Did Joe & Michelle Go To The Same College? How They Knew Each Other
On The Bachelorette season 18, the competition for Michelle Young's heart is already off to a contentious start, but Joe Coleman might have a leg up on Michelle's other suitors. Some viewers believe that Joe has an unfair advantage over other contenders after rumors swirled that Michelle had a relationship with the bachelor before the show started filming. From their similar college experiences to Joe ghosting the Bachelorette star, here are facts about how Michelle and Joe know each other.
In The Bachelorette season 18 episode 2, Michelle got word that the group of men was accusing her of having a relationship with Joe before coming on to the reality dating series. Contestant Jamie Skaar told Michelle that the house was abuzz with the allegation that Michelle knew Joe, prompting the teacher to make an announcement denying the hearsay. Although Michelle ensured the batch of men vying her for attention that she met all of them for the first time during the season 18 premiere, not everyone is sold on the Bachelorette's story. After all, Michelle and Joe come from the same state and have attempted to get a romance going in the past. Although all signs might point to a coverup, there's no proof that Michelle and Joe have a secret past.
One reason why Bachelorette season 18 contestants believed that Michelle and Joe knew each other before starring in season 18 was their shared Minnesota roots. Michelle is from St. Louis Park, which is only five miles away from Joe's hometown of Minneapolis, Minnesota. On top of growing up as neighbors, Michelle and Joe were both born in the same year, which means they've had plenty of opportunities to run into each other growing up. A chief suspicion among Bachelor Nation is that Michelle and Joe knew each other in college. However, according to Joe's LinkedIn, the pair never attended the same university. In 2011, Joe attended the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities before transferring to Saint Mary's College of California in 2013. Michelle graduated from Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois, in 2015. Although bachelor Joe and Michelle both played collegiate basketball, there's no indication that they interacted during their college years.
While there may not be any evidence that Michelle and Joe met before starring on The Bachelorette season 18, the pair did know each other prior to embarking on the reality dating competition. Unfortunately for Michelle, their previous relationship was reportedly less scandalous than fans might think. In a scene from The Bachelorette, Michelle has a frank conversation with Joe about their futile first try to spark a connection. Michelle shared that she was surprised to see Joe competing on the show after he ghosted her on social media. Joe clarified, "I had a property in George Floyd Square... and at the time it just caused a lot of anxiety." The new Bachelorette Michelle was understanding about his sudden silence but asserted that he should've told her he wasn't "in a good place" to communicate. Michelle and Joe's conversation shows that they have some issues to overcome moving forward.
Although it might seem like Joe got a head start on winning over Michelle, their history together might actually work against the Minneapolis native. Michelle and Joe grew up within a five-mile radius of one another and were passionate about basketball in college, but they attended separate universities. Additionally, Joe ghosting Michelle has made it difficult for the teacher to trust her fellow Minnesota native. Will Joe have an uphill battle when it comes to winning Michelle's heart on The Bachelorette season 18?
Source: The Bachelorette/YouTube