on TV to advance his career.

There, too, Gabby was easy on him ... saying she was expecting them to leak and encouraging Erich to be honest with her. Big picture, she says the behind-the-scenes drama was "a time for us to take a step back and reflect on our relationship and see if we can get through this."

Gabby adds, "You have to really lead on your communication, be really honest with each other while having these tough conversations. We're seeing how we can become better from both."

DeMario Jackson, a former "Bachelorette" and "Bachelor in Paradise" contestant, has been sued for sexual assault by 2 women.

The court docs, obtained by TMZ, show the women -- who both filed as Jane Does -- claim DeMario used his status as a TV personality to "lure the unsuspecting plaintiffs" into a sense of security ... claiming he knew exactly what he was doing.

The first woman claims she met DeMario on a dating app ... after a few dates, she allowed him to spend the night in February 2018 after he became allegedly drunk.

She says she insisted to Demario nothing sexual would happen between them that night but claims he was persistent -- allegedly pinning her to the bed and sexually assaulting her. She says she was fearing for her life at that moment.

The second woman allegedly met DeMario in April 2019, chatting sparingly on social media at first. A year later, he asked her out on a date -- adding it would have to take place at his apartment as he wanted to avoid being recognized if they went out.

The docs say he pressured her into having sex, which she reluctantly agreed to, then told him to stop -- but he allegedly continued, forcefully.

Other than sexual assault, the 2 women are suing DeMario for false imprisonment and intentional infliction of emotional distress. They're seeking unspecified damages.

As we reported, production for "Bachelor in Paradise" was suspended back in 2017 according to sources after DeMario and Corinne Olympios got too intense in the pool, with lots of "intense rubbing."

The lead man on "The Bachelorette" has a blackface controversy that's dogging him -- and a couple of former Black contestants have mixed reactions on how he should proceed.

We got former 'Bachelorette' stars Olumide Onajide and Riley Christian in NYC Tuesday to weigh in on Erich Schwer donning dark makeup back in high school to make himself look like Jimi Hendrix.

Olumide tells us he's on the fence over Erich's apology ... especially with the history of blackface and what it means for African-Americans. Still, he doesn't think the dude had bad intentions in his heart -- and thinks he might still have a chance with Gabby Windey.

Riley also acknowledges the painful connotations of blackface ... saying he can't believe it's still being done in this day and age (he ain't alone there).

But on the issue of forgiveness, RC says it's certainly achievable for Erich ... especially if he's genuinely sorry and can learn from this mistake. It sounds like he and Olumide are on the same page on how to proceed -- let the show go on, and allow Gabby to decide what she wants to do.

As we reported, the old photo of Erich dressed as Hendrix for Halloween resurfaced during this season -- which was shot a while ago. He apologized for it, citing ignorance and naivete ... claiming he wasn't aware how offensive it was at the time.

Tyler Cameron has a bit of advice for all you horny athletes out there -- wait until AFTER a game to get freaky ... 'cause your legs will be absolutely shot!!

The Bachelor Nation star and former college football QB for Wake Forest shared the hilarious anecdote this week, saying he had been hanging out with a girl from Tinder before a game against Utah State ... and they decided to hook up with kickoff just hours away.

As it turns out, Mick in "Rocky" was right ... 'cause as Tyler puts it, "I remember going out to warm up before the game, I had zero legs."

Cameron -- who was a backup at the time -- says not only was he in awful condition, he almost had to go into the game!!

"All of a sudden, we're getting our asses kicked at Utah State. They said, 'Tyler, warm up. You're about to go in.'"

Cameron says his legs were wobbling like crazy as he warmed up on the sidelines ... but luckily, the action on the field switched back in WF's favor for a bit, so he was in the clear.

"Bachelorette" contestant Erich Schwer -- the last remaining candidate for Gabby Windey -- is owning up to wearing blackface as part of a Halloween costume in high school ... saying he deeply regrets his actions.

A photo from Schwer's old yearbook made rounds on social media this week ... showing him dressed as Jimi Hendrix, donning dark makeup and an afro wig.

