Abuse, Divorce & Nasty Feuds: 'The Bachelor' Creator Mike Fleiss' Secrets & Scandals Exposed
June 15 2020, Updated 3:16 p.m. ET
Mike Fleiss created The Bachelor and The Bachelorette to help single men and women find love. But the producer didn't find his own happily ever after, as he has been through two divorces.
He is currently in the middle of a divorce with second wife Laura Kaeppeler, who is currently pregnant with their second child. She accused him of emotional and verbal abuse. He allegedly claimed she was "lazy and incapable" and would end up "fat and single in Kenosha, Wisconsin."
He was even hit with a domestic violence restraining order for allegedly attacking her when he confronted her about not getting an abortion.
"While we were at our house in Kauai, Mike demanded that I get an abortion," she claimed in court papers. "Our son Ben was in the house, seated in another room nearby. Mike told me, 'If you have an abortion, then we can just go back to the way we were.'"
She continued, "Mike told me many times that he did not want us to have a second child. He also repeatedly told me throughout our marriage, and prior to our marriage, that he knew he would 'have to have' one child with me because I was 26-years-old when we got married, did not yet have any children, and he knew I wanted to have a family. Mike, however, being 55-years old, did not want to have more than one child together."
Fleiss fired back, claiming she actually attacked him and has disappeared with their son. He also wanted to see her phone to make sure she was "not having an affair and that the baby she was carrying was his."
But the scandals surrounding Fleiss don't end there, as he has been accused of discrimination in a bombshell lawsuit. He has also been slammed by multiple celebrities throughout the years, including Khloe Kardashian.
Scroll down RadarOnline.com's gallery for exclusive details on The Bachelor creator's most shocking scandals.
First Marriage
Fleiss' marriage to Kaeppeler wasn't his first. In court papers exclusively obtained from Stanley Mosk Courthouse, he filed for divorce from first wife Alexandra Vorbeck in September 2011, citing irreconcilable differences. In her response, she requested the court terminate his right to spousal support. The couple, who married on August 8, 1987, welcomed one daughter together during the course of their marriage.
End Of The Relationship
The parties agreed to a marital settlement agreement.
Charged
In 2014, Fleiss was charged with disturbing the peace after getting into a fight with neighbors Brooke Burke and David Charvet. He was accused of putting a speaker that blared the sound of dogs barking in the direction of Burke and Charvet's home at 3am. The case was dismissed in 2015.
Don’t Mess With The Kardashians!
After Khloe Kardashian's split from baby daddy Tristan Thompson following his cheating scandals, Fleiss responded to rumors that she is the next Bachelorette. "Any decision regarding @khloekardashian as the new #TheBachelorette will need to be approved by my dear friend @KrisJenner," he wrote, adding, "I have already been in contact with my dear friend @KrisJenner about @Khloekardashian as #TheBachelorette. Stay tuned!" Sister Kim denied the claims, as she posted screen shots of their mom denying speaking with Fleiss. Khloe then went off on Fleiss! "I'm not f**king clickbait right now," she wrote. "Stop or you will be hearing from my lawyers. How insensitive!!"
DWTS Drama
The Bachelor's Nick Viall was chosen to be on Dancing with the Stars. The decision didn't sit well with former Bachelorette Kaitlyn Bristowe. "Actually I was offered it, had the contract & Mike Fleiss told them I wasn't allowed. He said he didn't want people wanting fame after his show," she tweeted. When he responded that he has her "total support," she replied, "Thanks I'll get right on that opportunity 2 yrs ago. I wonder what changed your mind?"
Same Network Feud!
On Live With Kelly and Ryan, co-host Kelly Ripa slammed the "gross" show. "And I thought that I was disgusted because I couldn't understand the idea of 25 exceptional women fighting over one ordinary fella, in my opinion. Do you know how I feel, ladies?" she asked viewers. "We are too special to be arguing over a guy." Fleiss responded, "Easy, @KellyRipa… #TheBachelor franchise pays your salary!"
Two Against One
Grey's Anatomy star Ellen Pompeo chimed in by tweeting, "Okay @fleissmeister... that's some handle bro! Your show does NOT pay @KellyRipa salary. Also we don't attack successful women on our network and men certainly cannot take credit for their success. Don't get me started on your show cuz I'm a savage.... #bachelorsoooowhite."
Discrimination Lawsuit
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In April 2012, a class action lawsuit was filed against Fleiss and ABC for the "intentional exclusion of people of color from the lead role on ABC's popular television shows The Bachelor and The Bachelorette." The court filing read, "Never, over 10 years and a combined total of 23 seasons of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, has either show ever featured a single person of color—whether African American, Latino, Asian, or any other minority race or ethnicity—in the central role of the 'Bachelor' or 'Bachelorette," the complaint read." In 16 seasons of The Bachelor and 7 seasons of The Bachelorette, every person featured in the lead role on either show has been white."
Excuses
The lawsuit included Fleiss' response to the ongoing discrimination issue. "Michael Fleiss, creator of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette and President of Next, has, on at least one occasion, responded publicly to the outpour of commentary on the show's racial composition," the court papers read. "He has stated that the lack of people of color on the show is due to a lack of diverse applicants. Specifically, in an interview with Entertainment Weekly he said: 'We always want to cast for ethnic diversity. It's just that for whatever reason, they don't come forward. I wish they would.'"
Fighting Back
Defendants filed a request to dismiss the lawsuit because it "violates the First Amendment, which protects Defendants' creative choices concerning the content – including the casting – of the television series that they produce and broadcast to the public." The case was dismissed with prejudice, which means the case has been permanently dismissed.
