Kelly Ripa Has a Theory About ‘Bachelor’ Contestant Bekah M.’s Missing Person Saga
We thought the biggest shock Bekah Martinez was going to deliver on this season of The Bachelor was that whole hyped-up age reveal. But late last week, news broke that the season 22 contestant had been mistakenly listed as a missing person in California — which has led to some interesting theories from viewers, including Kelly Ripa.
The whole thing turned out to be a miscommunication. Martinez’s mom, who reported her missing, made contact with her on the day she filed the report, but because the sheriff’s office wasn’t able to get in touch with her directly, her case remained open. That is, until the North Coast JournalFacebook page posted a story about missing people in Humboldt County, California, and fans recognized Bekah M. in one of the pictures. The reality TV star quickly explained the entire misunderstanding with a tweet, joking, “MOM. how many times do I have to tell you I don’t get cell service on The Bachelor??”
While the California Attorney General website has since removed the missing person entry for Bekah Helena Martinez, the matter isn’t quite closed when it comes to Bachelor fans.
“Now, there was news over the weekend that Bekah was on a missing persons list and was found because she was on The Bachelor,” Ryan Seacrest told Arie Luyendyk Jr. when the season 22 star stopped by Live With Kelly and Ryan during their first show at the Atlantis Paradise Island Resort in the Bahamas.
The former race car driver decided that the whole situation was really a good learning opportunity for all of us. “I think the PSA for that is, call your parents,” he quipped.
However, Ripa was a little suspicious of the saga and had a theory about what really went down, saying, “Bekah is the girl you choose [at the end of this season]. Wanna know why I have this theory? Because she went into lockdown. … I know the deal. The dealio is, when you choose a bachelorette, she has to go underground. She went so deep underground, her mom thought she was a missing person.”
See Luyendyk’s reaction to that suggestion in the video below and decide for yourself if you think Bekah went into lockdown to hide that she’s happily engaged.
What do you think of Kelly Ripa’s theory? Let us know @BritandCo!
(photos via Santiago Felipe/Getty Images for VH1 & Logo Communications + ABC/Craig Sjodin)