Here's what we know about Tayshia's final four men.
Tayshia Adams is heading to hometowns. Or rather, the hometowns are heading to Tayshia Adams.
This week's episodes of The Bachelorette -- that's right, there are two! -- will see Tayshia connect with her final four men and their family members at La Quinta Resort & Club in Palm Springs, California. Since travel isn't possible due to the coronavirus pandemic, production has arranged for each man to enjoy a special date at the resort... and according to Chris Harrison, it gets pretty emotional.
"These are moms and dads and friends that aren't used to stepping onto our stage and so it was a very vulnerable, almost uncomfortable feeling because they were walking into the lights, the cameras and our moment," he told ET last week. "It's a very different hometowns than you've ever seen before."
"These guys are in deep and it says a lot about her," the host added. "It's only going to get more difficult, more emotional as we go on."
As Tayshia prepares to make her final choice, here's what we know about her final four men:
Ben
HIS BACKGROUND: The Army veteran grew up in the Midwest, and currently lives in Venice, California -- but of course he and Tayshia won't be breaking the Bachelorette bubble to visit on his hometown date. After graduating from the United States Military Academy at West Point and The United States Army Ranger School, Ben suffered a life-changing back injury (more on that later). He's since returned to civilian life, and now works as a personal trainer.
HIS STORY: Ben has opened up to Tayshia on several occasions, revealing on the Dec. 1 episode of the show that he faced a 15-year battle with bulimia. He said he's finally reached a point where he feels comfortable, but Tayshia pushed him to open up even further on the Dec. 8 episode of The Bachelorette, where he then shared that he had two failed suicide attempts in 2018 and 2019. Ben said that his back injury led him to a "dark" place, but credits his sister for getting him through it.
WHAT TAYSHIA HAS SAID: After Ben's vulnerable reveal, Tayshia told the camera she felt like they reached a "breakthrough." "It makes me feel like he trusts me, and it's the breakthrough I think we needed to have to take the next step in our relationship," she shared.
Ivan
HIS BACKGROUND: The aeronautical engineer was born in Chicago, but grew up in Plano, Texas, and now lives in Dallas. He graduated from Texas Tech University in 2015 with a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering, and now works at Lockheed Martin. Ivan is half-Filipino, half-Black, and close to both his parents -- as well as his brother, who spent time in prison. More on that below.
HIS STORY: Ivan and Tayshia connected on a level she hasn't been able to with the other men. The pair got emotional while having a serious conversation about their biracial identities (Tayshia is Black and Mexican), police brutality and the Black Lives Matter movement on the Nov. 24 episode of The Bachelorette. Ivan discussed how his brother's stories about his treatment in jail made George Floyd's death impact him in a different way. He and Tayshia reflected on their upbringings, experience with race and developed a strong bond.
WHAT TAYSHIA HAS SAID: Tayshia said during that episode that Ivan is one of the first people she's spoken with that "really understands" her. Having grown up in Orange County, Tayshia shared that she wasn't surrounded by a lot of people who looked like her or had a similar background, and spent a lot of time trying to blend in. With Ivan, she feels free to be herself, and their connection has grown since.
Zac
HIS BACKGROUND: The addiction specialist is from Haddonfield, New Jersey, and is very close with his family, despite their ups and downs. He played baseball in college and intended to pursue a career in sports, but addiction forced him down a different path. He got married and divorced in his early 20s, and has been candid about his struggles and recovery with Tayshia.
HIS STORY: Zac and Tayshia connected over both having been divorced -- and he's let her know every step of the way that he's serious about their relationship. On the Dec. 1 episode, Zac shared his recovery from a brain tumor at 23, history with addiction, DUI and hitting rock bottom. With over four months in rehab, Zac got clean and is now on the board of that rehab facility. The Dec. 8 episode of the series threatened to but a halt in his relationship with Tayshia as he admitted on the lie detector test to cheating (her deal breaker), but he and Tayshia moved past it when he revealed it was on his sixth grade girlfriend.
WHAT TAYSHIA HAS SAID: Tayshia has often praised Zac's maturity and has been appreciative of his openness about his past struggles. "I knew that there was more to you, because I just sensed it ... there's life that you lived, and I wanted to get to know that," she told him after his addiction reveal. She also called Zac "future husband material" on a recent appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
Brendan
HIS BACKGROUND: The commercial roofer is from Milford, Massachusetts, and recently moved back home after relocating to Los Angeles. Brendan, who lost his dad at a young age, wanted to be closer to his family, especially his nieces and nephews. The 30-year-old played basketball growing up, and later coached boys middle school and junior varsity basketball with his brother. He's also recently divorced.
HIS STORY: Brendan, who earned Tayshia's first one-on-one date on the Nov. 10 episode, was most nervous to tell her about his recent divorce, but it ended up bringing them closer together. Brendan was married in his early 20s to his high school sweetheart, and they just grew apart. She decided she didn't want kids, and he did, so they went their separate ways. Tayshia's split involved infidelity, but she still felt a common bond with Brendan. He's flown a little under the radar since, but their connection was strong enough to get him a hometown date.
WHAT TAYSHIA HAS SAID: Tayshia's instant connection with Brendan had fans worried we could have another Clare Crawley on our hands. "Kissing Brendan feels like I'm kissing my person. I feel really connected to him," Tayshia said on their first one-on-one. "I feel like I could marry him, which is so bizarre. I don't even think I've felt this way ever."
The Bachelorette airs Monday and Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.
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