Grant Ellis Picks Winner in Indecisive ‘Bachelor’ Finale — and ‘Golden’ Stars Head to ‘Paradise’
Decisions are hard, just ask The Bachelor’s Grant Ellis.
Bachelor host Jesse Palmer really wanted viewers to know that there has never been a Bachelor more torn than the 31-year-old day trader, teasing a “historic” and “emotional” conclusion. Ellis and his two finalists — Litia Garr and Juliana Pasquarosa — began their final few days in Punta Cana, preparing for family introductions.
“I’ve liked you since day one,” Ellis’ sister told Garr early into the contestant’s introduction to his family, which was a huge success. His family made it very clear they think she’d be perfect for him, and Ellis was all smiles when the introduction ended with Garr telling him she loves him. “Grant makes me feel special and lucky. I just love him,” the 31-year-old said, adding she’s confident she’ll be engaged by the end of the week. Is that positive movement in the right direction or unfortunate foreshadowing?
The Ellis family introduction to Pasquarosa had a bit of a different tone, but it was still an overall success. “Do you love my son?” Ellis’ mother asked her during the introduction, which certainly tripped up the 28-year-old. Pasquarosa quickly reassured Ellis’ mother that an engagement is forever and love is forever, so even though she hasn’t said she loves her son, it doesn’t mean she won’t get there.
Ellis’ mother pleaded with her son to walk away from Pasquarosa if she doesn’t say she loves him. Thankfully, for Pasquarosa, when Ellis told her that he loves her, she returned the sentiment. “We are in love with each other, and it makes me feel like I’m really to conquer everything with her,” he said in a confessional, adding that he’s only more confused because he loves both. Naturally, The Bachelor brought back former contestants who were in the same boat to speak to Ellis’ finale during live After the Final Rose special.
Back to how the pre-taped show ended, the next day, Pasquarosa and Ellis hit the open sea for a sailboat date. “I will do my best to handle your heart with care,” the client service associate told Ellis, when he asked if she was going to break his heart. “Diving into this was really scary for me as well.”
Garr and Ellis opted for a cinematic date on horseback with rain pouring down. The daytime date was “beautiful” as he put it but the night brought serious conversations. ”My desire to be a mother comes from my heart. I think my family knows that so they want it for me,” Garr said to Ellis about her plans for the future, who came back to ask how she would react to him telling her that he might come to her later and say he’s not ready.
“I want to make you happy and I want you to feel ready. I want both of us to feel excited and ready at that time,” she added. “Pick me,” Garr later added, masked by giggles, at the end of their day together.
Ellis ended his dates filled with indecision. Bachelor host Palmer reminded viewers that someone was in for a heartbreak, and maybe that someone will be Ellis himself. As Ellis went into his final day of his Bachelor journey, he appeared more confused than ever. His father surprised him by staying to help make the final decision. Grant might have picked a ring, but he still hadn’t picked a fiancée when it came time to head to the proposal spot.
“I could see Litia being my wife, and I could see Juliana being my wife. It really is having two hearts in the palm of my hand,” Ellis said as the first SUV pulled up to the proposal spot. Unfortunately, and to the audible surprise of many audience members at the live special taping, Garr was the first pull up. The 31-year-old gave a beautiful and heartfelt speech about how much she wants to give him a family, unaware that Ellis was preparing to dump her.
“I love you very much. I want to give you everything you deserve but, I’m not your person,” Ellis told Garr. “I’m sorry to have gotten to this point. My emotional connection is stronger with someone else.” Met with cheers from the audience, she didn’t hold back in letting Ellis know how mad she was.
“This is not about me,” Ellis told her. “It’s all about you,” she snapped back, pointing out that she got the answers she needed and that he’s different than she thought. Garr didn’t hold back in holding Ellis to the promises he made her, telling him that those things are for him and Pasquarosa to figure out.
“What a surprise. How disappointing. I felt like he loved me then he picked someone else he loved more,” Garr said to camera, back in the SUV following the breakup. “I hope that I can find someone that will love me like that forever, not today though,” she added, hopefully beginning her campaign to be the next Bachelorette (even if the show is skipping its expected summer 2025 time slot).
“We’re getting engaged tomorrow,” Garr told Palmer she said to Ellis the night before the big decision. She said he answered her, “I know, I can’t wait. I love you. I love you.”
“I learned a lot about him that day,” she added, telling the host that she begged Ellis to not make her promises he couldn’t keep but he pushed their relationship forward. Garr finally had the chance to speak with Ellis about the breakup in front of a live audience, where he told her he needed to take responsibility and that he was truly sorry after she reminded him of all he told her. She gracefully told Ellis she’s happy that this whole situation isn’t part of her love story — earning cheers from the crowd.
Back to the proposal spot, Ellis prepared to begin his “forever love” with Pasquarosa, who walked to the spot thinking about how she wanted “till death do us part.” The 28-year-old gave a heartfelt and tearful speech and plea to Ellis, who then dropped to his knee to propose. “A million times yes,” she excitedly squealed.
Ellis got emotional speaking with Palmer about his Bachelor journey, confirming to the host that it was all worth it. The pair brought out Pasquarosa, who was all smiles. She said she just couldn’t wait to go out to dinner with her new fiancée. The newly engaged couple announced that they’re moving to Pasquarosa’s hometown of Boston. They’re also getting an Italian vacation, courtesy of The Bachelor.
Ellis had told The Hollywood Reporter at the start of his season that he was happy with his ending. “I’m very happy with the way things turned out,” he said, then adding, “Any time you have to let go of someone you care about it’s hard and there’s going to be emotions there, so I think we just have to see how things play out.”
This ending, meanwhile, comes amid behind-the-scenes turnover at the franchise.
Earlier this month, showrunners Claire Freeland and Bennett Graebner departed the franchise in the latest shakeup at the ABC reality series. The exits of Freeland and Graebner, who held their positions since series creator Mike Fleiss left the show in 2023, came in the wake of allegations that Freeland and Graebner oversaw a “toxic” and “hostile” workplace on The Bachelor, claims the pair have denied through their attorney. Bachelor co-executive producers Michael Margolis, who is married to Freeland, and Keely Booth also recently departed the show after offering their resignations.
Warner Bros., which produces The Bachelor, and ABC have declined to comment on who will be taking over at the helm of the franchise, which next steers the ABC ship to Bachelor in Paradise this summer.
At the tail end of After the Final Rose, the franchise dropped a big twist for Paradise when it revealed that, for the first time, the summer spinoff will include contestants from the Golden Bachelor/Bachelorette casts. Fan-favorites Leslie Fhima from The Golden Bachelor and Gary Levingston from Golden Bachelorette were on hand as the first castmembers. Palmer announced that more seniors from the franchise’s Golden series will be included in the forthcoming cast reveal for Paradise season 10, which so far includes Zoe McGrady (The Bachelor season 29), Hakeem Moulton (The Bachelorette season 21) and Jonathon Johnson (The Bachelorette season 21).
After the success of the Golden Bachelor, Paradise mainstay Wells Adams had mused to THR about what a full Golden Paradise version might look like: “I’ve got the whole thing planned out and how it should look. It needs to happen in Florida at Del Boca Vista [from Seinfeld]. Everyone needs to drive around in golf carts, dates at shuffleboard courts. I need to be making drinks but also have Mylanta on the side. I can see it all in my mind’s eye right now and so desperately want it.”
