Emily Maynard to Become Franchise’s First ‘Bachelorette’ Grandma

Date: August 27, 2025

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Former Bachelorette star Emily Maynard Johnson is set to break reality-TV history by becoming the first lead in the franchise to welcome a grandchild. On Tuesday, August 26, Maynard’s eldest daughter, 20-year-old Josephine “Ricki” Hendrick, revealed via her Instagram Stories that she is expecting her first child.

Hendrick, whose father was NASCAR driver Ricky Hendrick, shared an ultrasound image and quoted Love Island USA alum Huda Mustafa with the caption, “Netflix told me I’m not allowed to talk about it.” In a follow-up post, she uploaded a brief video of her baby moving during an ultrasound appointment, adding, “My heart is so full, yet my stomach is so empty because she hates all food. I’m convinced.” Ricki has not publicly announced any romantic partner.

Emily Maynard, 39, has not yet issued a public statement regarding her daughter’s pregnancy. Maynard first came to national attention as a contestant on The Bachelor and later as the lead on season 8 of The Bachelorette in 2012, where she became engaged to Jef Holm. Although that engagement ended three months later, Maynard married businessman Tyler Johnson in 2014. The couple has since welcomed five children: their daughters Magnolia Bella (born 2020) and son Jones West (born 2022), as well as three older sons-Jennings Tyler, Gibson Kyle, and Gatlin Avery.

Ricki Hendrick was born in 2004, shortly after her father’s tragic death in a plane crash. Maynard, then 18, discovered she was pregnant following Ricky Hendrick’s passing and raised her daughter as a single mother before entering the Bachelor franchise. Fans have long watched Ricki grow up from a toddler on screen to a young woman now soon to be a mother herself.

When Hendrick’s little one arrives in early 2026, Maynard will become the first former Bachelorette lead to assume the role of grandmother, a milestone celebrated by fans across social media. Sources say a family gathering is being planned for later this year to mark both Ricki’s impending motherhood and to honor the late Ricky Hendrick’s legacy amid the joyous announcement.