Who Is The Bachelor’s Maria Georgas? Meet the Contestant at the Center of Season 28’s Drama

From an iconic outfit change to standing her ground to haters, Maria Georgas has made her mark on The Bachelor. The season 28 contestant was introduced to viewers as the girl from Canada but oh (Canada,) she is so much more!

Following her feud with Sydney Gordon on the show, which led to a dreaded two-on-one date with Joey Graziadei, Maria found herself struggling to connect with several other cast members. What to know about the show’s scene stealer.

Who Is ‘The Bachelor’ Contestant Maria Georgas?

“Maria is a bold, outgoing woman who isn't afraid to speak her mind and go for what her heart wants. The Canadian beauty is so done with short-term flings and situationships, and she's ready to settle down with her perfect match,” according to her ABC.com bio.

All eyes are on Maria this season and it seems like that’s always been the case even before she joined the show. The Ontario native gained a boost of confidence before arriving at the Bachelor mansion when “a psychic reading recently left her thinking that Joey could be her future husband.”

The Bachelor is a PG-13 family-friendly show, so there probably won’t be any physical catfights between the women. That being said, the executive assistant would be well-prepared in any threatening situation because she is a “black belt in Taekwondo karate” and isn’t afraid to wax on, wax off.

On the February 13, 2024, episode of The Bachelor, Maria opened up a bit about her upbringing and admitted to Joey that she doesn't have a close relationship with her mom. Their issues stemmed from a car accident that the two got in when Maria was just a toddler. Maria miraculously survived the wreck after being "pronounced dead," while her mom suffered several broken bones and fell into a deep depression.

"When I was younger, I didn't understand why my mom left," Maria explained. "She wasn't around for me." As for their relationship today, Maria described it as a "work in progress."

What Does ‘The Bachelor’ Star Maria Georgas Do for a Living?

Maria is an executive assistant, her ABC bio reveals. She also had a role in the 2005 film The Pacifier, which also starred Vin Diesel. The Ontario native seemingly had a comfortable upbringing, as her dad, Nick Georgas, is the CEO of Jubilee Candy Corporation.

What Happens Between Maria Georgas and Joey Graziadei on ‘The Bachelor’?

Let’s debrief her limo entrance, shall we? Maria’s dress stood out the most during night 1 and in most of the history of The Bachelor. Keeping it original and unique, she wore a black gown with a fully open back as the top of the dress wrapped around the back of her neck and fell down her chest and into the skirt. The ensemble featured brass medallion flowers at her hips and ribcage, which made the look one to remember.

Maria showcased her confidence during her introduction to Joey by admitting that she still lived in Canada, but “could change that.” The tennis pro gushed over how “awesome” it was to meet Maria and watched her take her last step into the mansion as he shamelessly enjoyed watching her walk in that dress!

Does Maria have a passion for fashion? Clearly. During a post-group date cocktail hour on episode 2, she was able to snag alone time with Joey. Maria abruptly stopped their conversation to “slip into something more comfortable” and returned wearing a flirty two-piece floor-length skirt set that exposed her toned figure.

Needless to say, jaws were on the floor … and Maria’s fellow contestants were fuming. However, the Bachelor himself was drawn to Maria and they continued to build their connection.

If Joey doesn’t give Maria his final rose, it’s OK because she already got the stamp of approval from his Bachelorette ex-girlfriend, Charity Rose.

“It’s giving main character, comedian, real, hot, yup I’m invested,” ?Charity gushed in the comment section of Maria’s January 31, 2024, Instagram post.

What Happened Between Maria and Sydney on ‘The Bachelor’?

During the January 29, 2024, episode of The Bachelor, Maria began to make waves in the house amid drama with Sydney. It started when Madina Alam was worried about receiving a rose because she was not invited to the group dates. The mental health therapist explained that she was insecure about being one of the oldest women in the house and made it a mission to get one-on-one time during the cocktail party.

While talking to a few of the other women, Maria brought up Madina’s concern and tried leveling with her by saying that she was also one of the oldest ladies in the group and reiterated that it was not a negative trait. Sydney Gordon overheard the tail end of Maria’s conversation from across the courtyard and accused her of starting drama. After a game of telephone went through the Bachelor mansion, Maria confronted Sydney and attempted to clear the air. However, Sydney gave her a passive response and later admitted that she found Maria annoying.

