Courtney Robertson's Surprising Connection with Brayden Bowers Unveiled: Inside the Epic Transformation of the 'Bachelor' Villain

Courtney Robertson knows a thing or two about being labeled a Bachelor “villain” — but she actually uses her powers for good.

The winner of The Bachelor season 16 joined We's podcast "Here for the Right Reasons" to discuss week 5 of Charity Lawson's Bachelorette journey. She shared that she reached out to Brayden Bowers, who was eliminated after being portrayed as the villain for several weeks.

Courtney expressed her disagreement with the comparison between Brayden and Chad Johnson from JoJo Fletcher's season. She believed that Chad, although incidents occurred after his season, was also naive to the show and its process. As for the evolution of villains on the show, Courtney stated that it's like the story unfolds naturally. The guys had a strong dislike for Brayden, and once that narrative is in motion, it becomes difficult to change it.

Courtney, known for her controversial reputation on the show and for ultimately accepting a proposal from Ben Flajnik in 2012, reminisced about her fellow contestants attacking her during that time.

"From the very beginning, when I mentioned that I was a model, it seemed like they had it out for me," she revealed. "They didn't approve of me, and while I can't solely blame that, because I did make some sarcastic remarks, it was clear that they all had a problem with Brayden. Personally, I didn't think he was behaving terribly, especially considering what I had been through."

Brayden faced criticism for openly questioning The Bachelorette's process, which he confessed to Charity. According to Courtney, the lead of season 27 felt somewhat dismissed by Brayden.

Courtney Robertson and Brayden Bowers' initial exit appeared reasonable to me. It was clear that the other guys, especially Aaron B., had a strong issue with him. However, what Aaron B. was saying to Charity was similar to what Brayden was telling her. So, it wasn't like Brayden was a completely different person. That's why I think that argument fell flat," Courtney explained. She later mentioned that Aaron B. tended to complain too much. "But when it comes to other villains, I think some people come on these seasons wanting to be the villain or exaggerating that role. I feel sorry for them because I didn't go into it thinking, 'I'm going to be the villain,' and if I were in that position in today's era, the backlash and comments would be much harder for me."

Courtney is not only cheering for Brayden to secure a place on Bachelor in Paradise, but also hoping he will join Courtney on her recently relaunched "After Reality" podcast. This podcast has already welcomed renowned guests like Shawn Booth and DeAnna Pappas. Moreover, Courtney wishes for Charity to find true happiness with Dotun Olubeko, while also anticipating Joey Graziade as the new Bachelor. To get a detailed recap of week 5 of Charity's journey, along with updates on Courtney's life with her husband Humberto Preciado and their two children, make sure to tune in to We's "Here for the Right Reasons" podcast.