Spoiler alert: The following contains details from the finale of “The Bachelor” Season 29.
Another season is in the books, and Bachelor Nation has received a seemingly happy ending.
On Monday night’s “Bachelor” finale, Grant Ellis had his final dates with Litia Garr and Juliana Pasquarosa and introduced his family to the last two women standing on Season 29.
After much speculation about whether a weary-looking Grant from the “Women Tell All” even ended up with anyone, the rumors have been put to rest. The 31-year-old day trader had a signature Neil Lane ring and a very specific question to ask one of the women in the Dominican Republic — so is he an engaged man?
The finale revealed Litia as the first to arrive at the podium with Grant and his final rose, meaning she would be dumped so he’d have a clean slate when his final choice, Juliana, arrived later.
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After a tense final conversation between Grant and Litia, the bachelor was ready for his happy ending. He revealed in a confessional that, unlike with Litia, he could “see a forever love between us” with Juliana — a vision in an orange/pink rhinestone-bedazzled dress who was so nervous she could barely deliver her final speech to him.
The real ‘Bachelor’ shocker: ‘Golden’ contestants are headed to ‘Bachelor in Paradise’
Grant put her nerves to rest and reassured Juliana that she was now his best friend after the nearly two-month experience. He pulled an emerald-cut Neil Lane ring out of his suit jacket pocket as she squealed, and he asked if she’d marry him.
It was a yes from her, of course, and they put their love wolf days behind them.
Later, during “After the Final Rose,” the two confirmed they’ll be relocating together to Boston, as Juliana is from Newton, Massachusetts.
Charity Lawson speaks out: ‘Bachelorette’ star hopes show makes ‘tweaks’ to ‘come back stronger’
How Grant broke up with Litia
After Litia gingerly stepped along the rain-wet pavement in platform heels and delivered a speech about wanting a “forever” love with the bachelor, Grant delivered a blow.
“Litia, I love you very much. I want to give you everything you deserve, but I’m not your person,” he said as she looked away. “My emotional connection is stronger somewhere else.”
She didn’t take long to process the rejection, and a stony demeanor took over her face as she questioned when he decided she wasn’t the one for him.
Before walking away from the podium that once promised her a final rose, she told Grant, “You’re different than I thought.” He struggled to not hit back at the dig but quickly collected himself.
But he couldn’t help himself and asked as they walked away: “You feel like I’ve been misleading?” Litia replied: “For me, the switch-up is crazy.”
With the live studio audience firmly on her side in this recorded segment, she told Grant, “I just want to be clear. I’m confused and I’m sad, and I’m mad.”
Litia reveals why she felt led on by Grant
During the live “After the Final Rose” portion, Litia revealed she’d “felt like I had the rug pulled out from under me” after Grant’s rejection due to the many promises she’d made throughout the season.
“You said a lot of things to me from the beginning, from our first one-on-one in LA, where you said you wanted to stop the whole show because that’s how sure you were and how confident you were in our connection. You said it to my mom,” she told Grant.
“You went out of bounds. In Madrid, you gave me a journal telling me to write all my thoughts and feelings so we could read through it at the end,” she continued. “You told me I was your number one connection, that from the first group date you knew I was your wife. Those aren’t things that you say when you’re conflicted.”
Litia went on to say she’d tried to keep her expectations down throughout filming, but Grant’s reassurances had gotten her hopes up.
“I still knew the format of this whole equation and you were pursuing other relationships and that was subject to change, but you never let up, up until the last night. In overnights you said a lot,” Litia said. “And up until the last night before proposal, when I said, ‘Oh my gosh we’re getting engaged tomorrow.’ And you said, ‘I know; I can’t wait. I love you, I love you, I love you.’
“Where is the protection and the honesty and the accountability and the maturity that you talked about?”
Grant, smart man that he is, didn’t dispute her recollection of events and used his trusty “I take responsibility for my actions” mantra.
But he did offer one explanation: “I didn’t know how conflicted I would be,” he said of his final choice.
Is there going to be a ‘Bachelorette’ season?
Unfortunately for the 25 women who passed through the “Bachelor” mansion double doors earlier this season, none will be handed the baton to lead her own “Bachelorette” season — this summer, at least.
As first reported by Deadline last month, the spinoff show, which usually airs in the spring and summer, will not be broadcast during its usual timeslot on ABC. Instead, “Bachelor in Paradise” will be the next franchise installment, a person with knowledge of the situation who is not authorized to speak publicly told USA TODAY.
During Grant’s finale, host Jesse Palmer revealed what might’ve been the most shocking news of the night: “Golden” contestants would be dating alongside former “Bachelor” and “Bachelorette” cast members on “Paradise” this summer.
“Leslie Fhima” (“Golden Bachelor”), Gary Levingston (“Golden Bachelorette”), Zoe McGrady (Grant’s “Bachelor” season) and Hakeem Moulton and Jonathon Johnson from Jenn Tran’s “Bachelorette” season are the stars who are so far confirmed for the spinoff show.
The broadcaster has not announced when fans can expect the next “Bachelorette” season.
Speaking with USA TODAY at the iHeartRadio Music Awards in Los Angeles on March 17, “Bachelorette” lead Charity Lawson and her fiancé Dotun Olubeko
opened up about their thoughts on “The Bachelorette” taking a pause.
“I do think that they should take a break to figure out, maybe, where they should make some tweaks and, hopefully, come back stronger,” she said.
Lawson, who got engaged to Olubeko at the end of her 2023 season, added: “The show itself, obviously, contributed to our love story being what it is, so it’s always something special to us.”
(This story was updated with new information and a photo.)