Does Cam Ayala Get a "Pity Rose" on Hannah's Season of 'The Bachelorette'?

So one of the more...quirky bachelors on Hannah Brown's Bachelorette season is Cam Ayala. He's the guy who has rapped a lot and let everyone know many, many times the mantra that he lives by: ABC, or always be Cam. In the promo for next episode, there's a much-talked scene with him, a.k.a. the "pity rose." What in the world could that be?

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So one of the more...quirky (read: kinda annoying) bachelors on Hannah Brown's Bachelorette season is Cam Ayala. He's the guy who has rapped more than once in just two episodes, in addition to letting everyone know (many, many times) that the mantra he lives by is ABC, or Always Be Cam. He's also the one that a lot of the bachelors don't like, primarily because he crashed a group date that wasn't his. In the promo for the third episode, there's a much-talked scene with him, a.k.a. the "pity rose." What in the world could that be?

So, for context, we know that Cam has lymphedema, from his social media post from December of 2018. In a nutshell, it's a rare, understudied condition that mean Cam has had to endure a lot of treatment in his young life and almost had to have limbs amputated.

"The experts at Boston Children’s Hospital performed a diagnostic procedure that saved my leg from being amputated in Dec. 2016," he explained via Instagram. Among other things, Cam chose to share his story because, among other things, "Empathy and Sympathy are great but you ARE NOT entitled to them." He also said, "NEVER be ashamed of your story, it’s yours, and not everyone will understand nor is it your obligation to make them." This is probably a hint about what's coming.

Here's the preview, in which the other bachelors get irritated:

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Reality Steve says that it is this condition, lymphedema, that Cam explained to Hannah, and that it's what's driving the bachelors crazy in this clip.

Spoiler alert for potential events of The Bachelorette episode 3:

According to Reality Steve, the whole drama is enough to get Cam sent home before the rose ceremony even takes place. I'm noticing a trend in Hannah's season, mainly that if someone displeases her, he'll get sent packing right away.

What's interesting is how this all goes down—how does a bachelor's illness end up causing so much drama? (A note: I'm certainly not begrudging anyone their personal story or the manner in which they choose to tell it.) The sharing of personal stories is not unheard of on the Bachelor franchise, so I wonder if the way he told it (or maybe he bragged about it after?) is the true sticking point? Either way, it'll be interesting TV to watch the guy who has led with huge levels of confidence go home much, much earlier than he likely anticipated.

Update: So, Mike spoke to Hannah about the "pity rose," rephrasing Cam's words a little bit (at least, the words we saw him speak on camera.) Cam did make it to the final rose ceremony of episode 3, but Hannah was super mad, and absolutely did not give him a rose. And he was upset and super-irritated about the situation.

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Katherine J. Igoe
Contributing Editor

Katherine’s a contributing syndications editor at Marie Claire who covers fashion, culture, and lifestyle. In her role, she writes stories that are syndicated by MSN and other outlets. She’s been a full-time freelancer for over a decade and has had roles with Cosmopolitan (where she covered lifestyle, culture, and fashion SEO content) and Bustle (where she was their movies and culture writer). She has bylines in New York TimesParentsInStyle, Refinery29, and elsewhere. Her work has also been syndicated by ELLEHarper’s BazaarSeventeenGood Housekeeping, and Women’s Health, among others. In addition to her stories reaching millions of readers, content she's written and edited has qualified for a Bell Ringer Award and received a Communicator Award. 

Katherine has a BA in English and art history from the University of Notre Dame and an MA in art business from the Sotheby's Institute of Art (with a focus on marketing/communications). She covers a wide breadth of topics: she's written about how to find the very best petite jeanshow sustainable travel has found its footing on Instagram, and what it's like to be a professional advice-giver in the modern world. Her personal essays have run the gamut from learning to dress as a queer woman to navigating food allergies as a mom. She also has deep knowledge of SEO/EATT, affiliate revenue, commerce, and social media; she regularly edits the work of other writers. She speaks at writing-related events and podcasts about freelancing and journalism, mentors students and other new writers, and consults on coursework. Currently, Katherine lives in Boston with her husband and two kids, and you can follow her on Instagram. If you're wondering about her last name, it’s “I go to dinner,” not “Her huge ego,” but she responds to both.