Why Aaron Left The Bachelorette & More On Week 3

The July 22 episode of Jenn Tran’s Bachelorette season began with a warning, one that promised “graphic” images of “scantily clad men thrusting and gyrating.” And indeed, there was a lot of that. But contestants’ clothing wasn’t the only thing flying — so, too, was drama among Jenn’s men.

Here’s a recap of Week 3, including why Hakeem Moulton, Tomas Azzano, and Aaron Erb left The Bachelorette.

A Classic One-On-One

Week 3 began with a quintessential helicopter ride. Jenn and Spencer Conley flew over Australia’s 12 Apostles cliffs, and she was impressed at what a “gentleman” he was throughout the date, from opening doors to helping with her seatbelt.

“You really made me feel cared for today, and that’s not something I feel a lot in a lot of my relationships,” Jenn told the 30-year-old pet portrait entrepreneur at dinner.

This prompted a conversation about toxic exes, with Spencer sharing that he was previously engaged. Two months before the wedding, his fiancée left their home to “think about things.” Spencer said he ultimately learned that his ex had cheated on him, leading to a “dark” time. Today, however, he’s learned more about himself and is ready to be engaged again.

Meet The Thunder From Down Under

The week’s first group date saw Jenn’s men joining the Thunder from Down Under dance revue — and they got quite creative, with a few stand-out stage names including Dylan Buckor’s “Mr. C E Make You OOOO!” and Tomas Azzano’s “The Snake Whisperer.”

It was Jonathon Johnson’s “Jonny Fire Cheeks” that secured the title of Mr. Love Down Under. However, other performances stirred up controversy among the cast. Devin Strader’s “The Dirty Detective” flashed major cheek in a thong, and while his thrusting seemed to thrill Jenn, it didn’t endear him to his critics among the guys (notably Sam McKinney).

Sam Nejad, for his part, opted out of the exercise altogether. “Jenn, I know you want us to bare it all, but I’m here to bare my soul,” he said during his turn, telling Jenn that he’s “already falling in love” with her.

Devin tried to defend Sam N., the self-described “love virgin,” from criticism since Sam M. took offense to his castmate’s “premature” declaration. It led to Devin getting into the drama himself, with Sam M. saying he didn’t respect him. But Devin’s unbothered attitude seemed to rile up his Bachelorette foes even more, and he ultimately won the group date rose after having a heart-to-heart with Jenn about his self-image insecurities growing up.

A Surprising Self-Elimination

For the next date, a much smaller group of men competed in race cars, and while Jeremy Simon came in last speed-wise, he shared a kiss with Jenn in the car and won the group date rose.

This was a problem for Aaron Erb, who had been called to Air Force pilot training and debated whether to leave the show. Not receiving a rose was confirmation that Jenn might have stronger connections elsewhere. “I wish I was further along, where I felt like, As long as I have Jenn in my life, I’m happy. And I’m just not there yet,” he told her ahead of the Week 3 rose ceremony.

Jenn was very understanding, but she took issue with Aaron’s parting warning about some of the men not being ready for an engagement and others not being there for the right reasons. He declined to name names, though, which Jenn felt was “not fair.”

“I feel like it was a disingenuous conversation,” she said in a confessional. “I feel like he knew he wanted to leave, which is fine, but to not tell me who these people are ... that’s cruel.”

Several of Jenn’s men were upset by the implications of Aaron’s words. Sam M., for his part, was sad to see his friend go but promised Jenn he was very much there for her. Later, Devin assured her that he'd always be there to support her in times of strife (like this chaotic cocktail party). “Just get behind me, I’ll take those punches to the chin and we’ll keep walking,” he said.

Who Else Went Home?

After Aaron’s self-elimination, two men were sent home at the Week 3 rose ceremony: Tomas A. and Hakeem. Neither exit seemed to be the result of any drama or Aaron’s ominous warning. Instead, it seems they simply didn’t get enough time with Jenn. As the Season 21 lead told Hakeem on his way out, “You deserve the world.”