As this season of The Bachelor wears on, Bachelor Ben Higgins is getting to know all of the potential suitors. One of the women on the show that we haven’t heard a lot from is single mom Amanda Stanton, who made an impression on Ben on the first night of the show, but who has since been sitting in the corner quietly waiting for her turn in the spotlight. Well, her time is now — she got her first one-on-one date with Ben, and during their day together, Amanda opened up about her children, her rocky marriage, and her ex-husband.
Ben already knows that Amanda has two daughters, but over a dinner (which we know that they didn’t eat), Amanda went further in depth about her love history. She married her daughters’ dad when her eldest was six months old, and she was quickly disappointed by what she claims was his disinterest in spending time with the family. Flash forward to Amanda getting pregnant with their second daughter, finding out that her ex had allegedly been texting and possibly cheating on her with an array of other women, and sending him packing. Though she knew that the relationship wasn’t working and held on for as long as she could, Amanda said that was her last straw, and I think she’s a better woman for it. Bustle reached out to her ex for comment, but had not received a reply. It does seem like he's more supportive these days, even watching the show to see Amanda.
It’s hard to recognize the end of a relationship, but good for Amanda that she was strong enough to leave for the sake of her daughters. Her daughters will now see that you don’t have to stay in a bad relationship — you can find a man or woman that respects you and loves you for who you are. Amanda made a brave choice, and Ben definitely respects her more because of it. She got a rose out of her date, and I’m sure that she’ll be on the show for weeks and weeks to come.
Images: Rick Rowell/ABC
