April 17, 2025 • 45 mins
Today on “Happy Hour,” we’re sitting down with Dina from Grant’s season! Dina is here to give us the inside scoop on her entire journey on “The Bachelor.” We get into her road to the show, including how her family reacted to the decision. Then, we chat about her Hometown and what led to her shocking decision not to have her family there. We also get her perspective on the breakup, take a look back at “Women Tell All,” and hear some closing thoughts on her drama with Carolina. Where do you they stand today? Tune in now to hear all this and more and be sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode!
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hey, everyone, welcome back to Beat your halfy Hour. I'm
Joe and I'm Serena and we are here today with
Dina from Grand Season.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
Hi. Dina, Hi, it's so nice to meet you guys.
I know Serena, you and I got a chance to
talk a little bit after Women Tell All, but Joe
wasn't there. So Joe, nice to meet you. Nice to
see you Serena again.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
Nice to meet you too. I'm I'm also from Chicago.
Where are you from?
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Amazing? I'm from Chicago. Was born and raised in the
Southwest suburbs Burridge if you're familiar with it.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
Yeah, okay, so grow up Melrose Park.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Okay, that's like more city right close.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
Do you know where like Johnny's Beef is?
Speaker 2 (00:40):
I only know like Bona Beef?
Speaker 1 (00:42):
Really?
Speaker 2 (00:43):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (00:44):
Wow, I wasn't expecting that. I think my cousin is
that the drive through Bona Beef? Yeah, Bonea Bee's good.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
I went to high school with all of them, so
you know, that's really the only place that I would
go to get beef if I was going to get
beef in Chicago. I'm so sorry, got it, got it.
Speaker 3 (00:59):
I think my cousin taking me on like a Chicago
beef tour of the city. At this point, I've had
so many different beefs. Really, yeah, he loves them.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
That's not like my go to food.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
If I'm hungry, what's your go to like Chicago staple,
I just.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
Go find dining because it's just everywhere. I live right
smacked up in the city, so it's just everywhere. I'm sorry,
do you.
Speaker 3 (01:23):
Have a favorite restaurant?
Speaker 2 (01:25):
I would say I took the girls there, So I'm
just gonna say Maple and Ash. That's like the one
place that I would take if someone was coming into
town and they needed to go somewhere that was like
fun and vibe, but like really good food, Like I
love Italian food, so i'd go to like Elina's, which
is like a little spot in West Town that.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
Doesn't get yeah, and.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
They've got like the candles. It's kind of has the
bachelor vibe in there. I love it.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
I used to live over there. I lived close to there.
I think my cousin knows you, Teresa.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Yeah, she's one of my friends.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
Yeah, she's my cousin.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
So okay, well that's amazing. Yeah, I did know that.
I just haven't had a chance to say that too
yet nice?
Speaker 1 (02:04):
Wow?
Speaker 2 (02:05):
Okay, but Joe didn't she live in your place?
Speaker 1 (02:08):
But yeah, that was there? Wow? Okay, okay, let's let's
get into it. Let's start from the beginning. How did
you wind up on the Bachelor?
Speaker 2 (02:24):
Oh? God? So how did I wind up on the Bachelor.
I was going through a breakup, like a pretty long
term breakup, and I was heading to my sister's place
for I think it was a Christmas brunch or something.
And I'm not joking. I had, what this is bad
and I'm going to get in trouble for it. But
what one hand had my phone in it, and then
my other hand was on the wheel, and I was
just like applying, like just for ships and gigs, like
(02:45):
I didn't think anything of it. I was like this.
I was watching a lot of reality TV at that time,
like I think Love is Blind had just come out
for the first time. I was I was watching Bachelor
for the first time since like years ago, and I
was like, let me just like apply. I'm sure nothing
will come of it. And then I went to my
sister's little brunch and I told them, like, guys, guess
what I just did. And I was like, I find
(03:07):
nothing's gonna come of it, but like how funny. We
all had a good laugh. Yeah, and sure enough, like
the ball just kept rolling and it turned into something
and then it was like, yeah, you're gonna be on
and I was like, oh shit, I guess, I guess
I'm going.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
Did you apply for Love is Blind as well?
