Hannah Brown Says She Only Had $70 in the Bank When She Became 'The Bachelorette'

Before Hannah Brown became a reality TV sensation with 2.4 million Instagram followers, a People magazine cover and a major role on Dancing with the Stars, she was broke.

The 25-year-old told Marie Claire recently that her bank balance was only $70 when she agreed to star on season 15 of The Bachelorette. Fresh off a stint on The Bachelor, during which Colton Underwood dumped her in an airplane hangar, Brown didn’t have much money. (Contestants on the show do not get paid, and they have to buy their own wardrobes, which MONEY has previously reported can cost them thousands of dollars.)

Brown’s career was messy, too: She’d initially wanted to be a broadcast journalist, but her time was consumed by her Miss Alabama USA duties and an interior design job.

Now, though, she is finally getting her finances in order.

“I still need to hustle and make some money, but I’m doing a lot better than $70,” Brown said.

The Bachelorette gig likely earned Brown about six figures, but 2019 has been a whirlwind for the former pageant queen nonetheless. Not only did she break hearts and famously hook up in a windmill during her season, but she broke off her engagement after learning fiancé Jed Wyatt hadn’t been honest about his romantic past. Single, living in Los Angeles and dedicated to rehearsing for DWTS, Brown said she’s currently trying to boost her credit and determine her next steps.

“I’m excited to be able to just move on my own to a new city and just see where life’s going to take me,” Brown told NPR in August. “And I feel like it’s going to be really good.”