‘The Bachelor’ Star Melissa Rycroft Falls Ill After Family Trip To Dominican Republic

Bachelor Nation has been hit with a bug. Reality TV personality Melissa Rycroft, who gained fame as the original “winner” on Jason Mesnick’s season of The Bachelor and for her winning turn on Dancing with the Stars: All-Stars, returned from a family trip to the Dominican Republic battling a mysterious ailment.

An insider told Page Six that Rycroft vacationed at the $1,100 per night Nickelodeon Resort in Punta Cana with her husband Tye Strickland and their three kids, where she became “really sick.” A rep for the Bachelor Nation beauty told Page Six that Rycroft “has had major stomach issues since returning from the Dominican Republic.”

“She got an upset stomach on the second day of vacation, but it passed. Once they came home, she got severe cramping. It has lasted for over a week, and she’s currently getting tested for possible parasites and any other infections. She’s assuming it’s something foodborne, but no one else in her family is ill.”

Rycroft’s illness comes amid news headlines of multiple people getting sick during vacations in the Dominican Republic. There have also been reports of nine unexplained deaths.

Rycroft first opened up about her mystery ailment in a social media post last week. The reality star, who is a mom to daughter Ava, 8, and sons, Beckett, 5, and Cayson, 3, revealed that she had been put on a liquid diet and given medication for severe cramping. Rycroft revealed that the next step would be a parasite test if her condition didn’t improve.

According to Us Weekly, Rycroft later provided an update to fans, revealing she was getting more bloodwork and that her blood pressure was 90/60 and was being monitored. The mom of three noted that she will have her test results later this week but that she was starting to feel better.

Casino.org notes that 15 miles from the resort that Rycroft stayed at, more than 147 tourists have reported recent or historical illnesses while staying at the Hard Rock Punta Cana this month alone. Local officials still have not determined what is making so many tourists sick.

Reality TV fans first met Rycroft when she competed for Mesnick’s heart on ABC’s The Bachelor during Season 13. While Mesnick initially chose Rycroft as his final lady, he later broke up with her on-camera during the After the Final Rose special and resumed his relationship with his runner-up, Molly Malaney. Mesnick and Malaney are currently married and have a daughter, Riley.