The Bachelor
Gossip (Page 2)

Justifiably or not, Jason Mesnick will always be remembered as the man who pulled the switcheroo on the "After the Final Rose" special of The Bachelor.

And while he is a few months removed from his stint on reality TV, Jason still must fend off Bachelor backlash for breaking up with Melissa Rycroft.

On the aforementioned special, he was seen dumping Melissa (though it was over between them prior to that), for another chance with Molly Malaney.

"I think the time when people have been negative is when, like, a girl's boyfriend just broke up with her and they look at me like it's all my fault ..."

"I'm sorry if you feel that way, but it's not me! It happens every day and it wasn't me, I promise. I didn't put him up to it," the single dad protests.

Access Hollywood's Maria Menounos Maria caught up with Jason and Molly in Turks & Caicos, where the couple was enjoying a weekend mini-vacation to celebrate the grand opening of Beaches Turks & Caicos' New Italian Village.

The Bachelor's Jason Mesnick ended up with Molly Malaney, while Melissa Rycroft, left, and Jillian Harris, both of whom went on to further reality TV stardom.

After spending months being hounded by cameras for The Bachelor, have the two gotten used to life in the spotlight? Or are they happy to be free of it?

"I don't think you can ever get used to the cameras being on you," Molly Malaney, who still lives in Milwaukee but is mulling a move to Seattle, admitted.

"We really stepped away from everything. That's not why we did the show. That's not why we did any of this," the father of four-year-old Ty added.

As has become customary, once The Bachelor ends, one of the jilted lovers lands their own show - as is the case with new Bachelorette star Jillian Harris.

So does Jason have any advice for Jillian, who made it to his final three last season before he selected Melissa and Molly as his final two?

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Jillian Harris says her hot tub scene with Jason Mesnick made her dad's jaw drop on The Bachelor, but she's not clearing the air about what happened.

In fact, the newly-minted star of the new season of The Bachelorette calls a query about the liaison "probably the most inappropriate question ever."

"I'm normally a really open girl about these things, but I mean, it's one of those things that anybody can assume that if I had a steamy make-out session with Jason and I went in the hot tub that him and I quote-unquote did it," she said.

"We can also assume that every Bachelor and Bachelorette in the history of the show has done it with people. I think being a 30-year-old grown woman who is successful in her career and has a great background with great morals and values, people can take a look at me and who I am as a person and they're entitled to their opinion."

"I was actually waiting for that question. It's funny how it fires me up because I am doing something that's very public. But let's say I had slept with Jason. Then I don't think that's anybody's business. And let's say I hadn't. That also is nobody's business."

The hot tub hookup with Jillian was one of three close encounters Mesnick shared with the final competitors on The Bachelor in New Zealand.

He eventually said goodbye to Harris, setting up the season finale in which he chose Melissa Rycroft, only to break up with her for Molly Malaney.

Whatever happened in that hot tub - again, she's not saying - Jillian Harris harbors no ill will toward Mesnick or the aforementioned females.

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Fresh off a stint on The Bachelor in which she finished third behind Molly Malaney and Melissa Rycroft but won the hearts of millions of viewers in America and Canada, Jillian Harris is set to take the helm as the star of The Bachelorette.

According to ABC's press release, the first man out of the limousine in the May 18 premiere blows Jillian away with his good looks and quiet charm.

Meanwhile, one man literally sweeps her off her feet and yet another becomes quite tongue-tied in her presence. The opening night cocktail party kicks into high gear as Jillian starts to look for the first impression rose recipient.

A tall, handsome guy attempts to woo her with Latin style, while a country crooner charms Jillian Harris with a song and two compete in a dance-off.

In a stunning, first-ever twist; five strikingly handsome late arrivals crash the party late! Jillian Harris thus becomes the first person in the history of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette to have 30 suitors - not just 25 - to select from!

The original 25 quietly seethe as the new guests get their time with The Bachelorette. One reveals that he is secretly obsessed with Jillian's feet, while another wealthy businessman impresses her with his laid-back confidence.

By the end of the first night, Jillian is confident that her future husband is among this group of men somewhere, but she must eliminate 10 of the 30 bachelors, leaving 20 suitors to compete for her affections and, in the end, her heart.

Some additional Bachelorette spoilers from the upcoming season:

• During one of the episodes, the bachelors vote for the man they'd like to send home - much to one stunned and unhappy bachelor's dismay.
• Jillian Harris' hunt for Mr. Right will take place during intimate dates in California, Hawaii, Spain and, of course, Canada.
• Jillian takes one lucky man on her ultimate dream date: a private concert by Grammy Award-winner and CMA Vocalist of the Year Martina McBride.
• The guys will play pickup basketball against the Harlem Globetrotters.
• A select few lucky fellas get to see her hometown of Vancouver.
• A single dad from Dallas named is Tanner will be in the mix.

Exciting stuff! Click for more Jillian Harris photos below ...

Is another Bachelor breakup just around the corner?

