The Bachelor star Grant Ellis insisted that he did not lead on runner-up Litia Garr before he broke up with her during the season 29 finale.
While Grant, 31, and Litia, 31, confessed their love for each other ahead of their split, the former basketball player ultimately chose Juliana Pasquarosa to give his final rose to. While he broke the news to Litia, she was clearly surprised and said he was “different” than she originally thought.
Grant admitted that their breakup conversation “was hard,” and he explained that the pressure of letting her down made him feel “torn” between the final two women.
“You meet somebody’s family, you spend time with somebody, you hear their story, and then you have to tell them on what’s supposed to be the biggest day of their life that they’re not your person,” he told People. “That’s what caused me to have a little bit of stress, a little bit of confusion on how to do this.”
While Litia called him out for giving her false hope about their potential future together, Grant said he views his behavior differently. “I don’t feel like I misled – I feel like I led with my heart,” he said, reflecting on his decision to express his feelings for Litia throughout the season. “I feel like it would be misleading if I made promises, but I expressed my feelings, which I do every day. I’ve been in those shoes, so I know where she’s coming from and I’ll always come from a place of compassion.”
“I definitely cared, and I definitely did have those feelings, but ultimately Juliana is my person,” Grant continued. “Sometimes the hardest things come out with the best reward.”
Grant and Litia reunited for the first time after their split during the After the Final Rose special, where she called him out for leading him on. She also said she wasn’t aware that Grant had concerns about her timeline to start a family soon, claiming that he never expressed those feelings with her.
“I have to accept responsibility for my actions,” Grant told her, adding that he was in love with her and still cared about her.
Grant went on to apologize for hurting her, as well as her loved ones after he met her family during her hometown date. “I’m truly sorry and I had to make a decision that was best for me. And it came down to the wire for me,” he continued. “I’m sorry that I hurt you. Truly. And I hope you feel the sincerity when I speak to you.”
While speaking to People, Juliana, 28, weighed in on Grant and Litia’s relationship and said that the exes had an “undeniable” connection. However, she believes that Litia’s relationship with Grant is different than the one she has with her fiancé.
“Litia is such an amazing person – I think it just comes down to what type of life you wanted to live afterwards,” Juliana told the outlet. “I know Litia’s time frame for settling down is different than mine was, but it’s comparison-by-circumstance. That doesn’t take anything away from me, and I hope that that doesn’t take anything away from her.”
