Nick Viall Clarifies Nuptial Clause in ‘Bachelor’ Contract: ‘Free Wedding Rather Than You Get Paid’

Nick Viall offered insight into how Bachelor franchise weddings are negotiated.

“There’s something in our contracts that we sign where it’s just, like, if they they give a f*** about your relationship and you want to get married on TV, it’s already kind of prearranged in your s***** contract,” Viall, 44, shared during the Thursday, August 14, episode of “The Viall Files” podcast.

He added: “It’s more free wedding rather than you get paid.”

Viall has often shared his Bachelor Nation insight after first appearing as a contestant on ABC’s The Bachelorette in 2014. After ending Andi Dorman’s season as the runner-up, Viall returned one year later to compete for Kaitlyn Bristowe‘s heart — but once again left the final rose ceremony without a fiancée.

Viall had a Bachelor in Paradise stint before finally becoming The Bachelor lead in 2016. He proposed to contestant Vanessa Grimaldi in the season finale but their relationship fizzled out before they made it down the aisle.

The reality star has since found love with Natalie Joy, whom he started dating in 2021. Viall and Joy’s 18-year age gap has often been a topic of conversation.

“We started messaging [online], and I carded her. I wanted to make sure she was a real person,” Viall said about their age difference on a March 2023 episode of “The Squeeze” podcast. “The age at the time, I was very self-conscious about. I was very guarded.”

Joy, 25, recalled realizing that Viall was The One after their first meeting, adding, “I knew after that weekend, I was like, ‘I’m going to spend the rest of my life with this man.’ And I knew it and he didn’t. So I was like, ‘I’m just going to hang on because he’ll come around.’ So I asked him several times to date me.”

The couple got married in 2024 and welcomed their daughter, River, that same year. Before breaking down his contract with ABC, Viall revealed at the beginning of Thursday’s episode that his wife wasn’t cohosting the podcast with him this week after suffering a third miscarriage.

“As you can see, Natalie is not with us. There’s no easy way to talk about this. … Sadly, Natalie experienced another miscarriage,” he said. “It’s her third this year, our third this year. There’s no really good way to say it — it f***ing sucks. She’s obviously at home resting, healing, both physically and emotionally.”

Viall added: “We want to be vulnerable with you guys and, obviously, Natalie is such a big part of the show. My partner in life and on the show, and obviously when she’s not here, people notice, and so we wanted to be open with you guys.”