Speaker 2 (03:23):
No? No, yeah, I don't think love is blind, So
like I'm not even trying to like do that experience.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
I think people that are applying for the Bachelor are
not trying to prove that love is blind. Yeah, it's
very different themes and messaging coming out of this different.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
Totally different vibes, and I'm not even gonna sit here
on line and pretend like I'm gonna believe that love
is blind.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
So yeah, I agree, I agree. I think that that
show to me is wild, But imagine that you're watching it.
Speaker 3 (03:55):
And the stakes are also just so high. Like getting
engaged at the end of a show is one thing.
I know people think that's crazy, but like I just
think that's way more doable than getting married.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
Yeah, right, and before you ever even see them, you know,
you're already engaged before you even get to see them, right,
So it's just yeah, no, it definitely did not apply,
never even to cross my mind. I don't know why
the Bachelor was just at the forefront. I think I
had such a good time watching Love Is Blind. I
was like, what else can I watch that's like in
the same genre, And so I went and I watched
(04:24):
I think it was Clayton's season. I think it was
his season.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
Yeah, did you watch Gen season?
Speaker 2 (04:32):
I did, once I realized that I was going through
the process and this might happen. I did watch her season,
and then I watched Joey's as well. That's kind of hard.
Speaker 3 (04:42):
Were there any guys that stood out for you that
you were like, ooh, I kind of hope that they
might be the Bachelor while you were going because you're
interviewing as Gen season's airing and assuming.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
Yes, Grant was actually at the top of my list.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
Okay, wow, Yeah, that's good.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
That's always like, I mean, I feel like you, I
feel like that's a sign when you're like, I really
want it to be this person and then it is.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (05:05):
Did the concept of getting engaged at the end of
you know, two months intimidate you at all?
Speaker 2 (05:13):
No, not even a little. That's like the exciting it
for me. So prior to being on the show, was
in like a four year relationship and it just wasn't
going and you were, well, it was going somewhere, but
it ultimately I don't think that was my person. And
so I always said after that relationship, like, once I
heal and I'm like ready, you know, to go out
there again. I feel like I'm going to meet my person,
(05:33):
date very short, get engaged, and then a lobe. So
that's always have been like kind of my plan moving
forward in relationships. So to me, I was like, oh, perfect,
I get to just go and do what I want
to do in my real life anyway on a show,
let's just do it.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
Were you so you're so you're someone who is ready
to get engaged to get married totally?
Speaker 2 (05:52):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
Were there other women on the show that you felt
were aligned with that and then other women that you
were like this person, No, is this person ready?
Speaker 2 (06:02):
I think that's one of the most surprising things about
the show, At least for my season and my experiences.
I thought every girl that I met was on that
same mindset as me, Like everyone was super ready to
get to know Graham, get to an engagement, get married.
It just seemed like maybe it was also because they
casted an older group, like I'm thirty two years old,
(06:23):
and a lot of the women were around my age,
maybe a little bit younger. I think the old the
youngest was like twenty seven. Actually, Ella might be like
twenty six. Either way, everyone had that mindset of like
we were just looking to find my person, get engaged,
and just like cut the bullshit. You know, everyone I
felt that when I talked to them had that same
mentality as me. So I really didn't feel like anyone
(06:45):
was there just like, whoop, you do, let's see what happens.
I'm not really looking to get engaged. I had never
got that vibe.
Speaker 1 (06:51):
No who. I liked her. I thought she was one
of the more. I thought she was entertaining, and I
thought she had a great personality. But I would have
probably what was her name, I think Bailey. Bailey wasn't
really giving me I'm ready to get engaged at the
end of this.
Speaker 3 (07:08):
Well, I agree, but defense they showed her in a
very fun, silly, playful light. We didn't really get to
see a more super side of her.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
Agreed, and she she was my roommate actually in the house.
So she's actually one of my close friends. And she's
so funny. She's so light hearted. She will like make
anything goofy, which we love her for. But she has
a very serious side too, and she's definitely someone who
if she met her person like, she would be should
be done, you know, like let's just do the damn thing.