Recent reports of lovebirds Molly Malaney and Jason Mesnick getting to know each other and basking in the afterglow of their unique Bachelor love story are contradicted by a new article in In Touch Weekly, suggesting a split is imminent.

According to a close friend cited by In Touch, Molly Malaney, 24, is no longer enamored of the single father - and is considering breaking up with him over Easter weekend, when the two plan to meet up in in his home city of Seattle.

If they don't get married, that would make the show an impressive 0-for-13. And according to someone claiming to be close to Mesnick, that's looking likely.

“The more she sees Jason, the less she likes him” a friend reveals.

No way that's true - have you seen his abs??

The supposed "friend" adds that Molly doesn’t trust Jason Mesnick after what he did to Melissa Rycroft, the 25-year-old he initially gave the final rose to on The Bachelor, then dumped for Molly on the "After the Final Rose" special.

“Let’s face it, (Molly) was his second choice,” a second source says of runner-up Malaney and Rycroft, who went on to shine on Dancing with the Stars.

“He has a history of being fickle.”

It has also been rumored that Molly, a native of Grand Rapids, Mich., who now lives in Milwaukee, isn’t prepared to relocate to Seattle to be with him.

“Jason expects her to quit her job and move,” the source says. “Molly’s not giving up her life unless she’s 100 percent sure that he’s committed.”

Right now, the relationship is shaky at best. The two talk via Skype almost every night on the computer, but the source says she hasn’t gone to Seattle to visit Jason, since March 3 - and hasn’t seen his son Ty, 4, since the show’s finale.

“It’s make-or-break time,” the friend explains.

Think they'll last? Guess all we can do is stay tuned. In the meantime, click to enlarge some photos of Jason and Molly, and of a spurned Melissa ...

Talk about a tough act to follow.

Single father Jason Mesnick's starring turn on The Bachelor was already the reality show's best-rated in years before he chose Melissa Rycroft on the finale, then dumped her for runner-up Molly Malaney on the "After the Final Rose" special.

After the dust settled, Jason Mesnick and Molly Malaney resumed their normal lives and seem happy getting to know each other in their relationship, while Melissa Rycroft has become a sensation on a second ABC show, Dancing with the Stars.

The Bachelor is going to need a heck of an encore.

Seriously, how do you top that if you're ABC? Who should even star? No idea who the 14th star of The Bachelor will be when the show returns next season, but we put together a short list of folks we'd love to see follow in Jason's footsteps:

Barron Hilton. Rich and ready to get his $h!t started.

Adam Lambert. Forget handing out roses; the American Idol favorite will toss them from a stage as he serenades the ladies lucky enough to remain by his talented side.

Brody Jenner. Okay, so he's already seeing Jayde Nicole nude every night. Not a lot he can do to top that. But things happen, and if it were to go south between The Hills star and the Playmate of the Year, what better way to rebound?

Alex Rodriguez. Think of how many Bachelor records the Yankees star could shatter - manliest-looking babes ever to make the final two, most time preening before dates, trips to second base in hot tub, home runs in the fantasy suite, etc.

Chris Harrison. The Bachelor host-pimp is a great master of ceremonies, but he really needs to get in on some of the action, don't you think? Imagine this "After the Final Rose" stunner: he's been married for 15 years ... and is staying with his wife!

Which of these stars should be the next Bachelor? Vote in our poll below, and leave a comment with your own suggestion (serious or otherwise) ...

It's been four weeks since Jason Mesnick dumped Melissa Rycroft for Molly Malaney on The Bachelor's "After the Final Rose" special. It was a stunning TV event, but all parties have moved on and seem to be happy with where they are in life.

That hasn't stopped Jason's Bachelor predecessor, Matt Grant, from sharing his unsolicited, boring two cents on the season finale almost a month later.

Specifically, Mesnick's move of going off-script and unceremoniously breaking up with Rycroft and romancing runner-up Molly was not smart, Grant says.

“This guy kind of committed suicide,” Matt Grant opined at The 23rd Genesis Awards in Beverly Hills on Saturday night. “He’s a nice man. I’ve met him quite a few times. But I think he should have gone about it differently.”

Seen here with interim fiancee Shayne Lamas, Matt Grant is critical of Jason Mesnick for his Bachelor actions, but acknowledges that it took guts to follow his heart.

The world is still watching anxiously as Mesnick and Malaney continue their courtship while the jilted Rycroft struts her stuff on Dancing with the Stars, keeping an eye on everything as the three resume life away from The Bachelor cameras.

Matt Grant, however, does give Mesnick credit for facing up to his mistake early on. “Ultimately, he had the [guts] to say, ‘I screwed up.’”

The London native, who says he’s still dating his publicist Sarah Robarts - admits he was lucky in his role on The Bachelor: London Calling. “I had an easy ride. I had a great group of women; we all just got on fairly well.”

Grant proposed to that skank Shayne Lamas but their engagement ended in July of last year after she reportedly cheated on him numerous times.

