Bachelor in Paradise alum Parisa Shifteh has gushed about her new relationship following her split from Brian Autz.
ADVERTISEMENT
"He is so wonderful. So we met last year. It was actually a weird coincidence, but we happened to be on vacation, both at the same time, in Miami," Parisa revealed to Kathy Swarts and Susan Noles during a recent appearance on the "Bachelor Happy Hour: Golden Hour" podcast.
"And that's when our paths crossed. And then when I was just asking him more about who he was, he was telling me he was from Chicago, and at that time when I met him, Chicago was a city that I was looking to move to."
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' FRANCHISE COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER?? (PHOTOS)
Parisa said she ironically already had a girls' trip planned with several fellow The Bachelor alums to go to Chicago the following week.
ADVERTISEMENT
"So I was just meeting him now in Miami, and then I was like, 'Oh, I'm going to be in your city next week!'" Parisa recalled.
The mystery man and his friends apparently met Parisa and her girlfriends out for drinks when she landed in Chicago.
She called it "a fun first date" with no pressure in which they could chat in a "natural" group setting.
"And then after that, we planned a more formal one-on-one date, after we both saw, 'This is kind of nice,' and we were interested in each other," Parisa shared.
"So that same night, we were like, 'When can we see each other again?'... We did dinner at this really nice restaurant in the city."
ADVERTISEMENT
Parisa revealed that she officially moved to Chicago at the end of October and "it's been amazing" ever since.
"I love the city so much," Parisa gushed, adding how she sees herself living there long-term.
"And I met his family, because they live here. And he met my dad when my dad came and helped me move. But the rest of my family, since they don't live here, that's planned for later."
Parisa admitted that while her boyfriend doesn't love "the critters" like she does, he's open to learning more.
The Bachelor alum also shared that they both enjoy asking each other questions and challenging each other to be better.
ADVERTISEMENT
"[He] wants to get to know me deep in my thought process and how I think of things and our communication styles. We definitely have really -- our time together just feels really connected," she noted.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' COUPLES NOW: WHO DID 'THE BACHELOR' STARS AND THEIR BACHELORETTE PICKS ACTUALLY END UP MARRYING? (PHOTOS)
Parisa said "the next step" will be moving in together once her one-year lease is up in Fall 2026.
"But I like not rushing anything, and when the timing aligns, then I'll check in and say, 'Is this it?'" Parisa shared.
When asked if this man is The One for her, Parisa replied, "I don't know why, but I'm very superstitious and I don't want to jinx anything. I never want to be the type that's like, 'This is amazing -- the best thing ever. This is it!' Because you just never really know."
ADVERTISEMENT
But Parisa confirmed this romance is different from the men she's dated in the past.
"You have to go through so much in life to figure out what you want and what you don't want and what makes you happy," Parisa said.
And Parisa concluded, "I definitely feel like we are there and in that category."
Prior to getting involved with her current boyfriend, Parisa competed for Grant Ellis' heart on The Bachelor's 29th season and then dated Brian on Bachelor in Paradise's tenth season, which aired in Summer 2025.
Parisa and Brian got voted out of Bachelor in Paradise by their peers before the Season 10 finale.
At the time, the couple seemed hopeful their relationship would continue to grow and thrive in the real world, but Parisa confirmed their relationship was over during the September 4 episode of the "Bachelor Happy Hour" podcast.
"It was a good run, you know?! It was a good run," Parisa told host Wells Adams.
"It was a good run," Brian repeated with a laugh.
Brian elaborated, "It was a great experience that I wouldn't take back. I think life just kind of got in the way for me, running my restaurant. And distance is tough. But we're still good, close friends."
Brian said while he really tried to make things work with Parisa, the breakup essentially came down to different schedules and compatibility.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELORETTE' COUPLES NOW: WHOM DID 'THE BACHELORETTE' STARS AND THEIR BACHELOR PICKS ULTIMATELY END UP WITH?! (PHOTOS)
ADVERTISEMENT
Parisa then teased how she was "seeing someone" new.
"What's his name?!" Brian joked.
Parisa proceeded to soft launch her relationship via Instagram that same month.
While Parisa didn't unveil the identity of her boyfriend, or even his face, at the time, she debuted her new romance on social media by posting a video of the pair toasting wine glasses during a trip to Whistler.
Parisa wrote over the footage, "This and asking him a million hypothetical questions."
The Bachelor alum's caption was, "When his responses are smoother than the wine."
Parisa also posted a closeup photo of her man holding up two snowcones as they explored the village.
She later posted additional photos from the trip and gushed about how she was "in heaven!!!!"
Parisa and Brian later had a flirtatious exchange in a September 2025 interview with BachelorNation.com.
"Are you dating?" Parisa asked Brian.
"I'm talking to somebody," replied Brian, who just went Instagram official with his new girlfriend Avery Bell in February.
"Did you tell her your favorite color?" Parisa quipped, referring to their fight in the VIP pool following the "Birds of Paradise" dancing competition on Bachelor in Paradise.
ADVERTISEMENT
"No," Brian responded with a laugh. "I guess we boiled it down to blue because of what I wear outfit-wise."
Brian went on to claim of Parisa, "She's trying to reel me back in."
When asked if there was any chance they might get back together, Parisa just stared at Brian.
"I want to see what he says," Parisa noted with a slight smirk on her face.
After Brian hesitated for a moment and smiled at Parisa, he shared, "I wouldn't say it's out of the question."
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' FRANCHISE COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER?? (PHOTOS)
ADVERTISEMENT
Interested in more The Bachelor news? Follow our Bachelor Nation News Page on Facebook or join our The Bachelor Facebook Group!