The Truth About The Bachelor's Khaylah Epps
The Bachelor has a cult following that is pretty much undeniable. With each Bachelor (or Bachelorette) dating over 20 people at once, things can get a bit chaotic, but the set-up truly makes for good television.
After 24 seasons, the popular ABC show finally made the decision to cast a Black lead ready to search for the love of his life and hopefully a beautiful, blushing bride. According to E! News, Matt James was originally cast on Clare Crawley's season of The Bachelorette, but ultimately didn't make the cut. Matt's appointment for the 25th season was announced in June 2020 on the show's official Twitter account. The tweet read, "It's official...your next Bachelor is @mattjames919!"
And while the Bachelor is clearly the star of the show, the fun part is checking out the contestants who are going to go head-to-head to win over Matt's heart. One of which is the gorgeous Khaylah Epps.
Keep scrolling at the jump to learn more about the East Coast creative.
Khaylah Epps is more than a pretty face, she's also talented
Khaylah Epps may be up against quite a few other women in the battle for Bachelor Matt James' heart, but the Bronx, N.Y. native wasn't sitting around waiting for her Prince Charming. According to her LinkedIn profile (per Women's Health magazine), the college-educated contestant worked as a program manager for Blue Cross Blue Shield while living in North Carolina. For those who believe in signs from the universe, Matt is originally from Durham, N.C.
Prior to Blue Cross, she graduated from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, where she earned her Bachelor of Science and Master's degrees. But Khaylah isn't all work and studies, she's also a creative. The soon-to-be ABC star is also a photographer. Per her professional portfolio website, she notes specializing in "capturing a moment in time, whether it's portraiture, lifestyle imagery, or an important life event."
She also added, "When I'm not taking photos, you'll find me traveling the world, thrift shopping, or watching Netflix."
Khaylah Epps won a prestigious award from her job
In November 2020, Khaylah Epps shared a personal work achievement with her 7,000 Instagram followers that she originally wasn't going to post. (How humble, right?)
"Earlier this year I was named a CEO award finalist at my company," she wrote. "I can't even begin to express how emotional I was in that moment. I started hysterically crying...at work...in front of a lot of people. I was the FIRST to ever receive this honor as a RDP (our version of a fellowship if you will). I never posted about it because I have zero clue how to talk about my accomplishments. But let me tell ya something, in 2020 I've been trying to get off that wave. No more shrinking myself to make others feel comfortable. I am so proud of this award, but more than anything, I love what it reminded me of."
She later added, "After I received that award I sat in a meeting surrounded by some incredible women who reminded me that this was just the beginning! Not only do I WANT it all, but I CAN have it all, and the women in that room were a testament to that...Thankful to be surrounded by incredible women every day of my life, especially my incredible mama who was the first woman to show me I can have it all." Such an inspiring message!
Khaylah Epps is an amazing friend, just ask her friends
Although Khaylah Epps is looking for love in front of millions of eyes, she's not leaving her friends behind. Back in July 2017, she wrote a touching tribute post to a close friend on Instagram.
"This love affair started SEVEN years ago!" she revealed. "I'm still not sure how I got to be so lucky to have someone so beautiful on the inside and out enter my life, but I'm so glad you slid in my DM's on that day in 2010. You continue to inspire me with your zest for life. Thanks for being my best roomie, lover, and friend. I hope your day is amazing as you are, and I can't wait to celebrate next week. Happy Birthday Princess!"
In the comments, the tagged friend replied, "My. Heart. Can't. Take. It. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WISHING ME HAPPY BIRTHDAY AND SHARING SOME OF MY FAVORITE MEMORIES WITH ME. I can't wait to make even more with you, starting next weekend. I LOVE YOU SO MUCH BEAUTIFUL!"
While a common Bachelor catchphrase is that contestants are "not here to make friends," who knows — maybe Khaylah will do exactly that as she competes for Matt James' heart.