Honestly, if you watched Season 3 of Bachelor in Paradise, you probably didn't see Carly Waddell and Evan Bass coming. It was weird. She was famously "grossed out" by their first kiss. Like, visibly recoiling. But then, a hospital visit for Evan’s mysterious abdominal pain changed everything. It sounds like a scripted drama, yet it birthed one of the most beloved—and eventually heartbreaking—stories in the franchise’s history.
Fast forward to 2026, and the dust has finally settled on what was once a chaotic, public split. People still search for them because they felt "real" in a sea of influencers. They weren't the polished, perfect couple. They were messy. They were Nashville residents. They were parents.
The Breakup That No One Saw Coming (Except Maybe Reality Steve)
When Carly and Evan announced their separation in December 2020, it felt like the final blow to a year that had already been pretty terrible. They had been married for three years. They had two beautiful kids, Bella and Charlie. On paper, they were the success story.
But behind the scenes? Things were crumbling.
Carly eventually opened up on her YouTube channel, admitted that the split wasn't her idea. "It was his call," she said. That’s a heavy thing to say to a camera. She described a house where they focused so much on the kids that they forgot to be a couple. It’s a classic trap. You pour every ounce of energy into the toddlers, and suddenly you’re roommates who don't know how to talk to each other anymore.
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Evan, on his end, talked about the lack of a "proper foundation." Paradise is a vacuum. You don't have bills, you don't have laundry, and you certainly don't have three kids from a previous marriage (which Evan did) running around. When they hit the real world in Nashville, the transition was jarring. Communication failed. Values didn't align as well as they thought they did under the Mexican sun.
Co-Parenting in 2026: The New Normal
It hasn't been all sunshine and rainbows since 2020. There were rumors of tension and some pointed song lyrics from Carly. But as we look at them today, they’ve reached a place of functional peace.
They share two children:
- Isabella "Bella" Evelyn, born in February 2018. She’s a spunky kid who frequently pops up on Carly’s social media.
- Charles "Charlie" Wolf, born in November 2019.
Carly has been incredibly vocal about the "superhero" feeling of being a single mom. She doesn't sugarcoat it. She talks about the exhaustion, the "first night the kids stayed at Evan's" heartbreak, and the eventual realization that she’s stronger than she thought.
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Evan remains a devoted dad to his five sons (three from his first marriage and Charlie) and Bella. He’s kept a lower profile than Carly lately, focusing more on his businesses in the medical field, despite some of the legal "ED clinic" drama that trailed him years ago. He seems content to stay out of the influencer spotlight while Carly leans into her music and creative projects.
The Todd Allen Tressler Chapter and Moving On
If you haven't kept up with Carly lately, you might have missed the rollercoaster of 2024 and 2025. She went public with Todd Allen Tressler, and things got serious fast. They even got engaged during a family trip to Costa Rica in late 2024.
Fans thought this was the "happily ever after" part two. But life isn't a sitcom. By late 2025, Carly revealed the engagement was over.
She’s back to "trying to date," which she candidly admits she sucks at. There was a recent story she shared about trying to give her number to a guy at a bar, getting nervous, and literally running out of the building. It’s that kind of vulnerability that keeps her following loyal. She isn't pretending to be a dating expert; she’s just a woman in her late 30s trying to figure out how to be "Carly" again, not just "Carly from Bachelor in Paradise."
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Why We Still Care About Carly and Evan
The reason this specific couple sticks in the collective memory of Bachelor Nation is the "unlikely" factor.
- The Hospital Date: Most couples go on yachts. They went to a Mexican clinic for a IV drip.
- The Relatability: They lived in Nashville, not LA. They wore normal clothes. They had real-person problems.
- The Music: Carly’s music career has served as a diary for her fans. When she releases a single like "Your Friends Like Me More," everyone knows who the subtext is about.
What You Can Learn From Their Journey
If you're going through a split or struggling with the "roommate phase" of a marriage, their story is a cautionary but hopeful tale.
- Prioritize the "We": Carly’s biggest regret was putting the kids at the top of the pyramid and the marriage at the bottom. It feels counter-intuitive, but the best thing for kids is often a healthy relationship between the parents.
- Don't Rush the Healing: Carly’s advice in 2026 is simple: "Take it second by second." You don't have to be "over it" in six months.
- Be Real About the Struggle: The "Instagram-perfect" life is a lie. The more honest Carly became about her divorce, the more her community grew.
The story of Carly Waddell and Evan Bass didn't end with a "happily ever after" in the traditional sense. But it did end with two people becoming better versions of themselves through the fire. They are still a family, just one that looks a little different than the one we saw on the Season 3 finale.
To keep up with their journey, focus on Carly's music releases on Spotify and her candid vlogs, which offer more insight than any tabloid headline ever could. If you're looking for co-parenting inspiration, her "single mom" series is a must-watch for anyone navigating life after a major breakup.