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Is Aven Jones on ‘Bachelor in Paradise’ season 9?

He wasn't initially advertised as a contestant, but will he become this season's big twist?

Aven Jones on the red carpet wearing a black floral t-shirt and a necklace
Photo by Paul Archuleta/Getty Images

The best part about Bachelor in Paradise is seeing eliminated contestants from The Bachelor and The Bachelorette pack their bags and fly to a picturesque beach-side resort for a second chance at finding love. Also, the drama is pretty great. 

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Bachelorette alum Aven Jones is no stranger to drama. During his run on Rachel Recchia and Gabby Windey’s season 19, he experienced a roller coaster of ups and downs, even going so far as to make it to the final two only to walk away empty-handed. His lack of confidence in proposing to Rachel resulted in her breaking up with him, but this San Diego sales-rep-turned-social-media-influencer’s love story is far from over. 

The premiere of Bachelor in Paradise season 9 kicked things off with a fair amount of revelations and more than a few bouts of drama. Will and Olivia’s romance died before it began as Kylee swooped in and made his heart flutter like a butterfly. Then, in the last couple of minutes of the premiere, we saw Will break down in the trailer for episode 2 over what appeared to be Kylee’s infatuation with a new man… Any guesses who that new man might be?

Is Aven Jones a contestant on Bachelor in Paradise season 9?

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Aven Jones wasn’t advertised as a contestant on Bachelor in Paradise season 9 so when the contestants were informed he would be showing up at the Playa Escondida Resort late, jaws hit the floor. That’s right — Aven is back, and his presence has gone by anything but unnoticed. 

Sneak peeks for season 9 show Oliva gunning for Aven’s attention, as well as Klyee, which is presumably the reason Will breaks down in tears. It’s anyone’s guess who Aven will end up with this time — if he does at all — but an early trailer for the season showed him sharing an intimate kiss with Kylee. “I’m very happy,” he said in between kisses. “Kylee, I haven’t felt like this in a while.”

Aven Jones in Bachelor in Paradise
Screengrab via ABC

Aven’s presence on season 9 was foreshadowed last year when he was asked to attend the Bachelor in Paradise season 8 reunion before ultimately being unable to attend. It’s worth noting that his former flame Rachel Recchia is also a contestant this season, so the drama could go from lukewarm to red-hot in a matter of seconds. In other words, you’re not going to want to miss it. 

Bachelor in Paradise season 9 aired its first episode on Thursday, Sept. 8. New episodes will air every week until the finale on Nov. 30. Here is the full release schedule, and here’s how you can tune in