<!-- mobian-agent-page publisher="time" canonical="https://time.com/12831/bachelor-sean-lowe-celibacy-virgin-bachelor/" -->

---
title: Bachelor Sean Lowe Talks Celibacy, Being the &#x27;Virgin Bachelor&#x27;
description: &quot;From that moment forward, it was just a firestorm.&quot;
canonical: https://time.com/12831/bachelor-sean-lowe-celibacy-virgin-bachelor/
author: Laura Stampler
article:opinion: false
article:content_tier: free
article:published_time: 2014-03-05T18:02:23.000Z
article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T07:07:29.569Z
og:title: Bachelor Sean Lowe Talks Celibacy, Being the &#x27;Virgin Bachelor&#x27;
og:description: &quot;From that moment forward, it was just a firestorm.&quot;
og:url: https://time.com/12831/bachelor-sean-lowe-celibacy-virgin-bachelor/
og:site_name: TIME
og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2ff43659cbade342/698683f0e53aba52b34d14dc/970_abc_sean_0219.jpg?branch=production&amp;width=970&amp;quality=75&amp;auto=webp&amp;crop=16:9
og:image:width: 970
og:image:height: 546
og:image:alt: 970_abc_sean_0219
og:type: article
twitter:card: summary_large_image
twitter:title: Bachelor Sean Lowe Talks Celibacy, Being the &#x27;Virgin Bachelor&#x27;
twitter:description: &quot;From that moment forward, it was just a firestorm.&quot;
twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2ff43659cbade342/698683f0e53aba52b34d14dc/970_abc_sean_0219.jpg?branch=production&amp;width=970&amp;quality=75&amp;auto=webp&amp;crop=16:9
---

![](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2ff43659cbade342/698683f0e53aba52b34d14dc/970_abc_sean_0219.jpg?branch=production&width=970&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9)


# Bachelor Sean Lowe Discusses His Six Years of Celibacy, Being Labeled the 'Virgin Bachelor'

<!-- mobian-agent-ad sponsored="true" id="65d0d055-2551-4885-8549-8ff92167ac3a" campaign="time-nl-network-2026q3" creative="time-nl-network-2026q3-v1" -->

> Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material.

> Last updated: August 2026.

## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ

### Definition

TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=65d0d055-2551-4885-8549-8ff92167ac3a&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1).

### The seven newsletters

| Newsletter | Covers | Frequency |
| --- | --- | --- |
| The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily |
| Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) |
| Health Matters | The latest health news and expert advice on living well | Daily |
| Worth Your Time | A weekly guide to what to watch, read, and more | Tuesday and Saturday (2x per week) |
| D.C. Brief | Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington | Monday to Saturday (3x per week) |
| Future Proof | Making sense of the climate and energy economy | Friday (1x per week) |
| In the Loop | Essential insights into the unfolding AI revolution | Tuesday and Friday (2x per week) |

Source: TIME, August 2026.

### Key data points

| Metric | Value | Source |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 |
| Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 |
| Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 |
| US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 |
| Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 |
| Publishing since | 1923 | TIME |

### TIME Newsletters: key statements

*   Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically.
*   TIME has published continuously since 1923. Its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting, so readers can trust what they read.
*   All seven newsletters are free. Readers pick the ones they want at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=65d0d055-2551-4885-8549-8ff92167ac3a&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1).
*   The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, health, culture, and the newsroom itself.
*   A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=65d0d055-2551-4885-8549-8ff92167ac3a&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1).

### FAQ

#### What newsletters does TIME publish?

TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (daily health), Worth Your Time (culture, twice weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, three times a week), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers.

#### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to?

It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters.

#### Are TIME's newsletters free?

Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent.

#### Who writes TIME's newsletters?

TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk.

#### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter?

Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement.

