Jonathon Johnson and Hakeem Moulton have differing thoughts about getting down on one knee on season 10 of Bachelor in Paradise.
“I don’t feel any pressure myself,” Jonathon, 28, exclusively told Us Weekly at Hulu’s inaugural Get Real House event in Beverly Hills on Tuesday, April 22. “If I had to walk away because I just didn’t think it was right, I have no problem doing so. But I want to give an honest chance.”
Jonathon shared that he wants to see someone “behind the smoke and mirrors or the cameras and the lights and really come into [the show] to find something genuine.” He added, “If I can find that, I’m gonna throw my heart into it and hope for the best. But no pressure.”
Hakeem, meanwhile, has his heart set on ending his Paradise experience in a relationship. “I’m 30 so I’m gonna be keeping it 100 with you. I’m ready right now so if I can find my person and get engaged, I’ll do it,” he told Us. “For me, I at least want to leave with a girlfriend. I’ve saved myself for eight months looking up to this and kind of preparing myself for it. So, I’m going in just with an open mind, and just whatever the universe has for me, I’m ready.”
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Both Jonathon and Hakeem became fan favorites on Jenn Tran’s season 21 of The Bachelorette, with the former ending the season as Jenn’s second runner-up. The men were two of the first Bachelor Nation stars announced to be joining Paradise season 10, which is set to premiere on ABC this summer.
Back in August 2024, Hakeem exclusively told Us that he was hoping to meet Olivia Lewis on the Paradise beach. “If she arrives, [I’m interested], but there’s a great group of girls that’s going to be on the beach, and I’m looking forward to get to know them as well,” he shared on Tuesday. “But yeah, if Olivia goes there, I’m looking forward to getting to know her as well. But again, you have a great group of girls that’s going to be on the beach as well.”
Bachelor Nation fans have also started to ship Jonathan with Alexe Godin, whom fans recently met on Grant Ellis’ season 29 of The Bachelor. However, Jonathon wants any of his Paradise romantic connections to happen naturally.
“If I listened to what they wanted me to do, I’d be falling into the pressure of the situation,” he explained to Us. “And that’s not all what I want to do. I want to go in there and meet her. I want to meet anybody that has a genuine interest or that is just looking for the right thing.”
On Tuesday, ABC announced that the upcoming season of Paradise will take place in Costa Rica instead of Mexico and feature former Bachelorette Hannah Brown “bringing the bubbly to rose ceremonies in the all-new Champagne Lounge,” per a press release.
In preparation for Costa Rica, both Jonathon and Hakeem are putting work into themselves, both physically and mentally. “I work out in the morning and then I run in the afternoons, or I do 10,000 steps a day. I really have my diet locked in,” Jonathon shared. “I’ve been reading a lot and just kind of focusing on myself to figure out what it is that I need out of this experience to feel fulfilled.”
Hakeem added, “I am still going in the gym. I’m taking it very seriously, but most important, I think my mindset is going to be so different than when I was on The Bachelorette. I have more love for myself, so going in working on myself, I’m ready to give myself to that person and herself to me.”
Bachelor in Paradise season 10 premieres on ABC this summer.
