Joe Amabile and Serena Pitt were a match made in Paradise after finding love and getting engaged on Bachelor in Paradise season 7.
While Joe and Serena were head-over-heels for each other early on, things got rocky after Joe’s ex-girlfriend Kendall Long arrived on the beach. Kendall left soon after when she realized that Joe and Serena were endgame but returned a second time in the season finale.
“I don’t have any resentment [at Kendall] — it was a little confusing,” Joe exclusively told Us after the October 2021 finale. “The timing, I would say, wasn’t the best. I was just really focused on Serena and getting to that moment. I had a ring in my back pocket. It was more like, ‘OK, I get that you’re here, you know, I wish you the best, but it’s not the time. Now is not the time.’ But I hope she’s happy.”
After Joe’s televised proposal, he and Serena started their real-life journey together, eloping in October 2022 at a local courthouse before marrying a second time in September 2023 with friends and family in attendance.
In summer 2026, the pair faced an unforeseen challenge when Joe had to undergo brain surgery to remove a tumor. Serena, however, was there every step of the way and Joe successfully recovered by their third wedding anniversary that September.
Scroll down for a look at Joe and Serena’s romance from the start:
August 2021
Joe initially had trouble settling in when BiP season 7 premiered in August 2021, telling his castmates that being on the beach reminded him too much of Kendall Long. As he considering leaving, he had a heart-to-heart with Serena that convinced him to stay.
Kendall arrived on the beach during week three, but Joe told her it was over between them for good. Though she tried pursuing relationships with other men at Playa Escondida in Mexico, she later decided that she wasn’t over her ex and went home.
September 2021
After Kendall’s exit, Joe and Serena confessed their feelings for one another, becoming one of the last couples standing. Heading into the October 2021 finale, it seemed likely that the “Click Bait” podcast host was planning to propose.
October 2021
Kendall made one more surprise appearance during the season finale, but she couldn’t shake Joe’s determination to make it official with Serena.
“My ex did just show up on the beach,” he said during his proposal, which aired in October 2021. “If anything, it just made me more confident in how much that I do love you. We have definitely had our speed bumps along the way, but the way you’ve handled it shows me what a kind of loving person you are. I’m really into you — your smile, your charm, your looks, this whole thing.”
After the duo arrived home, the Canada native admitted that her parents were definitely surprised to find out she’d gotten engaged on BiP.
“I think shock was the first emotion, definitely shock, but I mean, we have a great relationship,” she told Us after the finale. “They’re very loving and supportive and as much as I would say, they’re still a little bit shocked by all of it — I mean, it’s just very unconventional [but] they’re just excited to be a part of it and be able to share it now with their family and friends and get to know Joe more.”
October 2021
In October 2021, the pair told Us that they planned to move in together in the spring of 2022 after splitting time between their hometowns.
“We’re deciding between probably three locations, either Toronto, Chicago or New York,” Joe explained. “We’ll figure it out.”
October 2021
After a TikTok follower asked Serena in October 2021 why she was in a relationship with a man 11 years older than her, the Bachelor alum clapped back with a photo gallery of famous couples who also have sizable age gaps between them.
The video included pictures of Jay-Z and Beyoncé, Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds and George and Amal Clooney, among others.
February 2022
“Happy Valentine’s Day 🤍 This is the first photo I ever took of @joeamabile1 and still one of my favorites,” Pitt captioned an Instagram photo of her fiancé smiling at the camera.
April 2022
“I’m definitely happy about it,” Serena exclusively told Us in April 2022 of the pair’s joint move to New York. “It’ll make things just easier. I mean, travel’s kind of part of our lives, part of our careers and our relationship but, yeah, we love the city so it’s going to be fun.”
October 2022
The twosome decided to elope at the local New York City courthouse in October 2022, with only Bachelor Nation’s Natasha Parker in attendance as their witness.
“We have always known marriage was in our future, it just looked a little bit different than we expected,” they told Us in a joint statement. “We still plan on having a big wedding next fall that we are already planning, but with everything being so public in our relationship, having a private moment just the two of us felt so special and intimate.”
September 2023
Serena and Joe tied the knot for a second time in Charleston, South Carolina, over Labor Day weekend. BiP bartender Wells Adams officiated the ceremony.
February 2024
The lovebirds headed to Victoria, British Columbia, for a weekend away.
June 2024
Joe and Serena took in a summertime Chicago Cubs game, which is a tradition for the pair.
January 2025
The Bachelor Nation couple kicked off the new year with a trip to Costa Rica.
September 2025
“Happy 2 year wedding anniversary 🤍 let’s have another one to celebrate our third!” Serena teased via Instagram.
Joe also paid tribute to his wife on their special day, writing in his social media message, “Happy second anniversary girl 💍 we’ve come along way since that first photo at your parent’s house. Well at least me and your parents have.”
December 2025
The twosome celebrated the holiday season at the Happiest Place on Earth.
January 2026
Joe and Serena announced on January 13 that they were exiting as cohosts of the “Bachelor Happy Hour” podcast.
“Right now, we’re just starting off 2026 parting ways with this. You know what I mean? It just felt like more than anything, it just felt like the right time for us to close the door on this chapter,” Serena said at the time.
July 2026
Joe announced on July 13 that doctors found “a blueberry size lesion” on his brain which appeared to be a tumor during an MRI scan and he planned to undergo brain surgery in a few weeks.
After receiving an outpouring of love from fans, Serena shared a message of gratitude.
“Finding out that Joe has a brain tumor has come with so many emotions. It has felt very scary, overwhelming and heavy at times,” she wrote via Instagram on July 14. “We feel so blessed to have an amazing community who is supporting us and helping us hold onto a positive mindset throughout all of this!”
August 2026
Joe revealed on August 6 that the surgery was successful and the doctors “got it all” when it came to the brain tumor.
Later that month, he shared an update, telling his fans that he was diagnosed with astrocytoma but it was a “very low grade.”
Astrocytoma is a type of brain tumor or spinal cord tumor that begins in cells called astrocytes and may result in headaches, seizures, nausea or changes in mood or behavior, per Mayo Clinic.
“They did get the whole thing,” Joe said in an Instagram video. “When it comes to malignant brain tumors, they don’t know what’s left over, so I will be going on treatment, which is just a pill every day for the rest of my life to put the bad cells to sleep and hopefully they stay asleep.”
Serena, for her part, thanked the NYU Langone Health team in August for their “endless patience, care, compassion, and kindness these past few days.”
She updated fans via Instagram, writing, “Joe is home recovering, and we’re so grateful to have been in such good hands.”
September 2026
Less than a month after Joe’s brain surgery, he and Serena celebrated their third anniversary. Joe paid homage to his wife in a heartfelt Instagram post after she was his “rock” throughout his health scare.
“These past few months have been pretty tough to say the least. You have been there with me every single step of the way, taking in all the good and the bad news,” he wrote of his wife’s resilience. “You cried alone in our bedroom because you didn’t want to bring me down. You cleaned, you cooked, you podcasted, you went to every doctor’s appointment, you dealt with the doctors and nurses, made sure all my medication was taken on time, and if I woke up at 2:30 in morning so did you …you did it all.”
Joe added: “I couldn’t be more lucky to have you as my wife, my partner, and my best friend. I love you forever and always ♥️.”
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