Bachelor In Paradise: James Bonsall Shocks Fans With Leg Sleeve Tattoo
James Bonsall, a fan favorite of Bachelor In Paradise season 7, recently shocked Bachelor Nation by unveiling an intricate leg sleeve tattoo seemingly out of the blue. Ever since James was introduced to the franchise on Katie Thurston's season of The Bachelorette, he's maintained his signature clean-cut style, only once sharing with his followers a rare messy-hair selfie, much to their excitement. Now, he's taking his appearance to a new level with an entire limb of ink, leaving many shocked and speculating whether it's just another prank between James and bestie Aaron Clancy.
On The Bachelorette season 17, James made a grand entrance as "box guy" by remaining in a cardboard structure until he had the perfect moment to unveil himself to Katie. Though he didn't find love with her, James found a bromance with fellow contestant Aaron, who was endearingly dubbed "Union Leader" by viewers for calling out problematic men. Their friendship grew on Bachelor In Paradise, which saw the guys leave the beach and head back to San Diego together after not finding what they were looking for. Now, James and Aaron are inseparable as they impersonate each other, swap Instagram profile pictures and film hilariously cringey videos for TikTok.
When James posted on Instagram a photo of him sporting a full-leg tattoo sleeve with intricate details, fans and Bachelor alums alike instantly thought it was fake — especially after seeing him in shorts throughout Bachelor In Paradise and not glimpsing any ink. Katie Thurston commented, "Not me zooming in seeing if you're trolling us with some photoshop. When did this happen?!" Andrew Spencer, from the same Bachelorette season, said, "Bro I had no idea your leg looked like that lmao."
Despite the shock factor, the sleeve is, in fact, real. In response to a comment that asked, "Is the leg ink new or was I just blind watching you in 'Paradise?,'" James responded, "It's new!," with a smiley face. He also tagged his tattoo artist Albert and the private San Diego shop Sacred Point. Once it was clear that James' tattoo is the real deal, fans praised the art. One commended him for sitting through what was surely a painful session: "I respect you more now especially because of the knee and inner thigh portion." Another gushed, "Didn't think it was possible for you to get hotter but there it is." Of course, one of James' posts wouldn't be complete without some love from Aaron, who said, "He know he fine, and the leg sleeve make him handsomer."
Additionally, James' caption may have revealed his current relationship status (aside from the bromance with Aaron). He said, "Current Status: In a relentless pursuit of all my goals..... And you can guarantee I'm having fun doing it! Feeling the love these days. Shoutout to everyone supporting me along the way!" Though James was unlucky in love on national television after things fizzled out with Anna Redman and Tia Booth, the latter of whom ironically had a thing for "Tatty Daddy" Blake Monar, he seems to be living his best life.
Source: James Bonsall/Instagram