Like so, I do see where you're coming from. But
(07:39):
she's someone that I would say too, is ready for
an engagement too.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
I think she'll do. I don't know if she's going
to go to Paradise, but I think she'll do pretty
well in Paradise.
Speaker 3 (07:47):
She's personality super suited.
Speaker 1 (07:49):
Yeah, yeah for that show. Okay, So going back to
night one, you step out of the limo, you see
Grant for the first time, kind of take us back
to that moment. What's going on in your head?
Speaker 2 (08:01):
Oh God, stepping out of the limo and seeing Grant
for the first time. I just remember being so nervous.
And I'm not really somebody that gets nervous, which makes.
Speaker 1 (08:11):
It, which makes it worse, by the way.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
Way worse, because I wasn't expecting to be nervous, right,
and I actually was in the limo. Oh God, was
I before or after Juliana? I don't remember, but like
she got why don't I remember this? It seems like
a really important I think I was right after her.
I was right after her because they kept talking. Everyone
of my lema kept talking, talking, and I'm like listen,
(08:34):
like I have to get in the right red headspace,
like I think you have to say.
Speaker 3 (08:37):
I was first out of my limo and I was
so relieved. I was like, get me out of this
thing as soon as yeah. And then you have to
sit and you have to watch other people go and
like listen, and people.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
Are just like chitter chattering. So if you have this
whole monologue, which I did, even though they cut it
to a really short thing, like I had this whole thing,
and I was like, if I'm messed up, I'm screwed,
Like they're gonna err it. Here's the thing about a
TV that I wish I knew going in. You think
while you're in it that everything you say is going
to be aired. So you're just like, I said that
stupid thing, it's going to be aired. Oh I messed
(09:10):
up there, that's going to be it. And you just
like I just kind of got used to that idea
in my head and I just kind of thought that
that's what it's like. So when you watch it back
and you're like, oh, I could have butchered the whole
thing and then like just done like four lines correctly
and it would have been fine, And that sounds stupid. Sorry,
I'm going off on a tangent what you're saying it
(09:30):
it's like an important.
Speaker 3 (09:32):
Like I felt the exact same way, even though I
logically know like not everything can be shown. I think
it's hard to conceptualize how much you live and experience
and then how little is shown until you like live
it and then watch it back and you're like, wow,
I only really needed to like have my shit together
like zero point seven percent.
Speaker 2 (09:53):
Of the time.
Speaker 3 (09:55):
Like I were like the same pair of orange sweatpants
like every single day, and like, I don't think you
ever saw those are defense on TV.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
I'm like saving this one outfit for this particular and
it gets like two seconds of air time and I'm like, yeah,
where was I stressing about the outfit?
Speaker 3 (10:10):
And I remember going to Paradise and feeling so much
more relaxed, just because you can mentally be like I
know like, so much of this is never going to
even be shown.
Speaker 1 (10:21):
Well, that's I mean, that's what I mean. That's what
I thought. Then the second time around in Paradise, when
I was just laying around doing nothing, they showed all
of it.
Speaker 3 (10:28):
Comes well, you also were I guess, I guess.
Speaker 1 (10:32):
It was part of my person No, I'm saying the
second time guys.
Speaker 2 (10:36):
You guys were a lot more like main character energy,
you know, in your season of Vethroom Paradise. I just
started watching it actually, and I was like, Okay, it's
a lot of you guys because obviously you guys get
engaged at the end, but you don't realize that that's
what the editing does.
Speaker 3 (10:50):
Right well, and you also don't know while you're filming
it how your story is you being going to end
because it's so fast, so it's just you're experiencing in
real time. And then until you know you've made it
to the and you're getting engaged, you're like, maybe they
will show us.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
Yeah, oh yeah, you guys are definitely getting shown. Well
I know the same thing, so yeah, I think regardless,
you kind of get main character energy because like everyone thinks,
you only think of yourself like we just can't help it, right,
We're human, And so when you get out of it
and you're watching it back, you're like, oh, where am I?
Where am I? It's like episode three and I've seen
(11:25):
like twenty two seconds of myself, which is honestly a
good thing, because I was stress in before everything was airing.
I was like, which one's gonna watch with my family?
