Sydney Accuses Maria of Vulgarity Toward Lea in 'The Bachelor' (SPOILERS)
"Maria started attacking me," Sydney tells Joey. "This was the first time the girls were trying to step in, and then she told Lea to 'shut the f--k up.'"
Published Feb. 13 2024, 10:14 a.m. ET
Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers for Season 28, Episode 4 of The Bachelor.
We're nearly halfway through Season 28 of The Bachelor, and our dashing leading man, Joey Graziadei, takes flight to Malta with his entourage of lovely ladies. It's decision time, folks, as the professional tennis teacher finds himself torn between Maria Georgas and Sydney Gordon amidst the Mediterranean charm.
In a tense 2-on-1 date, Joey whisks Sydney away for a chat first — and she doesn't hold back about Maria. She informs Joey that after he left the pool party, Maria attacked her in front of the other girls. The other women tried to defuse the situation, but then Maria allegedly told Lea Cayanan to "shut the f--k up." Hold on, did Maria really say that?!
So, did Maria tell Lea to shut up on 'The Bachelor'?
Sydney continues to level accusations against the Canadian beauty, leaving Joey feeling overwhelmed: "What Sydney said, that just scares me," Joey tells the cameras. Without an ounce of hesitation, he confronts Maria about the alleged directive to Lea to "shut the f--k up."
Maria vehemently denies the accusation, stating, "Absolutely not! I would never say that ... That is just so vulgar." With no evidence of the incident captured on camera, our only recourse is to believe Maria never told Lea to "shut the f--k up." Plus, it's highly unlikely the producers would omit such a significant altercation.
Despite Maria's attempt to stay calm during her conversation with Joey, the tension is palpable. She asks him if he can move past this, and he admits uncertainty. Maria appears fed up with it all — and understandably so!
Maria's been an easy target since the beginning of the season, so when will the girls finally learn to focus their energy on furthering their connections with Joey instead of perpetuating unnecessary drama involving Maria?!
When Sydney and Maria reunite without Joey, Maria calls out the instigator: "You've made up some BS this entire time, but like, I told Lea to shut the f--k up?'" Maria questions. "Yeah, you know we're on camera the entire time, right?"
Maria's observation is astute, wouldn't you agree? However, Sydney maintains her false narrative, even though Maria notes that none of the other ladies seems to share her grievances.
After a dramatic day, Joey joins Maria and Sydney for dinner. He inquires about their feelings regarding a future with him and, ultimately, gives the date rose to... Maria! Let the confetti fly, it's time to celebrate!
"With this rose, it has to do with how I'm feeling," Joey says to Sydney and Maria. "And Sydney, I'm sorry, but I cannot give you this rose." Farewell, Sydney — don't let the door hit you on your way out.
Joey gives the date rose to Maria because he wants her "to know how good I feel around her, how happy she makes me feel," he shares in an on-camera interview. The evening concludes with the couple enjoying the serenade of "Ave Maria." Now, that's pure cinematic romance!
Catch new episodes of The Bachelor on Mondays at 8 p.m. EST on ABC. Stream the next day on Hulu.