The 29-year-old real estate analyst from New Jersey is now speaking out on his costume choice ... saying he wholeheartedly apologizes for what he thought was a gesture showing love for the artist, but admits it only showed ignorance.

"I was naïve to the hurtful implications of my actions to the Black community and those closest to me, and will forever regret my offensive and damaging behavior," Schwer said on Thursday.

"I am deeply ashamed by my actions and understand that my apology is only the first step in taking accountability."

Schwer is Gabby's final chance at love on this season of the dating show ... after she parted ways with Johnny and Jason during the Fantasy Suite episode.

Aaron Rodgers believes it is possible to make amends with his estranged family one day ... saying he's truly grateful for his upbringing and holds no resentment over how things played out.

The Green Bay Packers superstar had a messy falling out with his parents and two brothers several years ago ... and his separation from the family was famously covered during Jordan's appearance on "The Bachelorette" in 2016, despite the cause of the rift remaining a mystery.

Rodgers is now opening up about where things stand with his fam ... and he says the relationship is not permanently severed.

"I do believe in healing and I believe in the possibility of reconciliation at some point," Rodgers said on the "Aubrey Marcus Podcast" this week. "But, it's a different journey for all of us, and to judge on the outside about what should be or what it should look like, or who's wrong or who's right is just a game I've never wanted to play and still don't want to play."

"The most important thing for me is deep love and gratitude for them, and for the lessons I learned, and for the way I was raised, and hope for the future," he added.

"But, who knows what that future is gonna look like, when it's gonna look like, when time is gonna come."

"But, I have no bitterness in my heart. I have no resentment," Rodgers continued. "I just have deep love and appreciation for the lessons that I learned, and the fact that if I hadn't been raised that way -- all the good and all the frustrating -- there's no way I'd be sitting here today."

While Rodgers had previously stated he spent time "with my folks" for his birthday in 2018, it was reported as recently as January 2022 that he still does not speak with his family.

'Bachelorette' star Shawn Booth, who was once engaged to Kaitlyn Bristowe, has been having lots of sleepless nights ... cause he discovered a snake in his house ... a snake that is now lurking somewhere inside!

Shawn tells TMZ ... he first spotted the snake Monday in the basement of his Nashville home, and tried to cover it with a blanket to calm it down and catch it. His plan was to somehow gently place a basket on the snake's head ... not to kill it but to apply just enough pressure so the reptile would lose consciousness. He did the basket thing and then went to get a shovel so he could remove it from the house.

Thing is ... when Shawn returned with the shovel the snake was nowhere to be found and he hasn't been able to locate it. He's still living in the house but getting a decent night's sleep is impossible. He's worried it'll pop up in his room and do God knows what!??!!!

Shawn says every night before bed, he does a full search of the house, and even has his dog sleep with him in hopes the pooch can alert him to slithery danger.

Shawn tells us there aren't many things he's afraid of in life ... but snakes are top of the list.

Shawn says he thinks the snake got into the house while he was doing yard work. He says he brought out Terminix and they found possible entry sites ... which he plans to patch up.

It's unclear what kind of snake it is or if it's poisonous ... which Shawn says is the scariest part.

The newest 'Bachelorette' star is trading her pom-poms for roses ... 'cause Gabby Windey is a former Denver Broncos cheerleader!!

The 31-year-old current ICU nurse was announced as one of the costars for the next season of the ABC dating show ... after getting her heart broken by ex-NFL hopeful Clayton Echard in the final week.

Windey -- who handled the dumpster-fire ending of her relationship with Clayton like a champ -- spent several seasons on the Broncos sidelines ... joining the squad in 2015 before leaving in 2021.

On top of being a pro cheerleader, Gabby also worked on the frontlines as a nurse during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Of course, Gabby is sharing the title of 'Bachelorette' with Rachel Recchia, who was also crushed by Clayton's lack of transparency at the end of his season.

As it turns out, Rachel also has a cheerleading background -- she was a member of the squad during her time at Ohio University.

In case you weren't following the season, Clayton was "intimate" with both Gabby and Rachel during fantasy suites ... which led the third finalist, Susie Evans, to break things off with him and go home.

