Since Tayshia Adams took over the Bachelorette title, we’ve gotten to know many more of this season’s contestants. (In other words, men who are not named Dale have actually gotten some screen time.) One new standout is Zac Clark, a 36-year-old addiction specialist from New Jersey.
In episode 5, Zac and Tayshia kissed; a week later, in the midst of the painfully pointless Chasen-Ed debacle, they shared another moment and kissed again. “He has a really good view on life,” Tayshia said. “There’s a lot to Zac, and I think that’s cool.” He also features pretty prominently in the season promo: at one point, he tells Tayshia he’s falling in love with her.
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT
But it was last week’s episode — and the subsequent preview for episode 8 — that really led Bachelor Nation to wonder whether he’s becoming Tayshia’s not-so-secret new frontrunner. After Zac opened up about his thoughts on marriage and relationships (and made out with Tayshia in the hot tub), he nabbed the group date rose. To seal the deal, Tayshia shared in a confessional interview that she felt like she’d known him for awhile, which is pretty much Bachelorette-speak for this person’s not going home anytime soon. And, according to the preview for this week’s episode, Tayshia dresses up in a veil and wedding dress for a one-on-one date with Zac. “This is the beginning of true love,” he says.
According to his official ABC bio, Zac is sober and runs a recovery program with locations in New York City and Westchester. After his own journey in recovery and experience in the field, Zac made it his “life’s work to share the gift of recovery with as many people as possible,” says the program’s website.
Aside from work, he’s a former college athlete and, today, a frequent marathon runner. In one touching post, he explained that he runs the New York City Marathon every year in honor of a friend’s brother, who passed away after struggling with addiction. “The NYC Marathon embodies something that our nation needs more of,” he wrote. “LOVE.” He’s also a “proud sneakerhead,” per his ABC bio (and Instagram Stories).
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT
He's also staying busy today: a few weeks ago, he casually shared on Twitter that he teamed up with quarterback Peyton Manning to help raise nearly $450,000 for an addiction-related nonprofit. Whether he'll end up with Tayshia is still anyone's guess, but The Bachelorette has made it clear he's sticking around a while longer.
Update: This story was originally published on Nov. 17, 2020. It has been changed to reflect recent episodes of The Bachelorette.