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After an explosive premiere, the leading man of The Bachelor season 28, Joey Graziadei, went on his first one-on-one date in episode 2, released on Monday, January 29. Stakes were high as the ladies played a game of musical chairs to get the first dance with Joey.
His one-on-one helicopter date with Daisy was a segment of personal revelation. Meanwhile, bagging the chance to go on a group date was a challenge for the ladies as they competed in a boot camp. However, what stole the limelight in the episode was the beef between Madina and Maria.
At one point, Madina, 31, expressed feeling insecure about her age and being one of the oldest women in the mansion. Maria, 29, told another contestant that age shouldn't be a matter of concern to Madina. When Sydney, 28, overheard Maria's conversation, she snitched it to back Madina, claiming Maria was likely "condescending" and "belittling" the 31-year-old.
The 29-year-old said in defense:
"I don’t think I’m old."
The argument has left The Bachelor fans divided. One user @liljulsie wrote on X:
"I’m with Maria on this one lmao. That 'I’m old too' comment was NOT that serious. I’m in my late 20s and I make jokes all the time about being 'old.'"
What went wrong between Maria and Madina on The Bachelor season 28?
At the cocktail party, Maria asked Madina why seemed upset worrying this drama could hurt her relationship with Joey. She demanded an explanation of why her "I don't think I'm old" comment irritated her. Madina, who was prepping for her picnic date with Joey at the time, was disappointed that Maria made it look like her insecurity about age wasn't "valid" and asked her to leave.
Maria, 29, believes Madina's age wouldn't impact Joey's choosing factor. She added:
"Her age being a problem it hurt, I feel for her because I want her to own it. Maria said. For this to be a conversation is crazy. Do we not all agree this is a little nuts?”
The Kleiburg native also told the cameras:
"That was probably the dumbest fight in Bachelor history.”
A section of The Bachelor fans side with Maria
A barrage of viewers on X believed that Maria did not say anything about Madina. Conversely, some said that Madina was the one taking advantage of "ageism". The Bachelor fans appreciated Maria for not only confronting the problem head-on but also winning the conversation.
Another section said it was "too much Maria"
The drama unfolding in episode 2 was "too much" for a few viewers who called out the 29-year-old for being "desperate." One fan thought her original comment wasn't as problematic as her reaction to the whole situation. Many got the "villain" vibes from Maria and predicted she'd be seen as an antagonist in the season.
A few also noted how Maria doesn't let others talk while addressing a problem. For some, she came across as "irrationally angry" and arrogant.
New episode of The Bachelor season 28 will arrive on ABC at 8 pm ET on Monday, February 5. Viewers can stream the episodes on Hulu, the next day. Additionally, The Bachelor season 28 is also available to watch on a series of streaming platforms including DirectTV Stream, YouTube TB, fuboTV, and Sling TV.
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