Who is Olivia Gross, the mother of Bartise Bowden's child?

Bartise Bowden in season 3 of Love Is Blind

(Image credit: Ser Baffo/Netflix)

last updated 25 April 2023

Reality TV fans all have the same question: who exactly is Olivia Gross?! In a move no one saw coming, Bartise Bowden, Love Is Blind season 3 cast member and Perfect Match late-comer, decided to let us in on a little secret: he and Olivia are parents to a little boy. Cue the gasps!

Since we got a tad bit sidetracked ahead of the Love Is Blind live reunion, which as you know went off disastrously, we were thrown for a loop with this news from season 3's notorious antihero. We have to applaud his timing and ability to completely sidetrack us, though, that's for sure!

In an Instagram post on Friday, April 7, he wrote, "Might’ve been the villain on tv, but I’m gonna be the hero for him. Instagram, meet my little man ❤️ #bigfella," alongside a slew of photos with his kiddo.

But has anyone seen Olivia before this shocking announcement?

A post shared by Bartise Bowden (@bartiseb)
A photo posted by on

Who did Bartise have a baby with?

The reality star and a woman allegedly named Olivia Gross welcomed a little tyke, Aiden, on December 27, 2022, though her identity has remained somewhat mysterious since the big reveal.

Who is Olivia Gross? Meet Bartise's baby mama

Vanessa and Nick Lachey were hoping for a Love Is Blind baby—she made a plea for a little one during the Love Is Blind season 3 reunion and the season 4 reunion—and it looks like Bartise was listening. But Olivia Gross wasn't on the show, or any Netflix reality dating show, for that matter.

Little is known about Olivia, but Life & Style broke the news about the mother of Bowden's baby, though Bowden seemingly left out her identity in his big reveal. On Monday, April 3, Bowden filed an open case pertaining to their newborn son, which is how Olivia's identity was tracked down, according to the publication. The 25-year- old allegedly hails from Texas by way of South Dakota.

According to her TikTok account, Olivia works in hospitality as a waitress and bartender. It's unclear if she and Bartise had a history before their meetup, or if their connection was a one-time thing. What came as a shock is that she revealed on the platform that she didn't realize she was pregnant until she was five months along. Now, she is happily posting clips of her little one's progress.

One thing that seems a bit puzzling about this timeline is the fact that Bartise was on back-to-back reality shows seemingly while Olivia was pregnant: Bartise and Nancy from Love Is Blind dated in 2021, then in March 2022, when Perfect Match was filmed, Bartise ventured to a villa in Panama City to find love. His little fella came into the world before the end of 2022, and Instagram users quickly commented on the timing.

"Did I miss a few chapters??" one user commented. Another chimed in with: "The math ain’t mathing."

Are Bartise and Olivia together?

Bartise is keeping his current relationship status quiet, though he did take to Instagram Stories on Easter Sunday 2023 with an interesting photo: sitting on the couch with his dog and a woman's hand on said pup. The woman was unidentified, but people are starting to think that this could possibly be his new partner's hand. Is it Olivia? It is someone else?

Aside from his initial Instagram announcement—and the quick video that premiered on the Love Is Blind season 4 reunion—Bartise seems to only feel comfortable bringing his baby into the mix, not his potential partner and possibly the mother of his child. Guess we'll just stand by for future announcements or social media slip-ups.

Did Nancy Rodriguez respond to Bartise's baby announcement?

In a TikTok posted on Sunday, April 9, two days after Bartise's announcement, Nancy—his ex-fiancée— is seen lip-synching to "BO$$ Chick" by Saweetie with the caption: "Minding my business over here…"

A user commented, "LOL I love how this tells so much without saying anything," to which Nancy replied, "Minding mine….🤓"

Between different political views, past relationships not being completely squashed and a lack of sparks, we were not convinced that Bartise and Nancy would be successful on the third season of the reality show.

When Bartise rejected Nancy at the altar, she was devastated, and her family was enraged. Though Nancy was still in touch with Bartise in Love Is Blind: After the Altar season 3, they've ultimately parted ways since then. Guess he'll have to look elsewhere for a babysitter.

@thenancyrodriguez
Minding my business over here…
♬ BO$$ CHICK - Saweetie

Love Is Blind season 4 is currently streaming on Netflix.

Need a TV show recommendation? Maybe a few decor tips? Danielle, a digital news writer at Future, has you covered. Her work appears throughout the company’s lifestyle brands, including My Imperfect Life, Real Homes, and woman&home. Mainly, her time is spent at My Imperfect Life, where she’s attuned to the latest entertainment trends and dating advice for Gen Z.

Before her time at Future, Danielle was the editor of Time Out New York Kids, where she got to experience the best of the city from the point of view of its littlest residents. Before that, she was a news editor at Elite Daily. Her work has also appeared in Domino, Chowhound, and amNewYork, to name a few.

When Danielle’s not writing, you can find her testing out a new recipe, reading a book (suggestions always welcome), or rearranging the furniture in her apartment…again.