Which ones can'tup? Like? I just felt like all of
the you know, worst like cringey moments were gonna come up,
and they just didn't.
Speaker 3 (11:42):
So it's got to be a mix of like a
bit of a letdown because there's things that you wanted
to see that you'll never get to see back, and
also a bit of a relief because you're like, okay,
only so much is going to be shown. I don't
actually have to stress as much as I've been stressing.
Speaker 2 (11:56):
Thousand percent. Yes, that's exactly how I felt.
Speaker 1 (11:59):
So see going back to Grant and that that first moment,
did you feel like you had a connection with him?
Speaker 2 (12:06):
I felt like it was an immediate connection. I remember
thinking he is so tall, which is one of my
only qualifications for a man these days.
Speaker 3 (12:17):
I just thought it was funny she was just like, oh,
he's so tall. Thank god, I love him.
Speaker 1 (12:25):
God.
Speaker 2 (12:25):
Yeah. I mean I'm five four and like everyone in
my family's like pretty average height, so I'm like, I
just need it for the jeans.
Speaker 3 (12:31):
My god, that's what my dad says. My dad's always like,
we have to bring up the family average. Okay, we're
all on the medium height side. I know.
Speaker 2 (12:40):
He was thrilled, very lucky, so that that was really it.
I was just like, I remember and they got a
photo of me doing this, I'm like looking up as
if he's like this.
Speaker 3 (12:51):
It was.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
I just remember feeling like I was dumbfounded because I
didn't expect him to be so tall. And then I'm
just like this little thing, like trying to remember like
what I wanted to say, and then I could have
sworn there was like a halo around him, but it
was just like the stage lights. I realized later, because
it's the first time that you're in front of like
lights and the cameras and all of that, and I
was like, is there right, halo might like going crazy.
Speaker 1 (13:14):
And I feel like they really they really make the lead.
They really make the lead like angelic looking that first
night and you it's just like you're like.
Speaker 3 (13:23):
Whoa, yeah, have a presence to them.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
Yes, He's like just like, what's the word there's a
from like out of this world?
Speaker 3 (13:32):
What's the ethereal?
Speaker 2 (13:33):
Let's go with that one. Yeah, being you know in
front of you, and you're just like, whoa, that's how that's.
Speaker 3 (13:38):
An extra trust.
Speaker 1 (13:41):
I don't know if that's that's an alien.
Speaker 2 (13:45):
It just he just didn't seem from like this world,
you know. He just seems like so out of this
a figure, right, And you're just standing there and you've
obviously done a little bit, did a little bit of research.
I saw my gen season things like that. But once
you're standing there and then the light and then all
the stress, it's just like this huge moment. So yeah,
it was it was a lot to take in, but
(14:07):
I definitely felt that connection. I definitely felt like, Okay,
I think I meant to be here.
Speaker 3 (14:10):
And then what was your first conversation with him about?
Speaker 2 (14:14):
Oh? My first conversation with Grant was about oh man,
I think I told him that he looked like an
angel up there, Like I just had had to tell
him that I saw a halo above his head, not
to like inflate his ego too much. And then I
think we talked a little bit about my family. I
said something like, you know, if we make it to
hometowns loll because this didn't happen, but like, you know,
(14:35):
I have a really big family, and he's like, oh,
how big is your family? And I said, well, I'm
like more of a visual person, and so I had
one of those The best way I could describe it
as like a you know, like that opens up.
Speaker 3 (14:47):
Yes, and it's all the little stick figures in paper.
Speaker 2 (14:50):
Yes, exactly. So I was like, well, this is my sister,
this and that my mom and dad, d da da,
and like we just kept it, just kept going and
going and going until we were both standing up and
I was like, well, that's my family. And it was
just like this huge line of people and that's just
like my immediate family, right, like my brother's and stuff.
So we talked about that. I talked a little bit
about his family, and honestly, that first conversation came out
(15:13):
of my head because I was the one who got
interrupted by his sister walking into the house, and so
there was all this commotion about someone walking in and
then all of a sudden we're interrupted and I just
like look up at it. I'm like, I don't remember
her from when I walked into the house, you know,
earlier that that night. So I was like a little dumbfounded.
