With only three women remaining — and with Courtney, this season’s villain and frontrunner still in it — the Bachelor love race is entering its final stages, which of course means the gossip rag rumor race is in overdrive. And with Courtney doing most of the work to sully her own name directly on the show, the tabloids are having to dig pretty deep — and dirty — to make a decent story.

Let’s check out what the mags, Chris Harrison and even Ben himself are saying about Courtney this week:

Courtney’s “SHAMELESS SEDUCTION”: When you look at this week’s US Weekly cover, it’s clear who the true star of this season is. And, according to their unnamed source, some of Courtney’s cruelest antics among the other girls haven’t even made it to air. Quoth the tabloid: Courtney told her family she had it all wrapped up.” […] “She didn’t see any competition from, in her words, Horsey, Fatty and the Kid” — her secret nicknames for Cox, Sterling and Boguskie, respectively.”

The source (who it seems could be in the Bachelor casting department, or just a completely made-up person) also says that Courtney “admitted during casting that she “doesn’t go for guys like Ben,” but “she willed herself to find him attractive.” We’re supposed to pick up the hard copy of this week’s issue for more on Courtney’s “diva demands,” including how she demanded four hour naps before every date. Shameless seduction is exhausting.

Flajnik Pulling a Mesnick? InTouch says that Ben proposed to Courtney, but after watching her reveal her true colors in those highly edited two-hour episodes, he’s changed his mind and is pursuing Lindzi Cox (“Horsey” to Courtney) again.

Or Maybe It’s More Like Pulling a Tom Brady:
Since apparently InTouch is also claiming that Courtney “might be pregnant” with Ben’s baby, possibly as the result of those “crazy, kooky fantasy suites” that ABC forces those poor Bachelor finalists to copulate inside of. Sadly, an unnamed “friend” of Ben’s says that the rumor is hogwash.

Speaking of Those Fantasy Suites: “People are going to be surprised at how conflicted Courtney is over the fantasy suite. Just kidding!” Chris Harrison, you’re such a card.

“My date with her felt really natural and I have to give her props because she was really bold to assume that I would play along with a mock wedding.” Ben continues to not understand how oxymorons work in his People.com Bachelor Blog.

Get Courtney’s “Maneater Style Secrets”!
They include not wearing a top, not wearing powder, and wearing all white. (To remind him of weddings!!!) Oh, and since you’ll be eating an entire man, maybe a bib?

Lastly, be sure to check out this week’s Bachelor bonus videos, which include the preview for next week’s fantasy suite episode! Who is that mysterious stranger returning to take down Courtney? And more importantly, who will choose to forgo their individual rooms and accept Chris Harrison’s magical key that unlocks Ben’s pants? Tune in Monday at 8pm on ABC to find out…

(Image courtesy of US Weekly)

Meghan Carlson

Senior Writer, BuddyTV

Meghan hails from Walla Walla, WA, the proud home of the world’s best sweet onions and Adam West, the original Batman. An avid grammarian and over-analyzer, you can usually find her thinking too hard about plot devices in favorites like The OfficeIt’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and How I Met Your Mother. In her spare time, Meghan enjoys drawing, shopping, trying to be funny (and often failing), and not understanding the whole Twilight thing. She’s got a BA in English and Studio Art from Whitman College, which makes her a professional arguer, daydreamer, and doodler.