Is He The 'Bachelor in Paradise' With a Secret GF?

After Michelle Kujawa chose to leave Bachelor in Paradise in the very first episode for just "maybe" being single, it looked like the show had dodged an infidelity bullet. But another contestant might be kicked out of the house for having a girlfriend. Bachelor in Paradise suitor Ben Scott, from Desiree's season of The Bachelorette, has been seen around Dallas (and around Instagram) with a model named Lindsay Higgins, who is presumably the mystery girlfriend from last week's dramatic promo. While most of the couple's pics are from after Bachelor in Paradise shooting, rumors from spoilery sites like Wetpaint say that they may have started dating before Ben went to Mexico. That would certainly give a girl a reason to write her beau a farewell letter before he went off to Tulum. Plus, given Ben's devious past on The Bachelorette, that is not surprising at all.

Lindsay and Ben are completely public with their relationship now, so it's pretty clear that Ben isn't going to "find love" on Bachelor in Paradise. You can't learn a ton about a person from only their Instagram, but Lindsay is a very beautiful model who seems to spend most of her time either working, poolside, or both. While she and Ben used to only post platonic looking photos, now there's plenty of PDA, and she even writes that she "loves" him now. She's even met and had what looks like a great time hanging out with his son.

So why keep him on the show? Well, if the rumors are true, Ben and Lindsay's relationship would have only a few days or weeks old at the time, and he had already agreed to be a part of the cast before they started going out… and come on, Ben Scott was not about to give up a chance to be on TV. Plus, with the constantly rotating cast and less-than-ideal accommodations, the whole show was such a mess that they needed a former villain and big personality like Ben. After all, this is the guy who was so convinced that he was going to be the next Bachelor that when he got eliminated, he literally gave an evil speech. Clearly, the production team on BIP were looking for his type of crazy, with all of the one-sided romances and one-sided raccoon chats we've already seen in the first episode.

The more recognizable cast members, the better for the show, regardless of their relationship status (I guess?). But this all might turn out to be for nothing, because the "letter" that's planted in his room and used as an excuse for Ben to leave could happen as early as Episode 2. It could be because Ben asked to leave early and the producers decided on Episode 2 — everything on this show reeks of pre-planning. Or it could be because Ben is a huge tool and kept bragging about his model girlfriend to other guys in the house, prompting them to snoop around and uncover the truth about Lindsay. Or it could be because the letter is legit (haaaaaaaaaa).

But it will be interesting to see how he leaves the show. Will he go out bragging about how much hotter his girlfriend is than the women in the cast, something else super gross, or will he manage to refrain from flirting and actually live up to his assertion that Bachelor in Paradise is his redemption?

Images: Francisco Roman/ABC; Lindsay Higgins/Instagram (4)