Adams was born raised in Santa Ana, California by her parents Desmond and Rosario Adams.[7] Her father is African-American and her mother is Mexican; Adams identifies as biracial.[8][9] She has three siblings and was a Girl Scout for 12 years.[10] Adams graduated from Rosary Academy in 2008, and then from Concordia University Irvine in 2012 with a bachelor's degree in biology.[11][7] During her first week of college in 2008, she was run over by a truck, saying: "I had to relearn how to walk in the hospital and missed about two and a half, three months of school. After about two years, I finally got to the point where I could walk 'normally' and not have chronic pain when I sat down."[12] In 2011, Adams was hit by a distracted driver on the highway and she suffered from chronic pain for five years after the accident.[12] Adams credits physical therapy for her recovery.[13]
In addition to being a reality television personality, Adams is also a former phlebotomist.[4][14]
In October 2021, Adams launched a clothing collection with Amaryllis Apparel called "Amaryllis x Tayshia".[18][19] The collection consists of 17 pieces, including tops, skirts, jackets, jeans and blouses.[18] The collection was designed for "the girl on the go" and was priced between $39.99 and $149.99.[18] On March 8, 2022, she announced her partnership with athletics brand Asics.[20] In September 2022, Adams teamed up with Conair and Scünci and created a collection of hair accessories and tools sold at Walmart.[21] The collection called "Tayshia by Conair", consists of 33 hair accessories, five hair brushes and combs, five hair tools and one mirror.[21][22]
In May 2023, it was announced that Adams will appear in Amazon Freevee's upcoming competition series, The Goat.[34][35] The show followed fan favorite reality television personalities going through a series of mental, physical, and social challenges, and only one will win a cash prize.[35] The series premiered on May 9, 2024.[36] She was the second contestant to be voted off the competition.[37] In her first acting role, Adams played the role of Influencer in Max's political drama series The Girls on the Bus.
After her elimination from The Bachelor, Adams appeared on season six of Bachelor in Paradise in August 2019,[40] where she started dating fellow contestant John Paul Jones. The two split in September 2019, prior to the show's finale.[41] After the finale, Adams and Jones rekindled their relationship when she traveled to Saint Michaels, Maryland, to "see if he would be willing to give their relationship another chance."[42] They dated for a few weeks before ending their relationship again in late October 2019.[41][43][44][45]
The Bachelorette
In 2020, Adams was chosen as the replacement for Clare Crawley on season 16 of The Bachelorette after Crawley's exit, making this the first American Bachelorette season to have its lead replaced.[46] In the season finale, Adams chose Zac Clark, an addiction specialist from New Jersey, over runner-up Ben Smith, and the couple became engaged to marry.[47]
On March 13, 2021, it was announced that Adams will co-host season 17 of The Bachelorette alongside fellow former BacheloretteKaitlyn Bristowe.[48][49] On May 17, 2021, Adams accepted the award for "Best Dating Show" on The Bachelorette's behalf at the MTV Movie & TV Awards: Unscripted ceremony.[50][51] In June 2021, Marie Claire called her "a longtime Bachelor Nation fan favorite."[52] In 2021, Adams hosted two podcasts, Bachelor Happy Hour and Click Bait with Bachelor Nation.[53] After a successful run co-hosting The Bachelorette Season 17, "Adams and Bristowe have received a warm reception as co-hosts, garnering positive feedback from Bachelor Nation on social media," leading to Adams being announced as the co-host for The Bachelorette season 18 with a multi-year option to extend beyond the two seasons she has co-hosted of The Bachelorette franchise this far.[6] In January 2022, Adams was replaced by Tia Booth as the co-host of Click Bait with Bachelor Nation podcast.[54]
Philanthropy
She works in partnership with Christianhumanitarian organizationWorld Vision.[55] She sponsors two children in Kenya and Honduras via World Vision.[55] In 2022, she traveled to Moldova to visit Ukrainian refugees.[56] In December 2022, Adams created "All Things Possible" crossbody purse for World Vision to raise money for people at risk due to the Ukraine crisis.[57][58][59]
In 2015, Adams married Josh Bourelle; they divorced in 2017.[61] In 2020, after meeting on The Bachelorette, she became engaged to Zac Clark.[62] The couple broke up in November 2021.[63]