Jason Mesnick was once the most hated man in the world of The Bachelor for proposing to Melissa Rycroft in the season 13 finale and then breaking up with her on After the Final Rose to be with runner-up Molly Malaney. Though Mesnick and Rycroft have moved on with their respective relationships, the former Bachelor star admits that he has one big regret from his infamous TV breakup.
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In an interview with The Huffington Post, Mesnick explained what really went down behind the scenes of his split from Rycroft, revealing that “promises” were made and that Bachelor producers played a big role in how the breakup played out.
“The biggest thing [producers said to me prior to filming After The Final Rose] was, ‘Jason, we [now] want Melissa to be the next Bachelorette. Because we’re going to let you ask Molly out, and you can’t do that away from the camera because you’re under a five million dollar contract [to not make contact with the runner-up], we need your help to have America feel for Melissa in the same way they felt for you when DeAnna [Pappas] dumped you. The fans just need to feel sorry for Melissa. Work with us and we’ll let you have Molly.’ That’s what they told me.”
Mesnick then revealed that Malaney was all set to be The Bachelorette star and producers used that as leverage to get what they wanted out of him.
“And they said, “[At this time] We’ve asked Molly to be The Bachelorette and we’re going to be giving up a lot. So we just need you to work with us in return.” In my gut I knew it was the wrong thing to do,” Mesnick continued.
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According to Mesnick, part of his agreement with the producers is not telling Rycroft about his feelings for Malaney– something he regrets until now.
“Melissa and I had had so many conversations and I could never say anything bad about her. She is a very sweet person. We had broken up before all that, but the only thing they had asked me not to do was not to mention anything about Molly. And so I didn’t do that. I never told Melissa about my feelings about Molly. Melissa and I were just getting to know each other. It had only been a few weeks since we were done filming–about six weeks. If I would have listened to my gut and my heart I would have never listened to any producer,” Mesnick explained.
“And I actually told Melissa never to trust a producer, they are only in it for themselves; they’re only looking to make a good show. Yet, what I did was I listened to the producers. I went against ever moral, every bone, everything in my body,” he added.
“I never stood up to them. I don’t know if I was afraid of the producers. You know, it’s not just one person. There’s a team of like a hundred people all saying the same thing–audio people, producers and directors, and people who are just serving you lunch–and they’re all on this team and it’s like how can a hundred people be wrong? When I go back to it, I wish I would have stood my ground and never did anything that was against my morals or hurt anyone.
Ultimately, Mesnick got his happy ending with Malaney. “Everything is amazing now. We have a beautiful baby, and Ty is great. Molly and I are great,” the former reality star says of his seven-year marriage.
Did Mesnick’s revelation surprise you? If you were in Mesnick’s shoes, what would you have done?
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(Image courtesy of ABC)
Staff Writer, BuddyTV
