No matter how bizarrely mature you think your relationship with your ex, or maybe even your ex and their new partner is, I promise I just found a clip that has you beat. Haley and Emily Ferguson, aka The Bachelor twins, have a poster of Ben Higgins in their living room — and Ben and his fiancée Lauren Bushnell not only know about it, they're apparently perfectly fine with it. So fine with it that the giant photo doesn't even get mentioned during the video tour of the Ferguson twins' new home in Los Angeles. It was already impressive to me how close Bushnell remained with many of her fellow contestants from Ben's' season of The Bachelor, like the twins and Amanda Stanton. But this really takes things to another level. Let's go back.
As you might recall from their season, Haley and Emily lived at home with their parents in Las Vegas through filming of The Bachelor; Ben visited them there during an episode. That living situation apparently continued beyond the show, because the twins are just now moving out on their own. They invited People in to take a look at their new space, and Lauren and Ben were in attendance partly because Bushnell actually helped with some of the design elements in the new location. And, you know, partly because they all have shows on the same channel, since The Twins: Happily Ever After? just joined Ben & Lauren: Happily Ever After? on Freeform.
At least, that's what I was told right before the camera very casually panned over a life-size poster in the twins' living room of a smiling Ben Higgins holding out a single rose. You know, just like he did to all three of the women present in the apartment during the above clip, when they were competing against each other for his heart during Season 20 of The Bachelor. No big deal.
I mean, I guess once you date the same person as your identical twin sister on national television, your tolerance for romantic weirdness goes way up. But I am curious to know how Lauren Bushnell is feeling during all of this. It's one thing to remain close with women you met and bonded with during filming, because that's an extremely unique situation that brings people together. But I feel like it takes things to a whole 'nother level when there's still a big ol' photo of your ex in their house that you helped decorate. Take a look.
Sure, the twins say they're happily dating, and everyone looks pretty relaxed and at ease during the above video, but I truly can't get over how bizarre this is. There's not one single word about how odd it is that Ben Higgins is reaching out of the wall, inviting anyone who passes to accept this rose, just like he did all during his season when he was kissing on other women.
I guess the poster makes sense as a way to remember an experience like The Bachelor, but the post-show dynamic between the twins, Lauren, and Ben still jars me every time.
Check out the video over at People.