And then it was the first time getting like interrupted too,
(15:34):
So you're like, how am I supposed to act like?
Am I supposed to ask for more time? Am I
supposed to just get up and leave? So I was
like okay, and I'm like left, I don't know it was.
Speaker 1 (15:43):
Are you Greek?
Speaker 2 (15:44):
Romanian? Greek?
Speaker 1 (15:48):
Yeah? Yeah, I thought you were Greek?
Speaker 3 (15:50):
Okay, Well, what was your family's response initially when you
said you were going on the show. I know this
was kind of a big topic throughout your journey, especially
during hometowns, but what was the initial reaction? How many
how many siblings do you have?
Speaker 2 (16:09):
Again?
Speaker 1 (16:09):
Twelve?
Speaker 2 (16:10):
One of eleven, one of eleven, so I have ten. Yeah,
there's four brothers, six sisters, and then my parents, Yeah
there were Romanians, so my parents are here for we're
here first generation, first generation. That would be a first generation, right, yeah,
and so you know, typically the I guess, I say
(16:31):
timeline of like a Romanian woman, especially first generation, is
you get married, like in your early twenties. I mean,
you start having kids, and typically like the guy that
you get married is like someone that like your mom
or dad knows, or like someone from the church or
someone in the Romanian community, or like someone set you up,
you know, like they'd like to keep.
Speaker 3 (16:49):
It like very similar to Indian culture.
Speaker 2 (16:51):
Mom's very it's a very like Eastern European thing too,
you know from other cultures. Is what like from other
European cultures too. But I've never been that way, and
my parents accepted that a long time ago. I'm like,
I'm not I'm not marrying a remaining guy, like, you know,
no offense of the remaining guys. I'm sure you guys
are great, but like that's just not It's just not me,
it's not my path. I just didn't want that for myself.
(17:13):
And I also wanted to continue education, which if I
got married early, it probably wouldn't have gone through college
and law school and you know, started my career. And
so my family knew that, and so when I told
them about the show, they were like, you know, that
sounds like something you would do, Like you know, that's
what you want to do. Go ahead. We supported. My
sisters were super supportive of it, and my mom because
(17:35):
they had watched it. They had watched the show growing
up and we had watched it with them. My dad
was like, they were in Romania at the time too,
mind you, So like I called them, I facetimed them
and they were okay with it, but my dad didn't
like really know what the show was about. When I
asked my mom, she was like, ask your dad. And
when I asked my dad, my dad just ask your mom,
And so I was like, oh, well, both of them
(17:56):
said fine, you know, it's okay, it's less to do it.
And by the way, I have to leave week, and
they were just like, oh, so, you know, a lot
of that is on me because my dad didn't understand
like the full format of the show. He certainly didn't
get that there's an engagement at the end, even though
I know I told him, But to him, it was
just like a lot of information all at once.
Speaker 3 (18:16):
Do you kind of as a child have always led
somewhat of an untraditional path compared to like what your
parents would have expected you to live. So this isn't
like the first time you're doing something unconventional.
Speaker 2 (18:30):
To them, that's exactly right, and so it was not
surprising to them.
Speaker 1 (18:35):
And then let's let's jump I mean, we'll we'll continue
with like your path on the show. But speaking of
your parents, so they don't come to your hometown and
meet Grant. You know, as a viewer, were kind of
under the impression that they're just like not okay with
the show. But you're saying they were okay, So then
like why weren't they there?
Speaker 2 (18:55):
So mind you that when I found out that, like
there was a little bit of discourse between my family
about the show, I didn't get to talk to my family.
I only spoke to producers. Right. The information that was
said to me was, hey, like a lot of your
family's really supportive and they want to come to hometowns,
but then you've got a few of them kind of
(19:16):
fighting and saying this is too fast. And also we
had a shorter season. Like when I spoke to my
family about hometowns, I said, if I go to hometowns,
we're going to be at like week eight or week seven.
