‘The Bachelorette’: What Michelle Young Is Doing With the $200,000 That ABC Gave Her Post-Breakup
TL;DR:
- Michelle Young and Nayte Olukoya received $200,000 after The Bachelorette Season 18.
- Now that the pair has broken up, Michelle revealed what she might do with the money.
- The Bachelorette leads taking home such a significant sum of money is a bit rare.
The Bachelorette is all about finding the one, but not every match made during the reality show works out after it’s over. Michelle Young, who starred in The Bachelorette Season 18, recently broke things off with Nayte Olukoya. The two were engaged, but they decided to go their separate ways after seeing each other for under a year. And Michelle recently revealed what she plans to do with her share of the $200,000 ABC gave them to start their life together.
Michelle Young and Nayte Olukoya received money to put a down payment on a house
That’s right, ABC gave Michelle Young and Nayte Olukoya $200,000 after The Bachelorette Season 18. With the two getting engaged during The Bachelorette Season 18 finale, the network gifted it to them so they could put it toward a down payment on a house.
Of course, things don’t always work out as anticipated. On June 17, the pair announced on social media that they’d made the decision to end their relationship. In a post shared to Instagram Stories (via Distractify), Michelle addressed the split, admitting it’s been difficult for both parties:
“To those who have supported Nayte and I, including Bachelor Nation, I know I speak for the both of us when saying having a relationship in the public eye has not been easy. I’m struggling to say that Nayte and I will be going our separate ways, but I stand with him in knowing the heaviness that is present in both of our hearts as this relationship has been very real for us.”
During a more recent interview, Michelle also addressed what would become of the $200,000. And although she hasn’t made a final call just yet, it sounds like she has some ideas.
Michelle shares what she and Nayte are planning to do with ‘The Bachelorette’ money
With Michelle Young and Nayte Olukoya breaking it off just ahead of The Bachelorette Season 19, fans may be wondering what will become of the $200,000 ABC gave them.
During an appearance on The Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcast, Michelle suggested she wants to put the money toward a good cause:
“That was money that was gifted to both of us, and I think that’s something that, you know, is going to be decided how that’s going to be utilized going forward. For me, personally, I haven’t officially decided. But I kind of have started putting some different things in place to give back — to build an organization or, you know, just promote the change that I’ve been talking about. I think that would be something that I’d feel really good about.”
We’ll have to wait and see what Michelle decides. However, it sounds like she has admirable intentions moving forward. And it’s not all the time The Bachelorette participants walk away with such a significant sum of money.
Do all ‘Bachelor’ and ‘Bachelorette’ winners win money?
Walking away from The Bachelor or The Bachelorette with $200,000 is an impressive feat in the first place. According to Men’s Health, contestants don’t actually get paid to partake in the reality series.
Per Insider, each season’s lead takes home around $100,000 for starring in that season — but that number can vary depending on negotiations and other factors. Additional money, like the check Michelle and Nayte received, is far from a given.
That said, it’s great to hear it’s going to good use — even if the original intent behind it didn’t pan out. We’ll be waiting to hear more about Michelle’s plans for the future.
And, of course, we’ll be tuning in when The Bachelorette Season 19 debuts on ABC on July 11, 2022.
