Netflix’s “The Ultimatum,” a dating reality show that follows a handful of humans in their early twenties who’ve been dating their partners for 1-2 years and are somehow not only already ready to marry and have a series of babies but also to walk out on the relationship forever if said marriage does not commence immediately, has been a genuinely astounding viewing experience. Whomst are these people? Can someone perhaps send Nate to Exile Island because he makes me very nervous and I would not trust him around my dog? Why does April discuss herself in the third person? Can somebody call a Lyft for Madlyn? Why is Colby?
Most importantly, this season of The Ultimatum has made us all very excited for Season Two of The Ultimatum, which promises a cast of mostly queer women. Not only is that exactly what I want on my television all the time, it’ll also address one of Season One’s biggest weaknesses: the extremely small pool of people from which contestants had to select a “trial marriage” partner. If everybody’s queer for each other, there’ll be so many more people to choose from!
But in today’s reunion episode, we learned that the present cast is actually gayer than my suspicion that Lauren and Madlyn would definitely make out if they had enough Tequila.
Rae Williams from “The Ultimatum” Is Bisexual
Rae, who had her entire life planned out and was ready for Zay to get on board or jump overboard, came out as bisexual.
During the reunion, when the time came to discuss what happened next for Rae and Jake after they’d both left their partners and found a love connection with each other, they admitted that the mysteriously open-ended plane tickets to “travel the world together” went unused because they needed more time to “heal” from the trauma of being on a Netflix reality dating show.
Zay interrupted this recounting of events to note that no, in fact he and Rae had continued dating and boning regularly after the cameras turned off!! However, they eventually gave up on the relationship.
Rae then revealed that after breaking up with Zay, Rae has been with only one (1) person, a girlfriend:
“I have been with one person, she’s amazing, and I had a really good connection with her but we kept it casual and I’m kind of figuring out myself and my sexuality, because I was very uncomfortable with being bi for a very long time. Since Zay and I have been done I’ve just been with one girl, and it’s kind of been great, honestly.”
“I love that, look at you’re glowing, yay!” Said Vanessa. Everybody clapped for Rae and gave supportive smiles so we know that nobody is biphobic.
According to Cosmopolitan, The Ultimatum reunion was filmed in February, six months after the show was originally shot, which either raises or answers some questions regarding Madlyn’s decision to marry Colby on the spot in the series finale.
Rae has said on her TikTok that the cast was sent into separate hotel rooms alone, stripped of their devices, and made to marathon the entire series the day before the reunion was shot, which’s why she was so mad at Zay during the reunion.
Today, Rae shared an instagram story showing a chat between her and her Mom underneath the header I LOVE MY MOM FOR ALWAYS ACCEPTING ME 🌈 . Rae sent her Mom a video of her coming out on the reunion show with the text, “It’s out, I can finally breathe now.”
“So proud of you,” her Mom texted back.
I have been very curious about Madlyn & Colby because I despise them, and I see People magazine is reporting that “Ballatori and Kissinger first learned of the pregnancy in August, three months after the Netflix reality show finished filming in May 2021.”
She’s 35 weeks pregnant as of today, allegedly, which means she got pregnant around August 11, 2021.
So it’s POSSIBLE they got pregnant after the show, if the show did indeed stop filming in May. April from the show said it finished filming in the second week of May 2021.
the timeline is so confusing! because on the reunion they say it’s been 6 months, and the reunion shot in February 2022. And on instagram, she said the baby was 3 weeks away, which would put her at 37 weeks right?
I guess they got pregnant right after the show huh
Super confusing! Either way, I really hope they’re better people than they seemed to be on the show & that they treat their kid well!
Rae was my favorite person on the show. I am looking forward to the next season of the Ultimatum, which should be gay from what I hear.
Rae admitted to punching Zay during filming… so…
Yeah, I found this unsettling when watching the series. The casual display of what I perceived as domestic violence.
Oh yeah for sure. This might’ve been giving her too much of the benefit of the doubt, but I thought that her choice to break up after that was not just bc Zay had done something wrong but being terrified that she punched him, not wanting to be that person, and thus finding the situation untenable. Buuuut yeah there is that thing where when women assault men, it’s assumed to be nbd and I agree it IS a bit deal.
Not excusing it exactly but was this not after he was aggressively grabbing her and not stopping even after she asked him to several times?
Agree – Rae was the best! So happy for this post. And I’m also confused about the Madelyn/Colby timeline.
Watching this show, “the straights are not okay” was a recurring conclusion. So… both thrilled and nervous about season 2. Think the out queers will talk the same way about marriage in early twenties as the obvious answer to life? This seems ridiculous, but I suppose we queers have every right to be as absurd as the straights. Soooo plz provide AS commentary as soon as season 2 airs!
Also, the wide consensus that “love is blind “ was queer culture is the only reason I EVER watched a dating show. And now I’m obsessed with these weird Lachey people’s work