‘The Bachelor’ Season 21 Refresh: Who Did Nick Viall Pick & Are They Still Together?
It’s officially been nine years since Nick Viall‘s season of The Bachelor premiered on ABC. Heading into Season 21, Viall already had a long history with the franchise. He was the runner-up on Seasons 10 and 11 of The Bachelorette with Andi Dorfman and Kaitlyn Bristowe, respectively, and then appeared on Season 3 of Bachelor in Paradise.
It wasn’t until his own run on The Bachelor that Viall finally left one of the franchise’s dating shows engaged. He proposed to his final pick in Finland.
On the nine-year anniversary of The Bachelor Season 21 premiere, scroll down for a refresh on what happened and what Viall is up to now.
Who did Nick Viall pick on The Bachelor?
Viall picked Vanessa Grimaldi on The Bachelor and proposed to her at the final rose ceremony. At the time of the engagement, he was 36 years old, and she was 29.
After The Bachelor finale, Viall became a contestant on Season 24 of Dancing With the Stars in March 2017. Grimaldi was a regular fixture in the audience and at his rehearsals throughout the season, where he finished in sixth place.
However, despite getting engaged in a short timespan, Viall and Grimaldi made it clear they were not rushing down the aisle. “We still have things to figure out, but we’re very optimistic about what the future holds,” they explained.
Are Nick Viall and Vanessa Grimaldi still together?
No, Viall and Grimaldi split in August 2017, just five months after going public with their relationship.
In 2020, the exes reunited on Viall’s Patreon and opened up about why they ended things. “I don’t think you really ever understood how I felt, and I don’t think I ever really understood how you felt,” she explained.
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They both agreed that they gave it their all to make the relationship work, but ultimately, they weren’t a fit. “If the speed of how your driving is equal to the effort you’re putting in, we were both going 100 miles per hour, but we were both going at opposite directions at one another and it eventually just crashed and exploded,” Viall shared.
The reality stars also said that they were very different and the only similarities they had were “bad” qualities, such as stubbornness. “We were two puzzle pieces that just didn’t fit,” Grimaldi confirmed.
The special education teacher had previously told People that distance wasn’t a factor in the relationship. “Both Nick and I decided together, with our families’ support, that I would put my teaching career on hold and uproot my life to Los Angeles to support him on Dancing with the Stars and build a life together,” she revealed.
Who was Nick Viall’s runner-up on The Bachelor?
Viall’s runner-up was Raven Gates. When he dumped her at the final rose ceremony, he explained, “I think about every moment that we’ve had and how much I’ve grown to care about you, respect you, and how much love I have for you. Thinking about it last night and this morning … I just don’t know if I’m in love. I know that my heart is somewhere else. All I could think about this morning, when I figured out where my heart was, was just how much I loved being next to you last night. It just made it that much harder, and I’m torn up inside letting you go.”
Other notable contestants from his season include Rachel Lindsay, who finished in third place and went on to become The Bachelorette lead, and fourth place finisher Corinne Olympios.
Kristina Schulman, Danielle Maltby, Taylor Nolan, Alexis Waters, Whitney Fransway, Jasmine Goode, and Astrid Loch were also all on Viall’s season.
Is Nick Viall married now?
Yes, Viall is now married to Natalie Joy. They tied the knot in April 2024, just weeks after welcoming their first child, a daughter named River.
Viall and Joy have openly spoken about wanting to expand their family. In August 2025, she announced that she had her third miscarriage.
Meanwhile, Grimaldi has been married to John Wolfe since 2021. They have a son named Winston.
