Looking Back at ‘The Bachelor’s Jake Pavelka 16 Years Later
It’s been more than 16 years since Jake Pavelka was the lead of The Bachelor Season 14, and he reached a major personal milestone in June 2026 by getting married! The woman in his life is nobody from Bachelor Nation, though.
Fans were first introduced to Pavelka on Jillian Harris’ season of The Bachelorette. Despite finishing in seventh place, he became a fan-favorite contestant and was then chosen to lead his own season of The Bachelor.
It was during his tenure as the Bachelor that he became a villain, though, after a breakup that shook the franchise once his season ended. For the most part, he stepped out of the spotlight after that, but recently gave some major updates on his love life.
Scroll down to learn more about Pavelka’s life today, including updates on his relationship status and
What does Jake Pavelka do today?
It appears that Pavelka, a former pilot, is no longer flying full-time. He was an Atlantic Southeast Airlines pilot for 17 years, according to his LinkedIn.
After his stint on The Bachelor, he also tried to dance his way to the top on Dancing with the Stars and placed seventh. He’s tried his hand at other ventures, like being a guest star on The Bold and the Beautiful and as the CEO of RR Environmental Group. He’s currently the COO of The Destination Channel, a travel and leisure destination production firm. The 40-year-old lives in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
Who did Jake choose on The Bachelor?
Pavelka proposed to his winner Vienna Girardi during The Bachelor Season 14 finale, and she accepted. Sadly, these two didn’t last long. Instead of preparing for marriage, they broke things off months later in June 2010.
In a shocking Bachelorette episode special, Pavelka and Girardi sat down for an interview to discuss their relationship. After Pavelka kept commenting on how Girardi was interrupting him, a tearful Girardi stormed off and said, “You are the biggest liar I’ve ever met in my life.”
Girardi got engaged to Todd Allen in 2016, but their relationship didn’t last. The next year, she tragically lost her twin girls while 18 weeks pregnant. She nearly died after emergency surgery. She went on to welcome a son, Enzo, in 2021.
Is Jake Pavelka in a relationship now?
Yes, Pavelka is married! He tied the knot with his partner Aimee, whom he first met on Bumble in 2024. The couple said “I do” on June 7 in California. “I wasn’t sure I would get married, and then I found Aimee,” Pavelka told People. “It almost doesn’t seem real. There’s a sense of peace and certainty that comes with knowing I get to spend my life with my best friend.”
The couple announced their engagement in February 2026, with the former pilot telling People that he actually proposed in November 2025. Pavelka popped the question at the home he and Aimee share in Dallas, Texas.
Pavelka’s matched with Aimee, who works in aerospace and defense contracts, on Bumble while he was in Santa Barbara for a flight layover. “She was living in Los Angeles,” he explained. “I was very, very intrigued, I’ll tell you that.”
He previously revealed on the Almost Famous podcast in October 2024. “I said, ‘I’m not looking for a long-distance relationship,’ and she said something kind of fun, like, ‘Well, you couldn’t handle it anyway.’ I was like, ‘Oh, OK. This is probably the girl.’ She’s so wonderful.”
The couple wound up meeting up in Las Vegas for their first date about a week or two after matching on the dating app. Aimee was not familiar with his stint on The Bachelor or Dancing With the Stars.
“I’m 48 years old. I wasn’t sure if I was ever going to get married,” Pavelka admitted. “You hear people talk about marriage being the best decision that they ever made, and I can clearly see it. I see exactly what they’re talking about. It’s very simple: Aimee makes me better as a person. She brings perspective and balance.”
