Bustle Exclusive
Grant Clarifies When He *Actually* Chose Juliana In The Bachelor Finale
The Season 29 lead had clarity about Juliana earlier than previously known.
Grant Ellis and Juliana Pasquarosa got engaged during The Bachelor finale, which aired March 24, but not before the Season 29 lead wrestled with what he called an “impossible,” down-to-the-wire decision between her and runner-up Litia Garr. Regardless, he never considered leaving the Dominican Republic without an engagement.
“I wasn’t going to go through that and not get down on one knee,” he tells Bustle. “That’s what I came there to do. I had previously been in a relationship for seven years. I know what commitment is. I know what it means to me. And [a proposal is] a symbol of commitment. So for me to go through that and then walk away without an engagement, that wasn’t an option.”
While Grant was resolute in his Bachelor journey, which wrapped filming five months ago, watching the season back hasn’t been easy, and Juliana opted to skip the end entirely. “I went through some tough times watching the show back,” says Grant, who’s relied on the help of a new puppy, Star, to do so. “So [she’s] like an emotional support dog.”
He and Juliana are planning to blend their furry families — Juliana has an adorable dog, Charlie — and will soon start a new chapter in Boston, where Juliana is based.
But first, the couple breaks down their Bachelor experience and clarifies the season’s whirlwind timeline.
Congratulations to you both! What’s the most surprising part of life together so far?
Juliana: I think it’s that we continue to learn something new about each other every day. It helps us understand each other better and fall more in love.
What have you learned?
Juliana: That he’s a good cook. He loves to cook, and I love to eat.
What’s your go-to dish, Grant?
Grant: Probably a nice ribeye, basted in butter with either some mashed potatoes, rice, or pasta.
I love that. Juliana, what’s a sweet way Grant has shown reassurance over these past few months?
Juliana: He’s been a really good support system throughout this whole thing. He also has to balance his own emotions, but he puts me first in a lot of ways. It’s just something he does by nature. He’s caring.
Grant, I was just reading Neil Lane’s comments about the ring and how perfectly it suits your relationship with Juliana. When you picked it out, had you made your decision? That wasn’t clear to viewers.
Grant: Yeah, I know Jules’ style. I know what fits her. And I also know — I’m not going to say [the] edit or whatever — that there are bits and pieces that come into context. Obviously, it was a struggle at the end. But when picking the ring, I knew in my heart what I wanted.
As viewers, we never saw your “eureka” moment. When did you realize it was definitely you and Juliana at the end of this?
Grant: Around the time of hometowns. When I met Jules’ family, I started to know that’s something I wanted. And then when my dad came and spoke to me [in the finale], he gave me the comments I needed to have the courage to go with my heart, regardless of any circumstance that might get in the way of how I was feeling. It helped me ground myself.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