I forget what I said, but it was like way
later weeks because then you pretty much only have two
weeks left until you're engaged. Right, My family got notified
(19:37):
I think it was week three or four, because they
start to kind of notice the families that they think
might be in hometowns for the women that might be
going to hometowns pretty early on, and so they were like,
she just left, Like what do you mean? And so
that started that stirred up a lot of issues in
the family group chat. They were like, you guys, she
(19:58):
just left a few weeks ago, Like this crazy, Like
does anyone like actually know what's going on? And so
they'd been looking on Reddit, they were looking online. There
was like this storyline that like I might be a
villain and I like started a ruckus at the R
and B day. I don't know if you guys ever
heard about that, but there was that going on in
the background, and my family was like, is this show
actually about finding love? Is this show serious? Or are
(20:21):
they just trying to pain her as someone who she's not.
So that was an added element with my family. And
so if you can think of a normal family and
how much you guys might have differing opinions a family
of ten, eleven, twelve, my parents included having all of
these different not speaking to me, seeing different stuff online,
then thinking about the timeline they were just fighting about
(20:43):
it and like whether it was for me whether they
should go and if they're like, well, if we don't go,
then maybe she'll just come home and move off to
deal with this, you know, but then if so, It
was a lot of that, and all I heard was
the family was fighting. They feel a certain way about it,
and I was like, you know what, I don't feel
like my connection is super strong right now where I
can get engaged. In two weeks. I had been in
LA for like eight days since Scotland, like waiting for
(21:06):
my hometown, and I was like, I feel like I
should be missing him more. I feel like I should
be worried about how his hometowns are going with the
other women, and I just wasn't. So that was worrying me.
And so when I got that call for the producers
as I'm on my way literally at the gate going
to Chicago, we were one of the last people on
(21:27):
the plane. Hey, your family's fighting about hometowns, Like, what
do you want to do? Do some of them to
come due, some of them not come? I said, you
know what, I'm am not going to be able to
convince my family that I'm ready to get engaged in
two weeks based on where I am right now, So
let's just do a friend's thing, Because if it's going
to be me sitting down with like the half that's supportive,
then I just shafted the other half that's like not
(21:49):
that supportive. And I want everyone to be like in
a kumbaya, you know, we all support you, and we
all want to see like where this is going with Grant,
And it just didn't look like that was going to help,
and so I made the decision at the end of
the day, did not have them.
Speaker 3 (22:03):
Well, you're persally also thinking like, okay, let's say just
bring the family that is supportive of it. Then you've
got like a divide situation, or you bring all of them,
and you're spending a lot of your hometown convincing some
of your family of this process how it works, and
then you're also doubting the relationship. You're probably like I
don't want to spend like all this time convincing them
(22:24):
and selling them on this situation to then see them
like two days later when I head out.
Speaker 2 (22:29):
Yeah, and also when I wasn't convinced myself when Granted
I first saw each other for the first time in Chicago.
Like I told him, I was like, I feel off,
I feel weird, Like it's been eight nights. He's like,
it's been a few days. I was like, no, it's
been like nine. It's been like nine days traveling, including
all of that, I'm not seeing each other. And I
just felt like, if you want to know whether your
(22:51):
relationship will, what's the phrase, like take the test of
time or like survive the test of time, whatever the
phrase is, like, you have to spend I'm apart from
that person, right and then when you see each other again,
like see how you feel. And I was very aware
of how I felt. I was like, I feel distant.
I feel like our connection is not that strong, and
(23:11):
like as strong as I thought it was because I
had just been out in the real world. I was
out in Beverly Hills, like we were like doing fun stuff.
We were just like out in the world for the
first time, not in this like little bachelor bubble. And
so I think it was the first time where I realized,
you know, I don't think it's me. Yeah, yeah, And
I was so delusional. I was like, there's no way
(23:32):
anyone has said I love you right now, right at
this point, there's no way because I don't feel that
at all, and I don't think I could get there
in two weeks. Maybe I could, That's why I stayed
Maybe I could, But at this point I was so delusional.
I thought everyone was around the same playing field as
I was, because it was just not it was such
a quick process. I was like, how could anyone possibly
(23:54):
fall in love in week four? Week five?
Speaker 1 (23:58):
But did you guys talk about did you talk about
that with the other women when you got down to it,
like the last the last four women, did you guys
have that conversation of like you're like, I'm not really ready?
