Sam McKinney Emerges as the Villain of ‘The Bachelorette’

Sam McKinney made a good first impression with Jenn Tran on The Bachelorette, but that appears to be where the positive feelings end. McKinney has argued with other contestants, made Jenn Tran uncomfortable, and has a couple of former romantic partners speaking out against him. While fans of the series seemed to like McKinney early on, he is emerging as the villain of The Bachelorette this season.

Sam McKinney goes from fan-favorite to the villain on ‘The Bachelorette’

Sam McKinney established himself as a fan favorite early on in The Bachelorette. His sexual chemistry with Jenn Tran is undeniable. But that is pretty much where his appeal ends. The 27-year-old contractor has emerged as the villain of The Bachelorette in recent days, marking a swift and sudden shift.

Things got tense between McKinney and fellow contestant Devin Strader last week. McKinney even suggested he and McKinney could “take it outside.”  He opted to poke fun at Sam Nejad, too. While McKinney insists he’s just there to win the competition, some fans feel he is taking it to a strange place.

The show’s viewers were largely willing to overlook McKinney’s oddly aggressive behavior with fellow contestants. So was Jenn Tran. Can everyone overlook his most recent misstep, though? During the most recent episode of The Bachelorette, McKinney made a decision for Jenn Tran that she didn’t love. Tran and McKinney were on a one-on-one date at an Aukland Skywalk when McKinney decided they would do the more adventurous sky jump. Tran later revealed she was terrified. She explained that she was upset McKinney decided for her without understanding her emotional state. McKinney wasn’t the least bit sorry about the misstep, either.

Sam McKinney’s off-screen behavior has helped dub him the villain of the show

McKinney hasn’t been dubbed the villain of The Bachelorette just for his on-screen behavior, either. Earlier this month, reports emerged that McKinney ended a casual relationship the day he left for The Bachelorette. According to his former partner, she and McKinney met during a night out in Nashville and dated for months before he left for the show. In a TikTok video, his former female companion shared that McKinney blamed his decision to appear on the show on her.

Reality Steve also spoke to McKinney’s former fiance. McKinney opened up about being cheated on by his ex on The Bachelorette. While his ex did say she cheated, she insisted there was more to the story. She didn’t wish to be further involved in the situation but did note that she was not surprised that McKinney used the situation for a sympathy vote.

While it’s unclear if he’s officially the villain of the season, he is well on his way to becoming just that. It is unclear how long McKinney lasts on the series, but spoilers suggest he doesn’t make it to the hometown dates, and he certainly isn’t the competition’s winner.