EXCLUSIVE: From The White House To The Bachelor, Season 28 Alum Marlena Haddad Tells All

Season 28 of The Bachelor is in full swing as Bachelor Joey Graziadei looks for his future wife among a group of 32 beautiful and interesting women. Evie Magazine caught up with Season 28 contestant Marlena Haddad after her elimination to talk about her experience on the show.

Haddad, who worked in the White House under former President Donald Trump, also gave her reaction to criticism that she shouldn’t have been cast simply because of her work history.

“For me, it’s an achievement and something that I’ve been proud of, so I didn’t take any offense to it. I was just like, yeah, that’s who I am. I did that,” she tells Evie Magazine.

Now, Haddad is back to her day job as a finance writer and hopes to continue growing her skills – and maybe find love while she’s at it. She says her ideal man is manly, intelligent, and traditional while also being romantic and vulnerable.

Keep reading for my Q&A with The Bachelor alum.

Evie Solheim: What motivated you to apply for The Bachelor?

Marlena Haddad: Trying to find that special someone. I think marriage is very important. Marriage is something that’s sacred, and I think it’s something that everyone should at least strive to find in their life.

But I also saw it as something that could be fun, and I think life is all about fun and adventure. I figured, “Why not go on the show?” At first, I was pretty hesitant to do it, but I thought years down the line, I would regret not doing it.

ES: Was there anything that surprised you about the casting process?

MH: It was a lot more extensive than I had anticipated. I previously worked at the White House, and I felt like the entire process was somewhat similar to that. So many interviews, and then the background checks, and the background information of “Who are your roommates? Where did you live? Where did you work?” Thankfully, I was somewhat familiar with that process, having gone through it before, but I feel like this was just so much more extensive.

The casting process itself was a lot of fun. The casting producers were so nice, and it was a fun thing to do. If I was having a bad day, I knew I had a casting interview in two hours where I got to rant about my crazy dating experiences in New York City and tell them funny stories. So that entire process was a great time.

ES: Did you pay any attention to the articles about Bachelor fans who didn’t want you cast because of your work at the White House? How did it make you feel?

MH: I was aware of everyone kind of going crazy that I worked in the White House, but it didn’t really bother me. I know who I am. I’m a radically transparent person. What I believe is what I believe, and I’m not going to change that because of someone’s opinion or because I’m on a show. I’m going to stay true to who I am.

My friends know that I worked in the White House, my family members do; it’s just a part of who I am. That’s not something I would change. It didn’t really bother me because it’s not like they were even saying anything bad, it was just that that’s what I did. For me, it was a huge accomplishment, and working in the White House was one of the best opportunities I could have ever had. It was also one of the biggest risks I’ve ever taken. My application was expedited in the White House, and I only had two to three days to move all my stuff from New York City to Washington, D.C. I had no idea how much my first paycheck was going to be until I got it. It was something that popped up out of the blue, kind of like with this Bachelor casting process. I was only about 22 or 23 years old when I started working in the White House, and I was able to manage a team of researchers, and I was able to become Director of Research and talk to some pretty high-level people in my position that I never even thought I would be able to get into contact with. I was able to talk to CEOs and ambassadors and all of these people I would read about in magazines, and all of a sudden, I’m getting missed calls from them. 

ES: What are your biggest takeaways from your time on The Bachelor?

MH: I think the best part of the entire Bachelor experience is making over 30 new best friends, and they’re all over the U.S. and Canada. They were some of the most welcoming and kind people I’ve ever met. I was able to get really close to them in such a short period of time. Some of the girls that I met off The Bachelor, we hit it off right away, and I feel like they’re going to be friends for life.

You were basically placed in an environment with 30 different girls you would probably never come into contact with in your normal life. Most of my friends I have now I’ve met through work, internships, previous jobs, or lifelong friends. We all have similar life paths. I was able to meet people from so many different backgrounds career-wise and just geographically, so it was really interesting.

I feel like it also taught me how to truly believe in myself and stay true to who I am. I think that’s what’s most important. Never change what you believe in for other people.

ES: What’s your advice to women considering applying to be on The Bachelor?

MH: I would say go in there with an open heart and be somewhat open-minded. Not so open-minded that your brains fall out, though, but just be open to the possibility of finding love. Maybe it won’t be the love that you were initially looking for, but it could be love in the form of a friendship or love for yourself, which is just as valuable.

ES: After you go on The Bachelor, you normally have a lot more eyes on your social media – what’s your philosophy for using social media?

MH: I don’t necessarily have a certain approach, but just the way I was raised was that anything you post on social media is going to follow you wherever you go.

I feel like I could be more active on social media, but there’s a part of me that just wants to delete all social media and simplify my life a lot more. I feel like one day, I’ll get to that point.

ES: What’s next for you? 

MH: My boss was incredibly supportive of me being on The Bachelor, which I was very surprised to hear that reaction from any boss. I really owe a lot to her and her being so supportive. I was able to get the time off and go back to my job. I’m a writer in finance, so I’d like to continue on that path, maybe get more into media or reporting and journalism. That’s where my focus is right now.

ES: Was your family supportive of your decision to go on The Bachelor?

MH: They were also incredibly supportive. I don’t feel like they were that surprised, just because I feel like throughout my life, there are always these opportunities that somehow pop up, and they’re very last minute, and I always seem to say yes to them, even though there’s some degree of risk involved. 

I have two older brothers, but my oldest brother is the one who I usually go to for advice. I was pretty hesitant beforehand. I was like, “I don’t know how this is going to play out.” I was thinking of the what ifs. He said, “Okay, do you think 50 years from now, if you don’t do it, are you going to regret it?” I was like, yeah, I probably would. He was like, “Okay, go do it. It’s a great experience. You could meet someone you fall in love with. If not, you get to meet a lot of interesting people. Never be afraid of the unknown.” That’s something I like to think about when facing any difficult decision.

ES: What was your impression of Joey?

MH: I first met him out of the limo. That was my first interaction with him. He just seemed very kind and had a warm feeling to him and was very calming. We had a discussion about where I was living, where I’m from, my siblings. We just related to each other on a few different things. It was great to talk to him, and I think he’s a great person.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

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