Speaker 2 (24:09):
Yeah, that happened. So right after my hometown, I was
the last hometown, we went back to LA and we
had the producer set up this whole you know, girl
chat before the rose ceremony, and that was the first
thing that I said. I said, so my family wasn't
there at my hometown, was just a friends thing and
we were all kind of talking about our fears moving forward,
(24:31):
and that was the first thing I said, Guys, I
don't know if I can be engaged in two weeks,
Like does that not sound crazy to anyone else? And
like you could hear a pin drop.
Speaker 3 (24:39):
They were all like, we're ready for Yeah.
Speaker 1 (24:43):
We're all so a little crazy, but no.
Speaker 2 (24:45):
No, no, don't be wrong. I would be ready to be engaged.
I just didn't feel that totally. Yeah, yeah, Like if
I like felt it and like everything was like on
the up and up, up and up, up and up
the entire time, I would have been one hundred percent there.
But I did didn't feel that with Grant. They're just
quite frankly, was there just wasn't enough time. And because
(25:05):
of the limited amount of time that I thought that
I was able to spend Grant, I thought the girls
were feeling the same way.
Speaker 3 (25:11):
Do you think looking back, if it had been your
person that was the lead, it might have been different,
Like do you think your feelings of like this isn't
enough time. I don't know if I'm ready had to
do with both, like the short time frame obviously you
guys had a short season also, and then in tandem
with the fact that maybe Grant just like wasn't the
guy for you.
Speaker 2 (25:32):
That's absolutely what it was. It's just Grant wasn't my person,
and it just took, you know, the process to figure
that out and That's what the show's all about, right,
like to figure out if you are each other's person.
And you know, do I think that a longer season
would have made me figure that out or would have
made him my person? Probably not, you know, I just
(25:53):
think it took me up until Hometowns to realize, oh,
he's definitely not my person. Yeah, and that was okay.
You know, ultimately he found his person and that's all
that mattered, and that's what it was all about.
Speaker 3 (26:03):
So did you think he was gonna end up with
like from that girl chat where you like, hmm, I
think maybe it could be so and So.
Speaker 2 (26:13):
I mean Latia, it was Latia for me, it was
Lytia since we were in the house. I mean when
we were in the house, I just remember we were
all talking so freely, like I never felt. I know,
there's this like idea that the girls get so jealous
and we're so jealous of each other's connections and things
like that. We're really not because we don't know, we
(26:34):
don't know what the connection is. Like we talk like
how girls chat, but we're not like, oh, you know,
he told me that you know, I'm his number one,
or he told you know, we don't. We're not comparing
notes in that way. We're just kind of like talking
about Grant generally, like, Oh, isn't he's so nice? Oh
he's so sweet? Did you see when he said this?
Like we've talked that way, right, And so unless I'm
(26:56):
there watching them interact or hear about a conversation that
they had, we really don't know where the other relationships
for the connections stand, right. And so the only person
that I felt in the house had such a strong
connection and like really was withholding a lot was Letia.
Like she always kept her peace and her cards really
(27:16):
close to her chest and was never really like in
those conversations, and you could tell it was because she
felt strong feelings pretty early on. And so I always
thought that, And even I remember in Scotland, like before
she got her one on one she we had talked
about it briefly in our hotel room, like she was like,
I'm like I'm screwed, like I'm really indeed, And I
(27:39):
was like, oh, okay, yeah, I thought so, because this
is the first time you get voiced it to me.
But you just buy her mannerisms by the way that
she would It's just like a look you know, people
just have like a look about them. And obviously I
was there at the Puppy day two with Litia and
Grin and Sarafina, and I could just tell then too
that third connection was pretty strong. So I always thought
(28:01):
with I really did.
Speaker 1 (28:10):
Okay, So pre Women Tell All, before we before you
go to Women Tell All, where do you stand with Carolina? Like,
what what is your relationship? Like now you guys like
kind of you beefed down the show, then you you
kind of make up. And that's what we see going
into Women Tell All.
