Exclusive Interview
Grant Ellis Reveals What Ending 7-Year Relationship Taught Him Before ‘The Bachelor’ (VIDEO)
Before Grant Ellis was the star of The Bachelor, he was in a seven-year relationship with his ex-girlfriend. The ABC star has spoken briefly about the past relationship and gave Swooon some more insight into what he took from it on his Bachelor journey.
Now 31, Grant dated his ex for most of his 20s. He was single for a little over a year before his mom signed him up for The Bachelorette. Going through a breakup after such a long time taught Grant some important lessons about building a strong relationship.
“Just [have] communication, that’s the main thing,” he told Swooon. “When you feel a certain type of way about somebody, you say it, and you mean it. That’s the main thing. Just be strong with how you feel and no regrets. I feel like that’s the main thing I took away from my last relationship. Things happen for a reason.”
In August 2024, Grant said that he and his unnamed ex “ultimately grew apart,” which led to their breakup. “The trajectory of what I was trying to do and where I was trying to go with my life and my goals and visions, it just ended up creating a rift in the relationship, and then we agreed to separate,” he explained on The Viall Files. While he admitted that it was a “painful experience, he added, “A lot of the times the most painful experiences you grow from.”
Disney/John Fleenor
Grant went on to date Jenn Tran on Season 21 of The Bachelorette and was then named the Bachelor after his elimination. Admittedly, he wasn’t super familiar with all that goes down on the show before his mom signed him up.
“I had zero awareness coming into it,” the Houston, Texas, resident told Swooon. “I didn’t know what to expect. But I watched some of the previous seasons. I watched Joey [Graziadei]’s season. I watched the way things unfolded, so I kind of got an idea. But nothing can prepare you for the reality of stepping out of a limo and meeting somebody for the first time on national television. It was a unique experience, but I’m grateful for it.”
Luckily, he was also able to get some advice from Graziadei before taking on the leading role. “Joey did such an amazing job,” Grant pointed out. “He had some really solid advice. The main thing is to go with your heart, but also be careful because other people’s hearts are on the line. I think it’s naturally easy to do that when you care for people as a whole, so I think I tried to approach the season like that.”
Of course, like with any Bachelor season, the drama couldn’t be avoided, and while Grant wasn’t looking for it, he also didn’t shy away from it. “I think as the lead, you have to be involved,” he explained. “You don’t see everything that happens, so you have to be very involved. You have to give everybody a fair shot, even if you feel like somebody’s wrong in a situation. You have to hear the whole story and kind of make a decision off your judgement and try to be patient. Patience is the main thing. Let things play out fully before you make a decision.”
The Bachelor, Season 29 Premiere, Monday, January 29, 8/7c, ABC
