The Bachelor28’s Kelsey Anderson lost her mother in 2018, and she bravely opened up about the devastating loss during a recent podcast appearance. Kelsey, a 25-year-old junior account executive from New Orleans, Louisiana, made her television debut when she applied to date 28-year-old Joey Graziadei. She already knew who Joey was at that point because he was a contestant on Charity Lawson’s season ofThe Bachelorette.Joey made it to the final two, but Charity gave her final rose to someone else. Charity’s loss was Kelsey’s gain because Joey was cast as the franchise’s next male lead.
The Bachelorseason 28ended with Joey giving Kelsey his final rose, his heart, and a sparkling diamond engagement ring. They immediately started living together, moving into Kelsey’s old place, and then to a new place in Los Angeles. Throughout the entire journey, Kelsey’s mother, Denise Anderson, was never far from her thoughts. From her first date with Joey,Kelsey talked about what a major influence her mother was, and she recently opened up about the enormous loss. Could the fact that Kelsey’s still in mourning for her late mother be keeping her from moving forward with Joey?
Kelsey Lost Her Mother In 2018
And Mark Anderson Lost His Wife
Kelsey’s mother, Denise, was married to Kelsey’s father, Mark Anderson, for18 years before she was diagnosed with cancer in 2018. They were both Army veterans who had met while serving overseas and had five children together, including Kelsey. According to Kelsey, Denise passed away only two months after receiving her diagnosis. This didn’t give Kelsey much more time with her mother before she had to say goodbye, and the pain remained very fresh for Kelsey.
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DuringThe Bachelorseason 28, Kelsey took Joey home during her hometown date, to introduce him to her father. Markgave the young couple a photo album filled with photos of him and his late wife. Mark clearly adored his wife as he told Joey and Kelsey he wanted to give them a glimpse of his love story.
Kelsey’s father, Mark, would go on to appear as a contestant onThe Golden Bacheloretteseason 1.
Kelsey traveled with her father to the opening night ofThe Golden Bacheloretteseason 1, and it was Kelsey who introduced her father to 61-year-old Joan Vassos. She had come a long way since winning Joey’s final rose onThe Bachelorandwanted her widowed father to have a chance at finding lovetoo. Things didn’t work out between Mark and Joan, but he was grateful for the opportunity because it helped him open his heart for the first time since the loss of Kelsey’s mother.
Kelsey Opens Up About Losing Her Mother
Navigating Grief
Kelsey’s mother passed away long before she joined thecast ofThe Bachelorseason 28, but the pain is still fresh. Recently, Kelsey bravely opened up about her mother’s death during an episode ofThe Squeeze Podcastposted on Instagram. During the extremely emotional clip,Kelsey talked about losing her mother to cancerand shared her tools for navigating grief. She talks about the fact that, on the one hand, she’s so happy and in love with Joey, but, on the other hand, with her mother being gone, she feels like something is missing.
Kelsey opened up about her grief in hopes that her experience can help other people navigate their own.
The clip features photos of her mother throughout the years. In the interview,Kelsey talks about what a kind person her mother was, and Kelsey tries to embody that same spirit in her own life. She said that her mother would take people in, and revealed that her family took in foster children while growing up. Kelsey has to work to balance her happiness with her grief. She also said that though she initially tried to forget her loss by going out a lot, she ultimately realized her mother wouldn’t want that for her.
Losing Her Mother Brought Her Closer To Her Dad
Kelsey Will Always Have Mark’s Back
The mother and daughter were close, so Kelsey felt the loss deeply. She came to lean on her father, Mark, much more after her mother died. During an early solo date with Joey onThe Bachelorseason 28, Kelsey talked about howshe and her father weren’t close growing up. Though she loved her father very much, he was away working a lot, so she grew close to her mother. After losing her mother, Kelsey had come to rely on her father for his wisdom and quiet strength.
These days, father and daughter are very close.
Mark has even been spotted seated alongside Kelsey cheering Joey on duringDancing With The Starsseason 33. Mark often makes guest appearances on Kelsey’s social media accounts. After being eliminated from Joan’s season ofThe Golden Bachelorette,Mark has been rumored to be considered for the lead ofThe Golden Bachelor. If Mark gets the role, Kelsey will be at her father’s side the whole time.
Kelsey Also Addressed Her Relationship With Joey
Will There Ever Be A Wedding?
The Bachelorfinished filming over a year ago, soJoey and Kelsey have been engagedfor over a year without setting a wedding date. During the podcast interview,Kelsey may have hinted as to why the couple had yet to set a wedding date. She said every time they start talking about the wedding, Kelsey thinks about how her mother won’t be there, and it breaks her heart. Kelsey’s grief may be keeping her from moving forward with Joey, and it’s a wound that only time will heal.
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The Bachelor
Cast
The series centers on a single bachelor selecting a romantic partner from a group of contestants, with episodes featuring various challenges and eliminations.
