Jason Mesnick’s season on The Bachelor was probably the biggest upset in the show’s history. He proposed to Melissa Rycroft during the competition, then during the After the Final Rose special, cancelled their engagement and proposed to Molly Malaney. They married shortly after, and a couple years later had a son. But like many Bachelors and Bachelorettes, Mesnick quickly faded from the spotlight after his stint on the show was over. So what are he and Molly up to these days?
Before The Bachelor
Jason Mesnick was born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1976. He moved to Washington when he was eight, and attended University of Washington. He graduated in 1998, with a degree in psychology.
Mesnick married Hilary Buckholz in 2003, and they had a son in 2005. By 2007, the couple divorced. Jason Mesnick kept custody of their son Ty, which makes him one of the few men involved with The Bachelor franchise to enter it with a child.
He was a contestant on Season 4 of The Bachelorette, which was filmed just a few months after his divorce, and aired in May 2008. He made it far enough to propose to DeAnna Pappas, but she rejected his proposal. He had gained a following with audiences, though, and was cast for the upcoming season of The Bachelor.
The Bachelor
Most of Jason Mesnick’s season on The Bachelor was uneventful. This was before dates involved globetrotting, and back when before it was a given that the girls would like their Bachelor. In fact, Mesnick had to work to win some of the contestants’ affections. Molly Malaney at first didn’t seem very interested in Mesnick. Melissa Rycroft did, and this near-instant attraction led to Rycroft receiving the final rose.
Then, in an unprecedented upset, Jason Mesnick cancelled their engagement during the live “After the Final Rose” broadcast. Rycroft argued briefly, but gave him back the ring. Mesnick then explained to Malaney that he could not stop thinking about her, and asked for a second chance. She agreed, and the couple started dating. This “After the Final Rose” has the highest rating in the series’ history.
The next day, Mesnick went on Jimmy Kimmel Live! to explain his decision. A second “After the Rose” special revealed that Mesnick and Malaney were happily dating. On that special, the host of The Bachelor, Chris Harrison, insisted that the producers had not manipulated the contestants or Mesnick during filming.
What’s Jason Mesnick Doing Now in 2018 – Recent Updates
Jason Mesnick asked Molly Malaney to marry him while they were on vacation in New Zealand in October 2009. That February, they were married, during  a two-hour ABC special. In October 2012, the Mesnicks announced they were expecting their first child. They told Jason’s son Ty through a clever game of hangman.
Their daughter, Riley Anne Mesnick, was born on March 14, 2013. The family moved into a new house in Seattle last summer. There, he works as a real estate broker for Northwest Group Real Estate.
