‘The Bachelor’ special: Gia Allemand remembered by past contestants, family

While the majority of “The Bachelor” special on Sunday night was geared around the upcoming season starring Juan Pablo Galavis, the show did tastefully choose to spend a few minutes reflecting on the loss of one of their own in Gia Allemand.

If you missed some of the headlines last year, the former Jake Pavelka suitor and two-time “Bachelor Pad” cast member passed away in what was a reported suicide. The show remembered her as a kind, loving person who really made an impact to touch the lives of those close to her, and prove that there was so much more than met the eye beyond a contestant on a reality show. Some of the past contestants who spent a few minutes talking about her included Jackie Gordon, Jaclyn Swartz, and Ames Brown.

One person who was noticeably absent from the interview portion was Pavelka, and we say this more as someone who was a close friend to her rather than someone who was a part of her life during “The Bachelor” itself. She stood up for him many times on “Bachelor Pad” after he rejected her romantically, and the two remained close in the years leading up to her passing. While her suicide was acknowledged by her mother, it was not done in a way that felt exploitative at all.  The nice thing about this special ultimately was that it remembered Gia fondly, and it showed that this is a show where the past contestants are really loved are cared for more than just pawns playing a part for our entertainment.

Gia was in a relationship with New Orleans Pelicans player Ryan Anderson at the time of her death, and to many in the public, it did feel like she was close to having that happy ending that so many wanted for her.