It’s been nearly a month since Jason Mesnick and Molly Malaney sparked both shock and outrage by rekindling their romance from on national TV - at the expense of Jason’s jilted fiancée from The Bachelor season finale, Melissa Rycroft.

So how are Jason and Molly doing now?

“Molly and I are happy,” Jason says.

In a remarkable move, the Bachelor couple spent a few days this month getting to know each other without cameras. Novel concept. In one of the few chances they have had to see each other, Jason flew to Milwaukee to visit Molly at her home.

They kept busy meeting her friends for drinks (“They gave him the stamp of approval!” says Molly), taking romantic strolls along Lake Michigan, and “grilling out.”

“I’ve learned new terminology,” Jason Mesnick says, laughing at the Midwestern word for barbecuing. “It’s normal, right, to say ‘grilling out’?” Molly insists with a laugh as the two snuggled up on a sofa in Molly’s living room.

Molly Malaney has been doing some cooking for Jason, who loves her signature recipe for Cheesy Chicken. And Jason has been trying to tempt Molly, the meat-and-potatoes all-American girl from Michigan, to try some new foods at restaurants.

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When the dust settled after a highly-rated and "shocking" season of The Bachelor, it was Molly Malaney who bested the competition and won Jason Mesnick's heart.

But how does that compare to what her two runners-up received?

Fan favorite Jillian Harris landed her own show as the next star of The Bachelorette. After being spurned on the "After the Final Rose" special Melissa Rycroft scored a spot on Dancing with the Stars and is already a bona fide hit.

Molly Malaney won a relatively handsome, upper middle-class guy with a decent job and a four-year-old son. We wish Jason and Molly all the best, and think they got a bad rap and make a great couple, but we're just sayin' ...

Who really won this season of The Bachelor?

For a week, the celeb gossip universe has been obsessed with The Bachelor's "After The Final Rose" special, which some perceived as pure public humiliation.

While the show's season finale and the reunion special were shown back-to-back, six weeks of real time had elapsed between the finale, when Jason Mesnick chose Melissa Rycroft as his bride, and the special, during which he announced that he had changed his mind and professed feelings instead for runner-up Molly Malaney.

As Rycroft fought back tears, and as Mesnick turned to Malaney, many fans became enraged, decrying Mesnick as a "jackass," "playboy" and "bastard."

This particular chapter of reality TV struck some as a little too real.

Yet The Bachelor creator and executive producer Mike Fleiss says the March 2 spectacle reflected not the worst, but the very best of reality TV.

"I'm not really surprised by this, it's just a sign that the show is working," he told Time magazine. "That's really your job, to create television that the whole country will sit down at one time and watch together."

"Honestly, I really don't see the difference between [Jason Mesnick] dumping Molly in New Zealand and then dumping Melissa [weeks later] in Glendale."

Some say the difference is that Malaney knew there was a chance she could get kicked off the show during the competition, while Rycroft's departure occurred long after she had already been picked as the winner and gotten engaged.

But Fleiss insists Mesnick's actions came as no shock to Melissa.

In the weeks leading up to the special, Fleiss said he started to hear word from other producers on the show that Rycroft and Mesnick were not getting along.

Two weeks before the reunion, Fleiss heard Mesnick was still interested in Molly Malaney - whom Fleiss had approached about starring in The Bachelorette (third-place finisher Jillian Harris would eventually be tapped for that role).

All of of which set the stage for the most unpredictable "After the Final Rose" event in The Bachelor history - as host Chris Harrison accurately hyped it.

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Despite only having a few days to rehearse, Melissa Rycroft should have no problem on Dancing With the Stars, says her ex-fiance Jason Mesnick.

"I am so excited for Melissa," The Bachelor star tells Extra. "I know she's danced her whole life, and must be excited. I hope and think she will win it all."

Meanwhile, on Monday's Bonnie Hunt Show, Mesnick continued his national apology tour after dumping Rycroft on the "After the Final Rose" special.

"I want to apologize to you and to the audience and to anybody who is watching because I did something obviously that I am not very proud of and that is talking to [Melissa Rycroft] in front of the camera," the single dad admits.

"It's something that I regret and I've thought about every day since it happened ... the producers really wanted me to do it that way, but it was my decision, I take full responsibility for my actions and I apologize most of all to Melissa," he says.

The passion between Jason and Melissa was palpable on The Bachelor. But he says he knew Rycroft wasn't the right girl for him soon after the show ended.

"We had spent a bunch of weekends together and spent a week together at Christmas and all of a sudden ... we had so many silences and nothing to talk about," he says. "I think we both knew there was something missing."

Molly Malaney, the show's runner-up who is now dating Mesnick, admits she was iffy about dating him after seeing how he treated Melissa Rycroft.

"I needed to understand what happened with Melissa and him," said the 24-year-old department store buyer and Grand Rapids, Mich., native.

"I wanted to make sure that he wasn't running back to me just because it didn't work out with Melissa," added Malaney, who isn't planning on getting married or engaged to Mesnick yet, but says she's very happy with her man.

Like Jason, we can't wait to watch Melissa Rycroft dance tonight!