The tension boiled over into the next week and Maria and Sydney’s feud reached new heights on the February 5, 2024, episode. Madina told Joey that she felt “bullied” by someone in the house. After he confronted the women about it, Madina told the ladies that she had filled him in on her issues with Maria, but assured the Canadian that she didn’t name names.

Still, Maria was frustrated and slammed Madina for calling her a bully. “I didn’t say that,” Madina insisted. “I said I felt bullied.”

Sydney took it upon herself to tell Joey the specifics of the situation. She accused Maria of “verbally attacking” her and Madina and said that Maria was creating a “hostile environment” among the group.

Joey confronted Maria with Sydney’s accusations and she told him that she didn’t do what she was being accused of. “I have been bullied,” she shared. “This is just not it. From that experience, I never want to treat anybody as bad as I’ve been treated in the past.” She also added that the issues “stemmed from nothing” and slammed Sydney for making “accusations with no explanation.”

The tennis instructor was more confused than ever after the conversation and decided to give both Sydney and Maria roses so he could continue his journey with both of them.

During the February 12, 2024, episode, Joey decided to get to the bottom of the situation once and for all by taking Maria and Sydney on a two-on-one date, with only one rose up for grabs.

Sydney told Joey that Maria was “attacking her” after he left the group the previous week. “She told Lea [Cayanan] to ‘shut the f--k up,’” Sydney claimed. Maria denied this and assured Joey that Sydney’s claims were “lies.” The ladies fought again when Maria confronted Sydney about the accusations she made.

At the end of the date, Joey gave the rose to Maria and eliminated Sydney. “I just had to go with my gut off of a connection that I felt was stronger at the time,” he explained.

Despite being in the middle of the season's drama, Maria has showcased empathy to the other women competing for Joey’s final rose.

Prime example, she sacrificed time away from Joey to console Lauren Hollinger during a group wedding challenge during episode 2. Lauren was visibly upset as the date brought up valid emotions about her father’s recent death. Maria took her aside and gave her the best girl-to-girl pep talk before they washed away her sorrows with margaritas.

What Happened Between Maria and Lea on ‘The Bachelor’ Season 28?

After Sydney was eliminated, it didn’t take long for more drama to find Maria. Lea was one of Sydney’s close friends in the cast and she called out Madina for being nice to Maria after Sydney’s elimination on the two-on-one date. When Maria found out what Lea was saying about her , she broke down in tears.

“I just don’t get along with anyone,” she cried. “I’m literally alone in this. I just want to go.” Although Maria threatened to go home, she decided to stick it out and continue fighting for Joey. During week five, Lea’s frustrations with Maria continued.

“I honestly don’t know why Maria’s here,” Lea said in a confessional. “Two seconds ago she wants to leave because of the drama and now she’s here. If you were willing to leave so willingly after a little conflict, are you really here for Joey?”

After Joey gave Maria the group date rose on the February 13, 2024, episode, Lea also accused her of “putting on a good performance” in front of the Bachelor. “For him to validate her and love her … I thought she was the last person this rose should’ve gone to,” Lea complained.

What Happened Between Maria and Jess on ‘The Bachelor’ Season 28?

Week five also brought tension between Maria and Jessica “Jess” Edwards. The drama started at the cocktail party when Maria pulled Joey aside to talk, even though she already had a rose from the group date earlier in the week.

“She knows half of us sitting here haven’t even had the chance to talk to him,” Jess pointed out. “It just is different whenever you’ve been disrespected by someone and you lost time in so many different scenarios. I don’t understand what he sees in her.”

Maria confronted Jess and an argument broke out. “You are so f--king rude,” the Tennessee native said. “You’ve been nothing but disrespectful to me.” Maria told Jess to “grow up,” which led the executive assistant to snap back, “You need to grow the f--k up, bitch.” She then stormed out of the room in tears.

After the argument, Jess got a rose from Joey at the rose ceremony, so both ladies continued on to the next week.