Clayton then admitted to Gabby and Rachel he was in love with all three finalists and fought to keep them on board ... before eventually admitting his heart was ultimately with Susie and breaking up with the other two women at the SAME TIME (yeah, bad).

As it turns out, Susie eventually reached back out to Clayton after the show ended ... and now they're happily together.

Rachel and Gabby, on the other hand, will now try their luck with the show again ... this time, being on the other side of things.

The season airs later this year ... we'll be "cheering" for love.

Kevin Ferguson Jr. -- MMA fighter and son of the legendary street fighter turned pro Kimbo Slice -- is stepping into the ring ... but he isn't takin' on a fellow pro fighter, he's boxing former Bachelorette contestant "Iggy" Rodriguez.

Yes, for real!

29-year-old Ferguson -- aka "Baby Slice" -- is transitioning from the Bellator cage to the squared circle ... where he'll duke it out with Rodriguez at a Celebrity Boxing event in March.

Of course, 5'11", 155 lb. Kevin Jr. -- 3-3 as a pro -- has fighting in his pedigree, and it shows. His dad, Kimbo, is the most famous street fighter of all-time. The 6'2", 235-pound fighter transitioned from backyard brawling to professional fighting ... where he had a record of 5-2-1.

As for his opponent? Iggy's claim to fame didn't come from punching guys. Rather, Rodriguez was fighting for love when he made his debut on the 13th season of "The Bachelorette."

In fact, the 35-year-old Californian native and consulting firm CEO became a true household name ... when he was depicted as a "snitch" for badmouthing other competitors on Rachel Lindsay's season.

Rodriguez was ultimately eliminated from the show ... after failing to make the top 12.

But, back to the fight. Ferguson and Rodriguez won't be the only attraction that night.

Lamar Odom's ex-fiancée, Sabrina Parr, will fight Jenn Harley, Ronnie Ortiz's former GF -- in a battle of the exes.

Clint Arlis, one of the contestants on Season 11 of "The Bachelorette," has died.

Clint's sister, Taylor, broke the news ... "It is with great sadness, to tell you that my family has lost my best friend and older brother Clint on the morning of January 11th. Please respect our family's privacy as we try to cope with this great loss."

Taylor did not provide information on the cause of death. She said they'll be sharing details on the service.

The 34-year-old had his own slogan on the show -- "Villians gotta vill."

Nick Viall competed against Clint on the show and reminisced, calling Clint "very kind," adding, "Just heard about the passing of Clint Arlis. I got a chance to get to know Clint a little after our time on Kaitlyn's season and I always enjoy [our] time and conversations."

Clint was an architectural engineer. He lived in Chicago.

Clint was 34.

'Bachelorette' star Ali Fedotowsky just got very personal with her followers, revealing why she's been hiding her face recently on social media, sharing she's been diagnosed with shingles.

Ali admits she's been using sunglasses and even her own hair to cover up patches of the painful rash in photos lately, saying, "I don’t really know why I wanted to hide it. I think it’s mostly because I didn’t want the added stress or pressure of the Internet while I was trying to rest and heal."

The reality star acknowledges that while she's young compared to other people who are diagnosed with shingles (50's/60's) -- she believes it was brought on by stress in her life -- and wants to help other young people detect it early for better treatment options.

Ali posted a series of videos, showing the early spots she got on her forehead and describes those first symptoms as itchy and tingly. The spots eventually worsened, swelling and impairing her vision.

Ali first appeared on season 14 of "The Bachelor" in 2010 was later named the lead of season 6 of "The Bachelorette." She accepted a proposal from Roberto Martinez, but the two called it off a year later. She went on to marry Kevin Manno in 2017, they have 2 kids.

"The Bachelorette" boldly went where it hasn't gone before, and while many fans aren't having it ... it's causing a master debate on what makes for good TV.

On Monday's night's episode, Katie Thurston -- the leading lady trying to find love this season -- came up with an idea for a challenge that "Seinfeld" fans know all too well ... she asked her suitors to withhold from pleasuring themselves.

