BACHELORETTE alum Michael Allio made a name for himself after starring on Katie Thurston's season.
While he might not have won Katie's heart, he did gain a large following online, and now fans want to know more about him.
Who is Michael Allio?
Michael Allio is a reality television personality known for his time in the Bachelor franchise.
An Ohio native, he joined Bachelor Nation during season 17 of The Bachelorette, but in a shocking turn of events, he self-eliminated ahead of the hometown dates because he missed his son, James.
"I always go back to that day when I had to say bye to Katie. It’s not something I wanted to do but as a parent, [it was an] easy decision," Michael told Us Weekly in July 2021.
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"I would do it a million times again, just like I did there without thinking twice.
"I knew when I had to make that decision, that I was leaving an opportunity to pursue an amazing life with someone that I care about and finding that person is really difficult," he added.
"And I think that’s kind of the conundrum parents and single parents always have [is] to balance time with someone that you love, like, your child and then you as an individual. And how do I pursue that happiness? And a lot of times — and I’ve spoken with a lot of widowers and single parents — they’re scared to do that.
"I understand it, like, a million times over because I still feel it. You give a little bit of time, it takes from something else.”
Michael welcomed James in 2016 with his late wife, Laura Ritter-Allio.
While Michael might've walked away from The Bachelorette, he went on to star on the eighth season of Bachelor in Paradise, where he met The Bachelor alum Danielle Maltby.
Michael and Danielle went on to date for a year before parting ways in September 2023.
What happened to Michael Allio's late wife?
Before searching for love on national television, Michael was happily married to the mother of his son, whom he met while studying at Loyola University in Chicago.
Tragically, she passed away in 2019 at the age of 33 after a two-year battle with breast cancer.
In honor of Laura's life, Michael started to L4 Project, which "seeks to continue her (Laura) great work by ensuring that these noble organizations are given the financial resources need to carry out their important work."
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"L4 is Live Life Like Laura," Michael told NBC affiliate station WKYC in April 2019.
"My wife and I, we were together for 16 years, and she passed January 23rd after a two year battle with triple negative [breast] cancer…During that entire time, she was a huge advocate for breast cancer awareness. Took a lot of her message to Facebook, and during the process, we just saw so much good come of it.”
He added: "Living life like Laura is not complaining. It’s being the change that you want to see in the world. Go find a way to make a difference. It doesn’t have to be with money, it can be with time, it can be with energy. It can be with friendship and companionship.”
What does Michael Allio do for a living?
In addition to running the L4 Project, Michael is also the founder and managing partner at Allstera.
His company sells sanitation products and PPE.
