Nick Viall On That Kaitlyn Drama: “I’m Not Here To Make Friends”

Nick Viall has a sordid history with The Bachelor franchise. (In fact, he's sort of the MVP of Bachelor scandals.) And the 36-year-old Milwaukee native continues to be polarizing. Just yesterday, he limply defended his actions towards Andi Dorfman by claiming he's just "all about transparency." Today, he's talking Kaitlyn Bristowe — the second bachelorette that rejected him — and his response amounts to: hey, world, I'm not here to make friends. Viall told People that he knew he would cause drama on Bristowe's season. The Bachelorette alum joined the season late, escaping the tedium of the early episodes, and the fellow contestants were not happy. But Viall didn't care. No, he was "fully aware of what coming on late would do." He continues, "But I never came on the show to change anyone’s opinion. I was following my heart. And it’s important for people to know that I’m always going to be who I am, for better or worse." The season 21 bachelor's response recalls some of the most famous reality TV isms: Haters gonna hate. Love me or hate me. He's not here to make friends. It's not America's Next Top Best Friend, you know? And, to be fair, Viall is a reality television star. Those folks tend to be divisive pop culture figures. And spouting trite statements is kind of his job. We can look forward to even more of this stuff on January 2nd!