Brendan and Pieper faced backlash for their treatment of Natasha on BIP. They have lost more than 100K Instagram followers from the fallout.

Season 7 of Bachelor in Paradise may be the most dramatic yet after Brendan Morais and Pieper James lost thousands of Instagram followers in the aftermath of the Monday, September 6 episode. Natasha Parker, who had an initial connection with Brendan on the beach, was used as a pawn in Brendan and Pieper’s scheme to gain followers. That plan backfired, however, as viewers saw how Natasha was treated, leading many people to unfollow the couple.

Brendan and Natasha established a connection very quickly on the beach. During the early stages of getting to know each other, Brendan accepted a date from Demi Burnett but ultimately decided to keep pursuing a relationship with Natasha. At this point, rumors were swirling that Brendan was dating Pieper, who was not in Mexico yet. Natasha asked Brendan about his relationship with Pieper. He explained they had a casual relationship back home and were not officially dating. When Pieper arrived on the beach, she asked Brendan on a date, and he agreed without hesitation. After Brendan and Pieper came back from their date, it was apparent to everyone that their pre-show relationship was stronger than Brendan implied.

Brendan and Pieper’s date was very eye-opening for viewers as they talked about “taking advantage of what Paradise would promote," insinuating they would gain followers from the show. Brendan even admitted that he had to navigate a way to stay on the beach in the hopes that Pieper would arrive. From these comments and Brendan's overall treatment of Natasha, both Brendan and Pieper faced backlash as they lost thousands of Instagram followers. According to @bachelordata, Brendan started the episode with just under 350,000 followers. Pieper went into episode six with around 88,000 followers. As of now, Brendan and Pieper have lost a combined total of over 100,000 followers. Brendan has lost 90,000 followers from his original 350,000, dropping his count to 260,000. Pieper has lost 10,300 followers from her original 88,000, dropping her count to 77,700.

While Brendan and Pieper both lost followers, Brendan lost more because of his cruelty and lies. He was callous to call Natasha annoying behind her back and insinuated no other men would vie for her attention if he wasn’t coupled up with her. Brendan also outright lied about the extent of his relationship with Pieper. He told Natasha he hung out with Pieper twice, but Pieper told Natasha they hung out at least ten times. Brendan accused Natasha of having “selective hearing” about their relationship as well. He appeared very cold and manipulative while refusing to admit that he clearly used Natasha to stay on the beach long enough for Pieper to arrive. Even though Pieper also lost followers, she did not lose as many because she wasn't directly involved in Brendan's shady behavior. She was also honest with Natasha about the extent of their relationship, claiming she saw Brendan countless times and even spent time with him right before he left to film.

Both Brendan and Pieper appeared on Bachelor In Paradise for clout and for air time. They could’ve explored their budding relationship without appearing on the show, and yet they took someone else’s spot for a chance at love just to gain followers. In addition, they were disrespectful to Natasha, which is why so many people unfollowed the couple. From the fallout, Bachelor Nation has rallied behind Natasha and has been incredibly supportive of her tenacity. Natasha started with roughly 84,000 Instagram followers and has now gained 300,000, giving her 384,000. This outpouring of positivity also comes with cries that Natasha be named the next Bachelorette. Bachelor Nation sympathized with her story and she could have a genuine shot of finding real love in the future.

Next: Bachelor In Paradise: Alana Milne Denies Pre-Show Relationship With Chris

Bachelor In Paradise airs Mondays and Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

Source: @bachelordata/Instagram, Brendan Morais/Instagram, Pieper James/Instagram, Natasha Parker/Instagram