Mike Johnson Reveals His Honest Reaction to The Bachelor Casting Matt James

Mike Johnson opens up about not being cast as ABC’s Bachelor. Hear what he has to say on the Almost Famous podcast.

By Mike Vulpo Jun 16, 2020 7:04 PMTags

Mike Johnson is moving forward with no regrets.

Like many members of Bachelor Nation, Mike was surprised when ABC suddenly announced that Matt James would be the first-ever Black male lead in the history of the series.

And although Mike quickly took to Instagram and shared his support with the decision, some fans wanted to hear more from the Air Force veteran. After all, he had a strong following who wanted him cast even before Peter Weber got the gig. Fortunately, they received more insight in a new interview released on Tuesday.

"Honestly, it is what it is. They picked a great guy and for like 30 minutes I was butt hurt but after that, you move on with life," Mike shared on iHeartRadio's newest episode of the Almost Famous podcast. "I know I'm an amazing human being and amazing person so therefore, I'm not going to let a few executive producers who didn't choose me twice make me feel any type of way."

According to Mike, he wasn't given an offer and didn't have "any recent discussions" with producers. On Friday, however, he did have a chat with someone presumably from the series.

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Stars Who Love (or Hate) The Bachelor

"That conversation was fresh. I was golfing Friday so I was already moving on with my life. I'm a single man. I want a wifey, right," he told co-hosts Ben Higgins and Ashley Iaconetti Haibon. "That conversation was raw honesty on my part and I was just appreciative that someone reached out."

Mike admitted that he has "no idea" why the show didn't pick a Black male lead from a previous season. And when Ben asked him to speculate, the reality star explained that he couldn't provide a concrete answer.

"I feel that for over a year since I've been in the Bachelor Nation family, I have shown my character day in and day out and I don't feel that anything I've shown is not conducive of what a Bachelor would be," he explained. "I can speculate like anyone else. I'm not seeing anybody. I'm in great shape. I think I'm a decent looking guy. I know that I was one of America's fan favorites. Professionally, I'm in a good place. I'm financially free. I live by myself. I really don't know."

Ultimately, Mike is moving forward and considering a move to Austin. He is also preparing for the release of his debut book coming out this fall.

"I wrote a guide and journal to self-love and how to attain that," he teased. "It's soft enough to open you up, it's strong enough to hold your tears and it's powerful enough to change your life. It's coming out this fall. "

And when Ashley asked if there's ever a chance he would appear on Clare Crawley's upcoming season of The Bachelorette, Mike's answer raised some eyebrows.

"I said she's a cutie," he shared when laughing and avoiding a concrete answer. Stay tuned, Bachelor Nation.

Season 25 of The Bachelor is scheduled to premiere in 2021. And join Mike for a special Almost Famous Live with Ben and Ashley (and Jess Clarke!) this coming Monday. Tickets are on sale now.