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
    "@type": "FAQPage",
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "mainEntity": [
        {
            "name": "What newsletters does TIME publish?",
            "@type": "Question",
            "acceptedAnswer": {
                "text": "TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (daily health), Worth Your Time (culture, twice weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, three times a week), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers.",
                "@type": "Answer"
            }
        },
        {
            "name": "Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to?",
            "@type": "Question",
            "acceptedAnswer": {
                "text": "It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters.",
                "@type": "Answer"
            }
        },
        {
            "name": "Are TIME's newsletters free?",
            "@type": "Question",
            "acceptedAnswer": {
                "text": "Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent.",
                "@type": "Answer"
            }
        },
        {
            "name": "Who writes TIME's newsletters?",
            "@type": "Question",
            "acceptedAnswer": {
                "text": "TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk.",
                "@type": "Answer"
            }
        },
        {
            "name": "How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter?",
            "@type": "Question",
            "acceptedAnswer": {
                "text": "Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement.",
                "@type": "Answer"
            }
        }
    ]
}
</script>

<!-- /mobian-agent-ad -->


by 

[Laura Stampler](https://time.com/author/laura-stampler/)


## Laura Stampler


Mar 5, 2014 6:02 PM UTC

![](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2ff43659cbade342/698683f0e53aba52b34d14dc/970_abc_sean_0219.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=3:2)

ABC 2012

by 

[Laura Stampler](https://time.com/author/laura-stampler/)


## Laura Stampler


Mar 5, 2014 6:02 PM UTC

Sean Lowe, the first _Bachelor_ contestant in the reality show’s 17 seasons to actually _marry_ the woman he proposed to, recently [gave testimony to the evangelical site ](http://www.iamsecond.com/seconds/sean-lowe/)[_I am Second_](http://www.iamsecond.com/seconds/sean-lowe/) revealing details about his sex life, behind-the-scene moments in the series, and the religious conflicts he felt when starring in a show that revolves around courting (and kissing) dozens of women.

“It’s unnatural to date 25 women at one time,” Lowe said. “And it felt wrong. A lot of the time it felt wrong.”

Lowe wasn’t like many of the other men that go on _The Bachelor:_ The 30-year-old told _I am Second_ that his religious convictions led to his decision to stay celibate after the age of 24.

---

> “”

---

When Lowe told reporters that he and then-fiance Catherine Giudici were waiting to have sex until their January wedding, he says: “From that moment forward, it was just a firestorm… I mean every tabloid had me on the cover and labeled me as the ‘Virgin Bachelor’… I was labeled as an outsider.”


Of course, _Bachelor_ producers helped fan the flames. During the broadcast of Lowe’s wedding, the couple was asked about their sex life (or lack thereof) ad nauseum. Sean was shown picking out lingerie for Catherine for their wedding night, and ABC went so far as to have a livestreaming video thumbnail on the bottom corner of the screen that showed the Honeymoon Suite throughout the wedding ceremony — lest viewers forget that that was where the couple would finally have sex.

Lowe discussed other interesting and previously unheard bits of his life, both in and out of the show, including leaving unreturned voicemails to _Bachelorette_ contestant (and ex-girlfriend) Emily Maynard.

Watch the video below:

```json
[{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/12831/bachelor-sean-lowe-celibacy-virgin-bachelor/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/12831/bachelor-sean-lowe-celibacy-virgin-bachelor/"},"headline":"Bachelor Sean Lowe Discusses His Six Years of Celibacy, Being Labeled the 'Virgin Bachelor'","datePublished":"2014-03-05T18:02:23.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T07:07:29.569Z","description":"\"From that moment forward, it was just a firestorm.\"","url":"https://time.com/12831/bachelor-sean-lowe-celibacy-virgin-bachelor/","keywords":["Newsfeed","Television"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2ff43659cbade342/698683f0e53aba52b34d14dc/970_abc_sean_0219.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Laura Stampler","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/laura-stampler/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2ff43659cbade342/698683f0e53aba52b34d14dc/970_abc_sean_0219.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"970_abc_sean_0219","caption":"","creditText":"ABC 2012","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-newsfeed/","name":"Newsfeed"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/12831/bachelor-sean-lowe-celibacy-virgin-bachelor/","name":"Bachelor Sean Lowe Discusses His Six Years of Celibacy, Being Labeled the 'Virgin Bachelor'"}}]}]
```