The Bachelor: Signs Joey And Kelsey's Relationship Is One Big Publicity Stunt

The Bachelor season 28 ended with Joey Graziadei and Kelsey Anderson getting engaged, but could their relationship be one big publicity stunt? 28-year-old tennis professional Joey Graziadei made his television debut during Charity Lawson's season of The Bachelorette. Joey made it to Charity's final two, but she gave her final rose to Dotun Olubeko, sending a devastated Joey home with a broken heart. They say that when one door closes, another opens, and that's how things worked out for Joey. He wasn't lucky enough to win Charity's heart, but he got a second chance when as The Bachelor.

The Bachelor season 28 kicked off with Joey embarking on his journey along with 32 single young women hoping to win his love. This was a record number of women to compete on a Bachelor franchise show. Among the women was 26-year-old Kelsey Anderson, a junior project manager from New Orleans, Louisiana. From the moment she stepped out of the limousine outside the Bachelor mansion on night one, Joey was smitten with the wild-haired beauty. The season ends with the pair getting engaged, but their relationship sometimes feels more like a business venture than a love story.

Joey & Kelsey Haven't Set A Date

A Long Engagement

Joey and Kelsey got engaged in November 2023, which is when The Bachelor season 28 wrapped production. That means it's been almost a full year since Joey put a ring on Kelsey's finger, and the couple have yet to set a date. Kelsey and Joey have addressed the delay, citing they both have a lot going on and don't want to add the pressure of planning a wedding to the mix. They recently said they would set a date within the next six months and expect to have a wedding within the next two years.

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Part of the problem seems to be about location. Joey lived in Hawaii before becoming The Bachelor, while Kelsey lived in New Orleans, Louisiana. At this point, they don't seem to know where they'll live, even entertaining the possibility of moving to New York. When they first left The Bachelor 28, they moved into Kelsey's place, which she shared with multiple women.

Maybe Joey and Kelsey are prolonging their wedding because they're just taking their time to get to know each other better, but it's also possible they're dragging out their engagement for publicity reasons. Their drawn-out engagement has been a subject of much speculation, and Joey and Kelsey may want to keep people talking. This is just one of several signs The Bachelor season 28 couple's relationship is more about career advancement than true love.

Joey & Kelsey Are Public Figures

Custom image by César García

Though Joey and Kelsey appear to be the perfect couple, deeply in love, The Bachelor season 28 stars are playing with fire by being too online. With their relationship still so new, they should be focused on strengthening their connection, instead of growing their influencer careers. Joey and Kelsey are very different from the people who joined the cast of The Bachelor season 28.

These days, Joey's competing on Dancing With The Stars, with Kelsey at his side every step of the way. They're both living in Los Angeles while Joey is on the show. Though Dancing With The Stars doesn't offer a grand prize, it does pay its celebrity contestants a salary, so it's technically Joey's job. Though The Bachelor season 28 ended a long time ago, Joey and Kelsey have skillfully used their relationship to stay relevant. It's possible that they love each other, but there's no question that they love fame as well.

They're Prominent Influencers

Popular Instagram & TikTok Accounts

Before The Bachelor franchise knocked on their doors, Joey was a tennis professional and Kelsey worked in an office, and now they're prominent lifestyle influencers with a massive social media following. Kelsey currently has 759K Instagram followers and 549.7K TikTok followers, while Joey is no slouch at 879K Instagram followers and 342.8K TikTok followers.

While Joey strutted his stuff on DWTS, Kelsey walked in a fashion show recently, and The Bachelor season 28 star posted footage of the glamorous event on Instagram. In the clip, she wore a stunning light lilac gown fit for a princess and walked the catwalk with her signature mane of hair flowing about her shoulders. "September was a dream," read Kelsey's caption. "One of the highlights was definitely walking in the Sherri Hill fashion show." Joey and Kelsey are making the most of being in a famous relationship.

Is Their Relationship Real?

It's Complicated

Custom Image by César García

Joey and Kelsey taking full advantage of all the opportunities awarded to them for being on The Bachelor 28 doesn't mean their relationship isn't real. Despite all the rampant internet speculation about their relationship, they seem to be a happy couple doing the best they can to make it work. Though it's disappointing they haven't set a wedding date, perhaps they're being wise taking their time.

Bachelor franchise shows have been known to end in heartbreak. Most recently, The Golden Bachelor season 1 concluded with a hastily rushed wedding between 72-year-old Gerry Turner and 70-year-old Theresa Nist, which ended in divorce after only three months of marriage. After watching that debacle, maybe The Bachelor's Joey and Kelsey are being smart by waiting until they're ready.

Source: Kelsey Anderson/Instagram

The Bachelor - Season 28