Co-host Kaitlyn Bristowe presented the challenge to the fellas by calling it "Operation: WOWO" ... which stands for "week off whacking off." Or, as the show dubbed it on Instagram, the "WHOA!!! WHOA!!!" challenge.

As you can see ... Katie's suitors appear incredulous by the turn of events, but likely no more than 'Bachelorette' viewers who had to watch as Kaitlyn spelled it out for them. Or tried to, anyway.

One of the guys, Connor B., rattled off about a dozen euphemisms for masturbation, some of which we've never heard before, and one -- Downtown Lester Brown -- that's inaccurate ... according to an online definition.

Regardless, the WOWO Challenge has caused a notable controversy, with some fans calling it immature and stupid and claiming it flies in the face of Katie's sex-positivity.

Remember, she's the one who brought a vibrator with her when she was introduced to Matt James on his season of "The Bachelor."

'Bachelorette' alum Michael Garofola claims he was on the receiving end of an anti-Semitic attack from a maskless security guard in his own apartment complex ... and now he's suing.

According to the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Michael claims his simple plea to a security guard to wear a mask indoors during the pandemic turned into an anti-Semitic diatribe and parking garage beatdown.

In the docs, Michael says he was trying to get to his car back in January when he encountered the maskless security guard. Michael says the guard responded to his request to put on a face-covering by spewing anti-Semitic comments and attacking him.

The season 9 'Bachelorette' alum claims the security guard punched him in the head, slammed him into a wall, pushed and shoved him around and smashed up his iPhone while he tried to record the attack.

In the docs, Michael claims he suffered a ton of injuries in the attack, including cuts to his hand, a torn calf and injuries to his back. He says he's still scarred and is getting physical therapy.

As we first reported ... cops arrested the security guard back in February, charging him with felony battery and felony vandalism.

Michael, who also appeared on "Bachelor in Paradise" and "The Bachelor Winter Games," claims the security guard never should have been hired because the guy's social media is littered with anti-Semitic conspiracy theories. He also claims he had previously notified management the guard wasn't wearing a mask, but believes they didn't take any action.

MG's suing the security guard, his Marina del Rey apartment complex and the guard's employer.

Chris Harrison isn't getting back to hosting duties for the 'Bachelor' franchise just yet ... he's being replaced by two women on the upcoming 'Bachelorette' season.

Tayshia Adams is co-hosting the reality show with Kaitlyn Bristowe. a rep for the show tells us, "As we continue the dialogue around achieving greater equity and inclusion within ‘The Bachelor’ franchise, we are dedicated to improving the BIPOC representation of our crew, including among the executive producer ranks."

Our sources say the new hosts arrived Friday at New Mexico's Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort and Spa -- outside Albuquerque -- to quarantine for a week with the rest of the cast and crew.

Of the move to include Tayshia and Kaitlyn, the rep says, "These are important steps in effecting fundamental change so that our franchise is a celebration of love that is reflective of our world."

TMZ broke the story ... Chris was not among those going into the resort bubble ... and now we know why -- he's not the host.

As you know ... Chris' future as a host is up in the air in the wake of the racism controversy hanging over this season of "The Bachelor."

Chris has already been replaced for 'After the Final Rose' by Emmanuel Acho, and now he's going to be away from the franchise a little while longer, unless producers throw a curveball.

'Bachelorette' star Clare Crawley and Dale Moss are hanging out again after their break-up ... hitting a bar in Florida less than a month after going their separate ways.

TMZ's obtained these pics of Clare and Dale inside Nokomo's Sunset Hut in Nokomis, FL ... we're told they walked in together Tuesday and even hugged a few times.

Folks who were there tell us Clare and Dale downed a couple of Moscow mules as they hung out by the bar for about 45 minutes, then they left together and walked down the waterfront.

No reports of hand-holding, but you can see in the pics ... there was no social distancing going on between them.

It's pretty interesting to see Clare and Dale enjoying each other's company once again. Remember, he ended their long-distance relationship last month ... after she quit in the middle of her season of "The Bachelorette" because she knew she wanted to be with him.