Who Is ‘The Bachelor’ Star Kelsey Anderson’s Dad? Meet Her Family Ahead of Hometown Date With Joey

Kelsey Anderson has a tight-knit family and she will introduce Joey Graziadei to them on the March 4, 2024, episode of The Bachelor. Of course, the main man Joey has to impress on Kelsey’s hometown date is her dad, Mark Anderson.

Who Is The Bachelor’s Kelsey Anderson’s Dad?

Mark Anderson is a United States Army veteran. On The Bachelor, Kelsey revealed that her parents “met in the military” and were “both military police officers.” The family lived on a military base in Germany while Kelsey was growing up. Mark now resides in Louisiana, which is where Joey met him on Kelsey’s hometown date.

Kelsey was admittedly not very close with her father while growing up, as he was “working a lot,” she told Joey. However, after her mother’s death in 2018, the pair’s relationship deepened.

“My dad is really my favorite guy,” Kelsey gushed. “Whenever anything happens, he’s the person I run to. Whenever I’m happy or sad. And definitely in happy and sad moments I think that I really miss my mom, but I know that I have my dad that I can lean on.”

What Happened to The Bachelor’s Kelsey Anderson’s Mom?

Kelsey’s mom, Denise Anderson, died of cancer in 2018. She was first diagnosed with the disease “about 10 years” before Kelsey filmed The Bachelor in 2023. The illness went into remission but eventually returned and “metastasized on her bones,” Kelsey shared.

“They gave her six months,” the reality TV contestant revealed. “After that it was just very aggressive and after, I think, about two months, she passed away.” Kelsey admitted that it was “hard” for her to “think about [her] mom not being at [her] wedding” one day. However, she said she considers butterflies to be a sign that her mom is still with her.

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“Right before I came on [The Bachelor], I was getting out of work and I saw butterflies in the middle of the city of New Orleans and that was kind of reassuring to me,” Kelsey said. “On the way to the airport, I was on the phone with my dad, and I was like, ‘What do you think mom would think about all of this?’ and he told me, ‘You’re your mother’s child. You’re so brave.’ He was like, ‘It’s something your mom would do.’ He felt like I was exuding my mom’s energy, I guess.”

The New Orleans resident also told Joey that she thinks her mom would “like” him.

In February 2019, Kelsey posted a tribute to her late mother on Instagram. “One year without you and my heart still hurts like it was yesterday,” she wrote. “I feel like the luckiest kid in the world for having a mom like you, even if I didn’t get all the time I would have liked with you. You’re one in a trillion. I love you mommy. My hero. My heart.”

Who Are The Bachelor’s Kelsey Anderson’s Siblings?

Kelsey is one of five siblings. On The Bachelor, she praised her dad for being there for all five kids after Denise’s death.

Kelsey told Joey that she is closest with her younger brother, Matthew. “I heard [Matthew] on the phone when I was with my dad right before I came here and he was like, ‘I’m so proud of Kelsey,’” she shared.

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Matthew was a high school football player who went on to play the sport at the University of Nebraska and Campbell University. Kelsey has posted about her brother’s achievements on social media. “Graduated high school Thursday, off to University of Nebraska Saturday,” she gushed in May 2019.

Kelsey also has two older sisters, Taylor and Jordan, and an older brother, Pascal. In 2018, Matthew revealed that Pascal had joined the military when he shared a photo that showed the elder Anderson sibling in uniform. “He graduated basic with the cutie pie award!” Matthew joked in the caption.

In a 2017 Instagram post, Kelsey referred to Taylor as her “A1 since DAY1,” as she gushed over her big sister on her birthday. “I love you so much and I can’t believe you’re getting so old,” she continued. “It seems like yesterday you would bite me when I made you upset. I’m so glad you don’t do that anymore but anyways, turn up with mom and dad for me I wish I was home to see you. Xoxo Your fav sibling, Kelsey.”