Chris Soule

On August 23, 2019 he was convicted after his guilty plea to Leaving the Scene of an Accident. His penalty was two years probation.

In April 2017, Soules was arrested and charged with leaving the scene of a fatal traffic accident in Aurora, Iowa. Chris was charged with a class D felony for leaving the scene of an accident causing death. He was not charged with driving under the influence, although court documents obtained by People magazine reveal that he was allegedly in possession of alcoholic beverages and containers at the time of the crash, which occurred around 8 p.m. on Monday, April 24, 2017. His attorneys are also hoping to avoid a trial completely since Chris is a "public figure" and an "unnecessary trial" could be "damaging." "If Mr. Soules is forced to proceed to trial and then appeal, there would be no way to undo the publicity and restore Mr. Soules to his original position," his lawyers stated, according to documents obtained by the Des Moines Register. "Addressing this questionable and fundamentally unfair charge, given these facts, prior to trial, better serves the interests of justice."

Soules became a fan favorite on The Bachelorette and he ended up as the Bachelor for season 19. In the first episode, it was revealed that Chris would have a total of 30 women to choose from, instead of the usual 25. Soules proposed to Whitney Bischoff in The Bachelor finale at his family's barn in near Lamont, Iowa. On May 28, 2015, the couple announced that they had called off their engagement.

Following The Bachelor, Soules became a contestant on the ABC reality show Dancing with the Stars; his partner was season 19 champion Witney Carson. Soules became the 12th and final celebrity to fill in the cast. At the midway of the competition, Soules suffered a calf injury during rehearsal on Disney week. Soules was eliminated on May 5, 2015 (week 8) and finished in 5th place.

In September, 2015, Soules appeared on Food Network's Worst Cooks in America: Celebrity Edition, where he was the third person eliminated from an original group of seven.

Soules was born in Arlington, Iowa, and is the youngest child and only son of Gary and Linda Soules. He has three older sisters. Soules is a fourth-generation farmer. He learned how to drive a tractor before driving a car at a young age. At Starmont High School, Soules was involved in football, track, and the National FFA Organization. When he was a senior, the Starmont High football team was runner-up in the state championship. He graduated in 2000. Soules went on to graduate from Iowa State University with a major in Agricultural Studies.