John Paul Jones and Tayshia Adams may have seemed like an unlikely pairing at the start of Bachelor in Paradise, but by the end of the season they proved to be one of the cutest couples in Mexico, which made their sudden breakup all the more heartbreaking. Luckily, the two were able to reconcile once filming wrapped and officially debuted as a couple during Tuesday's finale. But since the reunion special was filmed several weeks ago, updates about John Paul Jones and Tayshia's relationship status as it stands today remain somewhat unknown. That is, until the King of Paradise himself shared some insight with Bustle on the matter.
"Yeah, Tayshia is my girlfriend," JPJ tells Bustle. "We're taking one day at a time." Like any other couple out there, their romance isn't immune to obstacles. And even though it's undoubtedly nice to be away from the prying eyes of the Paradise cameras, there's another hurdle they've had to contend with: long distance. "The distance component is certainly difficult," he admits, noting that Tayshia will be out of the country next week for Paris Fashion Week as an example of their constant busy schedules. "It's sort of difficult to pin down a date that we have open for us to see each other, but we're still working on it."
Long distance relationships can be tough for any couple, but being long distance before you're allowed to officially announce your relationship is extra difficult.
"I went out to visit [Tayshia] in Orange County during the airing of Bachelor in Paradise and we couldn't go out in public," JPJ recalls. "She'd drive me around and show me the cool spots. She'd stop and I'd go into a restaurant and grab food and get back in the car and we'd eat in the car, and that's kinda how we'd spend our day."
Not even Trader Joe's was safe from the watchful eye of BiP fans, though they did risk getting discovered once with the help of some stealthy wardrobe choices. "I was wearing a hat and sunglasses and she was wearing huge sunglasses," he tells Bustle. "We'd see each other from afar, but we'd avoid being seen together and it was a pretty risky move. We thought a few people spotted us, but we were lucky that we got away with it."
Ultimately, it was all worth the effort at the end of the day. But if JPJ were to be single ever again, would another trip to Paradise be in the cards? "Honestly, I think it's a one and done type thing," he says. "I got really lucky that I met Tayshia. She and I have very similar values, and I don't know, I'd find it really hard to have success with someone that I'm actually compatible with on that show, but I'm grateful for the experience."
Indeed, Paradise really did work out in his favor. Apart from his confrontation with Derek, which JPJ admits he "could've been a little less emotional" about, he got the happy ending he was hoping for. And those out there who are already missing their weekly quota of floppy hair may be interested to know that JPJ could still pop up on your television screens thanks to a new career option he's pursuing: acting.
"To my surprise, I was spotted by a talent agent in LA and I've been auditioning for TV shows after work," he explains, though he couldn't divulge any more details. "It's all confidential." Perhaps busting out Shakespeare on the beach in Mexico is about to pay off.
