Did Samantha Know This 'BiP' Contestant Too?

As social media becomes bigger and bigger in Bachelor Nation, I think it’s time we start to assume that all former Bachelor/Bachelorette contestants have had some type of interaction before, especially the contestants on Bachelor in Paradise. Still, there is about to be a lot more drama in Paradise if the rumors are true that Joe Bailey learns that Samantha Steffen might have known Nick Peterson before Bachelor in Paradise started. Thanks to Bachelor Nation parties and social media, almost everyone knows each other and has talked at some point. I mean, I’m not even on the show and I’ve talked to a bunch of them via social media for my articles. It's not against the rules for BiP contestants to talk before the show, but, this season, everyone seems really negative about it.

Last week everyone flipped out because Joe and Samantha had spoken before the show, pulling a Kaitlyn Bristowe and Nick Viall situation, which we all know went down so well last season. According to the ABC press release, Nick Peterson comes in on the next episode with plans to meet Samantha, which I'm sure won't go over well with Joe. Cue dramatic fight scene. It doesn't even bother me that Samantha and Nick might have talked (how would he know she existed otherwise? She got like six seconds of screen time on Chris Soules' season), so long as it means Joe gets sent home because I don’t really think I can handle any more of him and his villainous ways this season.

So, what do I mean exactly about Nick and Sam having prior contact? Well, Nick outright told Chris Harrison that they had been talking before the show. "We talked on the phone and [sent] text messages and I've seen her once," he said. Other than that, there's a social media trail a mile long between the two. Last winter we were pretty unfamiliar with Samantha. She was on Chris Soules’ season, but she hardly talked at all. As you know, many former contestants will watch the show and live-tweet and that’s where these two begin.

When No One Else Saw Her, Clearly Nick Did

He Was Upset When She Was Sent Home

They Both Recognized That He Was Single

That's one way to hint at it!

However after a few hours of creeping, this is pretty much the only evidence I have that they spoke before going on the show. I did find that he added her on Instagram around the same time he added Whitney, Ashley I. and Becca, which was long before he added Kaitlyn, Jade, and Megan Bell. I only know this because on Instagram it lists followers in the order in which they were added. So, we know that he added Samantha awhile back and vice versa, but that really doesn't mean too much. There doesn't seem to be any IG interactions between the pair.

Did they chat on occasion before the show started? Yes, but that doesn't mean it was romantic, or that they planned this so they could both be on TV. I think it’s time to start accepting that all contestants know each other. They are all inter-connected, and this is going to be a reoccurring theme in pretty much every season going forward.

Plus, they are kind of cute with their Twitter flirting, so I'm not even mad.

Images: ABC/Rick Rowell