Who's ready for a Thom-mess? Because that's what Week 3 of The Bachelorette is promising when it comes to Katie's contestant Thomas Jacobs. The promos for the June 21 episode really really want viewers to think that Thomas on The Bachelorette is a shady guy, who's only on Katie's season to increase his chances of becoming the next Bachelor. While all the hype around his impending villain status most likely means Thomas will never be the Bachelor, is he as bad as the men in the house — and the masterful editors over at The Bachelorette — are making him seem? I dug deep into all the information the internet had to offer on Thomas to see.
Thomas was the first man out of the limo on Night One. But what do Bach fans actually know about this 28-year-old real estate broker from the San Diego area who wore Ed Hardy in high school and whose love language is food? Former Bachelor and Week 3 guest star Nick Viall told ET that he's "very charming" but questioned his sincerity. And the contestants in the Week 3 previews took the whole questioning his sincerity thing to the next level. Brendan seemingly calls him a "pathological liar," Aaron calls him "some sort of manipulative psychopath," and Hunter (who is here-for-the-right-reasons approved) says they're all tired of his "lies and manipulations" and asks if he's just there to be the next Bachelor.
So does his social media paint the same shady picture? Let's get to internet stalking... err, internet research.
His Instagram
Thomas has a whopping four Instagram posts on his account. His oldest post is from February 2021... perhaps from right about the time he was applying to be on The Bachelorette. I couldn't confirm that he had wiped his older posts off of Instagram (but he probably had an IG before February because it's unlikely he magically landed the handle @thomasajacobs in the year 2021). But here's what his bountiful Instagram does have to offer.
- He "always choose[s] kindness" and "love[s] helping people"
- He loves appetizers
- He has two dogs named Leo and Sofia, whom he's had since they were wee puppies
- He can't resist a good "Who Let the Dogs Out" reference (who among us can??)
- He supports dog adoption and raised money for the San Diego Humane Society
- He once ran a "Pizza Mile" for the non-profit homeless shelter and recovery center San Diego Rescue Mission (more on that in a bit...)
- He can't resist a good Titanic reference (again, who among us can??)
- He's an uncle
If you were to look at his Instagram, the shadiest thing you could accuse him of is trying too hard to look like a good person. Dogs, charities, mushy mom Stories, and always choosing kindness? Seems a bit too good to be true, no?
His Facebook
I found his Facebook profile, which has a lot more public posts than his Instagram. (At least until he sees this article and changes his settings...) Here's just some highlights courtesy of his Facebook.
- He graduated from Scripps Ranch High School in 2011
- He attended the University of San Diego where he played basketball after transferring from Cal State Northridge (he majored in political science)
- He was looking for a girlfriend to ring in New Year's 2012 with (his sister Kendall replied, "Wow I didnt think you could be a bigger douche''... which got more likes than the original post itself)
- His brother Kyle is diagnosed with bipolar schizophrenia and wrote a book about living with mental illness
- He currently runs the real estate brokerage Champions One Realty (he was a Keller Williams sales leader during COVID-19) and made a silly video featuring coffee to promote his business
His Twitter
Although it doesn't appear that he has a Twitter account, you'd be wrong to assume that, dear reader. One of his Facebook posts has him mentioning creating a Twitter account in 2018 to call out a sports reporter for The San Diego Union-Tribune, who he thought was being negative about his former college basketball team, the San Diego Toreros. Though Thomas's Twitter profile says it was technically created in 2015, the only thing he has ever done on it were those 2018 tweets. With this and his Instagram, it seems he knows the value of securing your social media handles early on.
His YouTube
Remember that Pizza Mile thing from his IG? Well, he has a YouTube that he's used only to feature videos to explain what this fundraiser was. He challenged himself to eat a whole pizza and then run a mile. What began as a "random unnecessary eating challenge" led him to create a GoFundMe to raise money for the San Diego Rescue Mission. Again, he made a silly video featuring coffee to promote it. He might be gaining attention doing something like this, he's at least putting his (and other people's) money where his mouth is.
The Verdict
You could think Thomas only featured photos and videos of his "cutest person ever" mom in his Instagram Story Highlights (when his IG is so incredibly sparse) to look like a nice guy. But his mom's Instagram tips the scales ever-so-slightly in the less shady category since he does seem genuinely close to her. (And for what it's worth, she is super cute!)
As for his job, all of his reviews on his Zillow page are five stars with people applauding his professionalism and saying he was a joy to work with. Hmm. So who's right? The very unbiased men who are also appearing on national television with him? Or the very unbiased people of his mom and a handful of former clients?
In the above deleted "Meet Thomas" scene, he talks about his "very thriving" business and attempts not to be arrogant. But his confidence and proclamations of being himself 1. clearly rubbed some of the contestants the wrong way and 2. could be overcompensating for grander plans to gain recognition. So whether he's simply a polished professional who's in it for the "right reasons" or he's a schemer using Katie for a bump may not be entirely clear even after Week 3's over. But call him Thomas the Tank Engine because his Bachelorette journey is about to go off the rails.
Read more...
Bachelorette Contestant Karl Smith's Motivational Speeches Unmotivated Me To Root For Him
Should Greg Win The Bachelorette Or Is He Just 6'3" With A Minor In Gender Studies?
Image: Craig Sjodin/ABC