Entertainment

'Big Brother' Star Paulie Calafiore Is Dating Your Fave 'Bachelor' Contestant

by Jordan Lauf
MTV

There is no shortage of reality shows that feature attractive singles frolicking together on the beach. And, on the surface, MTV's newest reality show, Ex on the Beach, might seem like any other dating show. But these reality stars, who originally appeared on shows like Vanderpump Rules and The Bachelor, are going to have their paradise spoiled when their exes turn up to join the party. One of the participants on this new show? Big Brother star Paulie Calafiore. Like everyone else on the show, he's very reluctant to confront his ex-girlfriend. But it turns out that, after Ex on the Beach, Paulie Calafiore isn't single anymore. Post-show he is dating Danielle Maltby (of Bachelor in Paradise fame), and Ex on the Beach might have brought them together.

The couple first went public with their relationship on Instagram, when Danielle, who has appeared both on The Bachelor and Bachelor in Paradise, posted an Instagram of polaroid pictures taken of Paulie and Danielle at a wedding the couple attended. Since then, both halves of this reality TV couple have posted a ton of pictures of each other on social media, and they seem really happy together. Danielle's Bachelor franchise pals have been super supportive of the relationship, and even her almost-boyfriend, Wells Adams, commented on the pic, "This makes me very happy!!!!" So it seems that Paulie and Danielle's friends have nothing but nice things to say about the new couple.

But for fans of reality TV, the couple might seem like a bit of an odd match. Paulie, a former professional soccer player turned New Jersey DJ, gained his claim to fame during his time as a contestant on Big Brother. Though he was not the winner, Paulie had control of the house for a while. But Paulie quickly garnered hate from fans and fellow houseguests due to his insensitive comments about women . He continuously proclaimed his hatred for "Jersey girls" and even shared details about his alleged sexual encounters with co-competitor Zakiyah after she had already been eliminated. Suffice it to say that most fans of the show were not the biggest supporters of Paulie.

This behavior makes it all the more surprising that he's ended up with Danielle, who distinguished herself on Nick Viall's season of The Bachelor and on Bachelor in Paradise for her level-headedness, sweet temperament, and desire to give back to her community. After all, this is the woman who left Bachelor in Paradise to do pediatric volunteer work in Africa. So it's a little surprising that she and Paulie have found love together, to say the least.

But the pair do seem to be very happy together. And Paulie seems to have some awareness that reality fans might be surprised to see them together. "I was a little worried about [making the relationship public] because I knew people would have very strong opinions about me dating such a sweet, sweetheart," Paulie told E! News in an interview about Danielle. "We totally wanted to do it our way. We wanted to enjoy it because we are definitely a little crazy about each other."

Danielle only had glowing words for her new boyfriend. "We're just unapologetically ourselves. We just have a lot of fun together. We goof around, we laugh, we play," she said in the same E! interview. "I've never found someone in my life that I've been able to just completely be my goofy, weird 100 percent self with."

An anonymous source claimed to E! News that Danielle and Paulie were set up by their publicist, but there may have been another way the couple could have been introduced. Paulie was on MTV's Ex on the Beach with Danielle's fellow Bachelor Nation family members, Jasmine and Chase. It's quite possible that the two started running in the same circle of friends after Ex on the Beach wrapped.

It will be interesting to see how Paulie will behave during his time on Ex on the Beach, which premieres at 9 p.m. ET on Thursday, April 19 on MTV. Most of the contestants do not react well to having their exes crash their single's paradise, and it stands to reason that Paulie will be no exception.

But everyone makes mistakes, and people really can change it seems. Maybe now that Paulie has met Danielle, he is ready to settle down, treat women with respect, and be worthy of her love.

But if it doesn't work out, Danielle, you can always see if Wells is down for a second try.