Aaron Clancy has denied speculation he strung Genevieve Parisi along while filming Bachelor in Paradise's eighth season in order to stay on-camera for as long as possible.
|
ADVERTISEMENT
|
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' FRANCHISE COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER?? (PHOTOS)
Once Aaron arrived in Paradise as part of a bromance with James Bonsall, Genevieve dumped Justin Glaze for the buff and charming newcomer.
"Realistically, Genevieve and I connected on a lot of levels. I know they showed a lot of ups and downs... but we really had this very strong connection," Aaron told the podcast's co-hosts Ben Higgins and Ashley Iaconetti.
Aaron said his feelings were "real" and when the couple wasn't fighting, they were kissing or having fun.
Aaron and Genevieve survived "The Split" twist and ultimately said, "I love you," to each other, but then Aaron surprisingly and unexpectedly dumped Genevieve after the Final Rose Ceremony -- but before overnight Fantasy Suite dates -- because he said their fights were unhealthy and she must not be his person.
But Aaron's sincerity has recently been questioned.
Aaron was accused of dating and playing two women simultaneously leading up to his Paradise stint in June -- and allegedly planning all along to reunite with one of them in San Diego post-filming. (Aaron appears to currently be dating one of the two women, although he wouldn't confirm it on the podcast because he noted the dynamic is "really complicated.")
Many fans therefore believe Aaron just dated Genevieve so he could stay in Paradise. If Aaron truly didn't feel like his relationship with Genevieve could last, those fans argue he should have dumped Genevieve much sooner and left Paradise single.
"I really, really wanted to make it work with somebody that's in the same world, because I thought that was the answer to finding someone [with whom] to have a long-term relationship," Aaron insisted on the podcast.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELORETTE' COUPLES NOW: WHOM DID 'THE BACHELORETTE' STARS AND THEIR BACHELOR PICKS ULTIMATELY END UP WITH?! (PHOTOS)
Aaron claimed that while viewers saw him having ridiculous fights with Genevieve on the beach in Mexico -- including whether itching is considered pain -- he stuck with the relationship because he chose to focus on the positives.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' FRANCHISE COUPLES NOW"Essentially at the end of the day, we didn't have any moral issues... [or] fundamental issues," Aaron said, adding that his fights with Genevieve were "always miscommunication" or simply out of irritability.
Aaron said the elements, such as the heat and bugs, "led to interactions that were dumb."
"I realized 'itch vs. pain' wasn't worth ending this relationship, and so I wanted to fix this and spend more time with her and learn how to communicate with her better," Aaron said.
Aaron also acknowledged how he and Genevieve both tend to get worked up and emotionally charged very easily. He said in Paradise, they actually worked as a team to calm each other down.
"I really needed sometimes an emotional safe space," Aaron explained.
"What I would do in that scenario is leave... and kind of deal with it myself, which isn't the best way -- and is a bad way, because I would bottle things up... I needed to communicate in a more healthy way."
Many viewers didn't like how Aaron talked to and treated Genevieve while they were filming the show.
Even though Genevieve threatened to leave Paradise multiple times in the face of conflict, Aaron admitted, "I can be condescending. I can be a d-ck. And that's something I definitely need to change, for sure."
ADVERTISEMENT
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' COUPLES NOW: WHO DID 'THE BACHELOR' STARS AND THEIR BACHELORETTE PICKS ACTUALLY END UP MARRYING? (PHOTOS)
Ashley pointed out how there were clearly red flags, for both Genevieve and Aaron, that their relationship wasn't going to last in the real world or long-term.
"I had never thought about it that way," Aaron claimed.
"It was always [in my mind], 'If we learned how to communicate or speak to each other and we got out of these little things that blew up, we'd be better.'"
Aaron said he thought blowout fights could be prevented as long as he and Genevieve got to know each other better and learned each other's love languages.
"Realistically, we had three weeks... and producers throw you obstacles, as many as you can handle," Aaron said. "I was just hoping we could communicate better and things would get better towards the end."
Genevieve recently complained on "The Ben and Ashley I: Almost Famous" podcast that Aaron never reached out to talk to her or check on her once filming ended.
Aaron, however, insisted that he texted Genevieve after the reunion filmed on November 4.
According to one of Aaron's alleged ex-girlfriends, Aaron was dating two women from around September 2021 through May 2022 before leaving to film Bachelor in Paradise. While the women knew about each other to a certain extent, Aaron allegedly told each girl that the other woman in question was just "a friend."
Aaron has denied allegations he was a two-timer and also claimed he never left to film Paradise with the intention of reuniting with one of his former flames once he returned home.
However, the woman who had come forward with the accusations to Reality Steve spoiler blogger Steve Carbone fired back late last week, insisting Aaron is a liar and a cheater.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' FRANCHISE COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER?? (PHOTOS)
ADVERTISEMENT
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
