Natalie Getz, the 27-year-old human resources recruiter from Chicago became the first bachelorette to go home immediately after a one-on-one date on this season of The Bachelor. Her competitors were not sad to see her go, some even cheering her departure, which started a domino effect that resulted in backstabbing and high drama.
Natalie spoke to BuddyTV today about her experience on the show. She talked about how her date with Jason Mesnick really went, what she thought of the other women on the show, and what she’s up to now.
This is Debbie at BuddyTV, and today I’m talking to Natalie from The Bachelor. So, I wanted to ask you, Natalie, what went through your mind when Jason didn’t give you the rose at the end of your date?
I wasn’t completely shocked, but I think that at the end of the date, and everything that happened on the day, I just kind of thought, “Well, this kind of stinks.” I would have liked to get to know him a little bit more. But everyone gets rejected, and I did, and it’s just one of those things you just live and let be.
Did you think that you had made a good connection with him?
You know, I didn’t really feel a strong connection with him. He is amazing. He’s wonderful. I can’t say enough nice things about that guy. I believe I kind of slipped up with I said, “I’m totally enjoying my freedom right now. I love my career and my life back in Chicago.” And he probably thought, “That’s a red flag. She’s not ready to be where I am and pick up and move to Seattle. I definitely noticed when I said that, there maybe was a different vibe in the date.
What was your reaction to watching the other women cheering when they found out that you had gotten eliminated?
I was a little surprised because back in the mansion, I never was involved with any arguments or heated conversations. But at the end of the day, I’m not mad at any of them. We’re all there. We’re all competing for the same guy, and it’s not like we were best friends before that or even knew each other. I have a special place in my heart for women. I have a niece, and I always imagine her when she’s older. I’m not going to hold it against any of them. I’m actually really excited to see them, I think. I haven’t obviously talked to any of them, but I’m hoping that all this boils over with all of us, you know, whether they were mad at each other or me or whatever happens in the upcoming episodes. I think we’re all going to be able to be pretty good friends after this.
Who are you rooting for now that you’re not in the running?
Gee, that’s a tough question because there are some awesome girls out there. I absolutely love Lauren. I mean, I think that’s apparent that her and I grew a bond. She did defend me. I think Melissa is just a sweetie. She’s so cute, and her little Southern accent. I just think she’s an awesome girl. Jillian, she is just cool. She is just a cool girl. She’s got a great job, a great personality. Every girl in the house, I think, had a connection with Jillian. It wouldn’t surprise me if she won. And then, of course, I think Stephanie is just sweet as can be. She’s got such a great story, and she’s mature and I think she is definitely on that same level as Jason.
Another thing that happened this week was, there was a lot of drama that involved Megan, Erica, and Lauren. What was your reaction to all of that?
I wasn’t surprised. I mean, I did live with those girls for a few weeks. When I saw that on the air, I thought, you know, that’s just girls being girls. Of course, things might get heated and people might say things they don’t mean. I mean, look, I said things I did not mean at all in the limo because I had all these emotions running through me. So, I wasn’t shocked, and I think, at the end of the day, like I said, it’s all just going to blow over.
Do you think that everyone there has a sincere interest in Jason?
I do, actually. Going out there, I knew it was a reality TV show, and I’ve never really watched the show. I don’t own a TV. I never really got involved with reality shows or any kind of TV show. But I figured there would be some girls out there that were just out there to maybe be an actress or a model or whatever. But really, out there, all those girls, unless they fooled me, they really, really all adored Jason.
What are you up to now?
I work for The Limited. I’m sure you’ve heard of The Limited, the clothing company. I’m a regional recruiter with human resources. And this is something that I started right before I left for the show. So, it was good to get back and get going at it again. But it’s an amazing job. I have the most amazing family of co-workers. I’m looking forward to start some traveling with them. I’m going to start going maybe to southern California, Texas, Boston, and starting filling in some of these markets. So I have some exciting things coming with that.
Are you dating anyone right now?
I don’t have a “boyfriend.” I think that term is thrown around pretty loosely. I’m one of those girls who was always in long-term relationships, always, my whole life. Two years ago, I found the freedom and I was so excited about it. I’ve always had relationships in the past years with guys, and I’m always honest and say, “I’m not ready to be exclusive and serious, but I would love to start dating you and build an awesome friendship, you know, strong grounds so that maybe in a few months or year down the road, we can start dating exclusively, and it’s even better than jumping right into something.” There’s a guy in my life right now that I really enjoy. He’s a great guy. Right now, I’d say that we are just a little bit above the friendship level, and I look forward to seeing where that goes.
Great. That’s great to hear. How has your transition been to regular life after coming home from the show?
It’s totally normal. I mean, you come back and you start doing your work. I have to keep my focus on my job and my family. I grew up in a really small town, so I’m pretty level-headed with all this stuff, and I can kind of move on and do what I need to do. I go home to my small town, I go home every Sunday and hang out with the family. I have three nephews and a niece that are just gorgeous, beautiful children. I love them. Yeah, it really doesn’t feel any different at all.
Great. Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to me, and best of luck in the future.
Yes, and I would like to say one thing. I don’t exactly know what BuddyTV.com is, but if there’s any bloggers or anybody that would like to hear, I would like to say, I apologize for saying something mean about Jason. It’s just, you know, when you’re under so much pressure, the whole time I was there, and all these emotions are running through you. You’re sitting there having a conversation and these interviews with the person who is interviewing you, and it’s almost like I was venting. I do feel really bad about it because he is not a jerk. He’s really one of the nicest people I’ve ever met in my entire life.
Yeah, I can imagine with cameras and lights all around you, it can be pretty surreal.
Yeah. That’s why I kind of laughed it off. That’s not who I am, and I portrayed myself in that light and that’s my own fault, but you know, you’ve got to live and let be.
-Interview conducted by Debbie Chang
(Image courtesy of ABC)
Staff Writer, BuddyTV
