Why Did Dina Go Home On The Bachelor? Here’s A Hometowns Recap

Hometowns have arrived on The Bachelor. And during the pivotal week, Grant Ellis got some much-needed clarity on his relationships with Juliana Pasquarosa, Zoe McGrady, Litia Garr, and Dina Lupancu.

Here’s a recap of Grant’s hometowns episode on March 3, including why Dina left The Bachelor — and what she says about her exit today.

Pizza With The Pasquarosas

Grant’s first stop of the week was Newton, Massachusetts, where he and Juliana made pizza to bring to her family and friends waiting at home.

Juliana explained to Grant that her last relationship brought her to a “pretty low low,” which scared her family. Her dad voiced these concerns, too — especially with three other women in the picture — but he was heartened to hear Grant talk about wanting to grow with Juliana, and decided he had “pure” motives and intentions.

“I love the guy. He seems like he’s ready,” he told his daughter. “He’s ready for a relationship. I think you’re going to be fine.”

Before parting ways, Grant told Juliana that he’s falling for her — “I feel like it could be a fit for me,” he said — while Juliana reiterated that she’s falling in love with him.

A Bridal Vision

Next up, Grant visited Zoe McGrady in New York City. They teamed up for a gorgeous Brides photo shoot — acting out everything from a proposal to their dream wedding — before meeting with several of Zoe’s loved ones.

Zoe explained that while she’s currently estranged from her adoptive parents, she was excited to introduce Grant to her “chosen family,” including her sister, Faith.

While chatting with Grant, Faith wondered why her sister never got a one-on-one date. However, she was reassured when Grant said that once they forged a connection, they were “locked in.”

“It wasn’t too late, it was right on time,” he said, adding that he wasn’t concerned by Zoe’s family situation.

At the end of the date, Grant said in a confessional that of all his remaining suitors, Zoe is “the one that I feel most vulnerable with.” Separately, however, Zoe wondered if they had enough time to catch up.

Grant Is “Cooked”

Grant then visited Litia’s family in Star Valley, Wyoming, where they went horse riding before meeting her family (including a niece who calls her “Titi,” a nickname Grant adorably started using himself).

While Grant entered the date unsure if Litia’s family would accept him as a non-Mormon, those worries were quickly alleviated. Litia’s parents both told Grant that they were happy he had his own relationship with God — harboring no expectations that he’d have to join their specific church and belief system. Litia’s grandpa was also supportive after she confided that she loved Grant.

While Litia told her mom she worried about Grant potentially being intimate with other women, her mom encouraged her to keep an open mind. And as Litia said, “He’s always made me feel taken care of and safe and special.”

Grant and Litia told each other they were falling in love — and Grant added that he was “cooked,” signaling that he may be furthest along in his connection with Litia.

A Missed Opportunity

Finally, Grant flew to Chicago to meet Dina’s family. However, she revealed that her traditional family — including her dad, who’s a pastor — had reservations about the concept of the show, and would not be partaking in hometowns.

So Grant and Dina instead had a sweet date at a local pumpkin patch, where Grant got to meet Dina’s friends. Grant told them that he was “close to falling for Dina,” but worried if they’d be ready for an engagement without her parents’ support.

And similarly, Dina said it was important to her to have her family’s blessing.

Grant said he learned a lot about Dina on the date, though, and told her friends he was “excited to see how things unfold.”

So, Who Left After Hometowns?

Despite ending the date on a positive note, Dina remained nervous about the hometown date — especially as her castmates reunited and compared notes about Grant meeting their families.

Grant, too, faced some uncertainty ahead of the hometowns rose ceremony and consulted Season 28 lead Joey Graziadei for support.

Joey encouraged Grant to trust his instincts. And that’s just what he did, ultimately sending Dina home. “Obviously, my connection with Dina was very strong. But I have to go based on my gut, and my heart, and what I feel,” Grant said.

Today, Dina tells Bustle that the half of her family that was hesitant about The Bachelor — she’s one of 11 kids, and several of her siblings went into “big-brother protective mode” — have since apologized for potentially impacting their sister’s relationship.

“When I came back I was like, ‘You know, you guys kind of blew it up for me. I really couldn’t move forward with him if he was my person. Like, that’s on you guys,’” Dina recalls. “And they did apologize. They were sympathetic.”

Dina doesn’t hold it against anyone, though. “In hindsight, I’m like, ‘It’s fine,’” she says. “Because I think it happened the way that it was supposed to.”