Chris Harrison Sparks Marriage Speculation With Wedding-Like Photo Of Girlfriend In White Gown

Is Chris Harrison married? This is what fans wanted to know after 'The Bachelor' host shared a bride and groom-like photo with his girlfriend, Lauren Zima. She revealed the truth.

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April 27, 2021 7:14PM EDT
Chris Harrison, Lauren Zima
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THE BACHELOR - ABC's "The Bachelor" stars Matt James. (ABC/Billy Kidd)
THE BACHELOR - “The Bachelor: After the Final Rose” – On-air personality and bestselling author Emmanuel Acho hosts an emotional and impactful evening featuring touching reunions, heart-wrenching confrontations and powerful one-on-one talks with the final women as well as the Bachelor himself, Matt James. Plus –just when you thought the twists and turns were finished – a shocking announcement that will have Bachelor Nation talking, all on “The Bachelor: After the Final Rose,” MONDAY, MARCH 15 (10:00-11:03 p.m. EDT), on ABC. (ABC/Craig Sjodin) RACHAEL
THE BACHELOR - “The Bachelor: After the Final Rose” – On-air personality and bestselling author Emmanuel Acho hosts an emotional and impactful evening featuring touching reunions, heart-wrenching confrontations and powerful one-on-one talks with the final women as well as the Bachelor himself, Matt James. Plus –just when you thought the twists and turns were finished – a shocking announcement that will have Bachelor Nation talking, all on “The Bachelor: After the Final Rose,” MONDAY, MARCH 15 (10:00-11:03 p.m. EDT), on ABC. (ABC/Craig Sjodin) MICHELLE

Thanks to one photo, everyone wants to know if Chris Harrison is married — and some Bachelor Nation stars have even jumped the gun with their congratulations. Chris, who is currently on hiatus from hosting this season’s The Bachelorette, stirred up marriage rumors when he posted a photo of himself kissing his girlfriend Lauren Zima on April 27. Both were dressed in attire that a groom and bride would normally wear.

Chris wore a plaid suit, while Lauren was wearing a modest column dress (no veil, however) in the black-and-white photo. Chris’s romantic yet cryptic caption also helped fuel the marriage speculation. “I’d stop the world and melt with you,” the ABC host wrote, quoting a classic song by the Modern English, before continuing, “@laurenzima there’s no one I’d rather celebrate love with and I’ll be your plus one anytime.”

However, Lauren made it clear that she was not a bride — rather, a bridesmaid. Amid all the buzz, the Entertainment Tonight producer jumped into Chris’s comments section and wrote, “I love you so much and appreciate all the ‘congrats’! This *bridesmaids* dress is really living above its potential.”

Chris Harrison, Lauren Zima
Lauren Zima clarifies that she and Chris were not attending their own wedding! [Instagram]
Chris joked right back, making it clear that he and Lauren were attending their friends’ nuptials — not their own. “Wow you attend one wedding together…do one chicken dance and your [sic] hitched! Congrats Christine and Kevin on a beautiful wedding and the start of a wonderful life together. I do love this bridesmaid though [heart emoji],” The Bachelor host wrote in response to Lauren’s playful comment.

Confused Bachelor Nation stars congratulated Chris Harrison and Lauren Zima. [Instagram]
Regardless, that didn’t stop some Bachelor Nation stars from offering their (confused) congratulatory remarks. “YESSSS!,” Jojo Fletcher wrote, while Ashley Iaconetti commented, “WAAAHHHHH!! Congratulations!!!! [heart-eyed emojis] I was literally just thinking of you two 20 minutes before opening up IG and seeing this! The love vibes are radiating across the country.” Meanwhile, Tanner Tolbert tentatively wrote, “So… Are you married or not?” Well, it looks like Tanner got his answer.

Chris Harrison, Lauren Zima
Chris Harrison and Lauren Zima have been dating for more than two years. [Kathy Hutchins/Shutterstock]
Chris and Lauren began dating towards the end of 2018. After Chris stepped down from hosting Season 17 of The Bachelorette following a controversial interview in which he defended Rachael Kirkconnell amid her scandal in Feb. 2021, Lauren has “been by Chris’ side through it all,” a source EXCLUSIVELY told HollywoodLife in March. Chris also went on to apologize to his Instagram followers, writing, “By excusing historical racism, I defended it. I invoked the term ‘woke police,’ which is unacceptable. I am ashamed over how uninformed I was. I was so wrong.”