Bachelor: Michael Garofola Punched By A Man Refusing To Wear A Mask
The Bachelorette star Michael Garofola is pressing charges against a man who allegedly punched him after being asked to wear a mask. Bachelor Nation got to meet Michael on The Bachelorette season 9. At the time, he was 33 years old and worked as a federal prosecutor in Lindenhurst, New York. Michael was vying for Desiree Hartsock's heart on the show, but she eliminated him in week 7. He then came back to the franchise on Bachelor In Paradise season 2 but was sent home in week 2. Still, Michael has managed to keep himself being remembered by Bachelor Nation over the years.
In 2020, Michael took the time to celebrate the news that Clare Crawley would become the lead of The Bachelorette season 16. Michael and Clare met while filming season 2 of Bachelor In Paradise and have stayed in touch in the subsequent years. Despite the fact that his last appearance on a Bachelor series was back in 2015, Michael is still a pretty relevant name within the fandom. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many Bachelor Nation stars have been vocal about following health and safety guidelines and promoting that kind of behavior through their social media platforms. However, it seems as though someone didn't appreciate Michael's input out in the real world.
On Sunday, January 10, The Bachelorette alum Michael Garafola shared a video of a man who was angrily charging toward him in a parking garage. Michael wrote the following in the Instagram Story (seen in full below), "Tonight, I was assaulted by this unhinged security guard (punched in the head and had my phone smashed) in the parking garage of my building after asking him to wear a mask indoors while on duty. He went off about 'the Jews and a Marxist agenda.' I'm pressing charges." Michael also geo-tagged his residential building, AMLI Marina Del Rey, in the post.
The year 2020 - and now 2021 as well - has been a significant turning point for Bachelor Nation contestants to be more vocal about and active in the country's political discourse. For many years, the series steered away from politics so that it didn't alienate any segment of its audience. Moreover, it was always argued that a show about finding love shouldn't concern itself with political views and controversial topics. But this has been changing with the latest editions of The Bachelorette and The Bachelor, both of which have slightly pushed the franchise forward when it comes to embracing social issues.
Michael also shared some DMs that he received of fans siding with the maskless man, saying that Michael shouldn't have said anything. The Bachelorette star called those followers "idiots."
The Bachelor season 25 airs Mondays at 8 pm ET/PT on ABC.
Sources: Michael Garofola's Instagram