Sam Hartman's tenure as the next leading man of "The Bachelor" began with an unexpected complication on Friday, as a former romantic partner publicly characterized their past relationship as toxic within hours of ABC's announcement that he will headline Season 30.
A woman named Becca Hunt, who is from Florida, posted a photo with Hartman on TikTok, according to TMZ.com. In the post, Hunt wrote, "The most toxic relationship in my life is now the bachelor LOL," TMZ.com reported.
Hunt expanded on her time with the former Washington Commanders quarterback in the comment section of the post. She wrote, "Look, y'all, I am not going to say anything more [about] this; I just thought it was ironic because it's a dating show," according to TMZ.com.
She also sought to clarify the scope of her remark, writing, "also, saying it was the most toxic relationship of my life is not putting all the blame on him. Just ironic he's now on a dating show. Hope this helps!" TMZ.com reported.
The posts surfaced hours after ABC announced Hartman as the new leading man for Season 30 of "The Bachelor." The timing placed the social media commentary squarely in the middle of the franchise's rollout for its next season, a period in which the network typically works to build anticipation around its chosen star.
Hartman's background as a college football quarterback and his stint with the Washington Commanders give the casting a sports angle unusual for the dating series, which has historically drawn leads from its own prior seasons. Hunt's posts, however brief, introduced a personal-history narrative that will likely follow the announcement as production on Season 30 moves forward.
Neither Hartman nor ABC has publicly responded to Hunt's remarks. Hunt stated in her own comments that she does not intend to elaborate further on the relationship.
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Ava Hart
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