Speaker 2 (28:35):
Before Women Tell All. I think, man's this is so
difficult because I think we were all navigating like the
internet space and like the public attention for the first time, right,
And so I thought we were just fine, Like we
weren't friends, I would I wouldn't say, but we also
weren't enemies or weren't against one another in any sense
(28:56):
of the word. I had even sent her a text
at some point and say, you know, regardless of what
the internet wants to, you know, say and like create
this kerly Ni versus Dina divide like I don't feel
that against you at all, just so you know, And
then we kind of exchanged some niceties and that was it.
Speaker 1 (29:12):
So you two were on the same page.
Speaker 2 (29:15):
We were on the same page. Yeah, And then you know,
I think I went into Women's how all like super
defensive because there had been a lot of online stuff
and I think the public feeding into it can sometimes
feed into you. And that's like the first mistake that
I made, as I let it really get to me.
And so I went in there like kind of in
(29:35):
lawyer mode, like I'm just going to go there and
any argument you have, I'm going to attack it, and
I'm going to make sure that I prove my point,
which was stupid because we're not in a courtroom, and
we're also not here to like win the case, right,
Like we're just people having an argument, right, or having
like a disagreement on something. And I think with the
TikTok that I started to remember that I'd posted TikTok
(29:58):
a previewing the upcoming.
Speaker 1 (30:01):
Yes yes, yes, yes yeah.
Speaker 2 (30:04):
And just that day, I think it was like earlier
in the day, I posted a TikTok of like me,
Carolina and Alex like goofing around in Madrid. It was
just like a funny TikTok that we did and we
were not able to post because once the Madrid episode
came out, we were able to post like Madrid content, right,
And so I posted that and then later on in
the day I was getting like inundated with like just
(30:30):
so much Bachelor of content, you know, I'm like, oh,
this will be like a funny way to or like
a way to preview the next episode. And it was
a trending sound at the time as well. I didn't
have like a following or anything like that, so like
never in a million years, and I think it would
get the attention or traction that it did and then
have her respond to it in that way. And then
(30:50):
of course that made me respond because now I'm defensive.
But it was never my intention to like slight her
or to make her upset. Now looking back, I can
totally underderstand why he did. Yeah, really, I truly understand
why he did. And I wish that I would have
text her and said, like, hey, you know, I'm seeing
like this video is obviously blown up and people think that,
(31:12):
you know, you threw me under the bus or whatever.
I'm sorry that you know, it's become that That's not
what I wanted it to be. And I should have
thought it through or I should have texted you, but I didn't,
and I really should have. I wish I would have.
Speaker 1 (31:23):
Do you wish you would have went into Women Tell All? Then?
Not defensive? Like how would you have approached it now?
Looking back at it? How would you approach it now?
Speaker 2 (31:33):
I wish I didn't come in so defensive, I really do.
And I think I should have laid down on my
sword about a lot of that stuff and realized that
Carolina was probably getting attacked left and right throughout the
entire season. And when you're not in that, and it's
like your algorithm will feed you what is you know
is relevant to you? You know, I wasn't seeing Carolina hate,
(31:55):
I wasn't seeing Carolina comments. I wasn't seeing any of that.
And so then when Women Tell All came out and
people were like, you guys are mean and you're this,
and I was seeing a lot of that, I was like, oh,
this is probably what she was experiencing, you know, just
a few episodes ago. And I had no idea, Like
you just don't know what you don't know. And so
going into Women Tell All, she came in kind of hot,
(32:16):
you know, with the words on her little you know,
he don't even know to call it like her. Yeah,
the blazer was like her saying is or her one liners,
her singers, And so I was thinking, like, Okay, I
guess we're up for battle, you know, I guess this
is what we're doing. And so instead of hearing her
and like taking it in and being like, Okay, I
(32:37):
can understand where you're coming from, taking myself out of
it and responding that way, like I was just coming defensive. Defensive.
Speaker 3 (32:43):
Yeah, but I also think when you go to tell
all there's so much time. Not so much time, actually
there's but there's time between filming the show and then
filming Tell all Right, you kind of had that space,
whereas I feel like the stuff between you and Carolyne
on social media was still kind of fresh. So you
were both coming in with a lot of emotions and
now probably talking about it, you feel a little bit
(33:04):
more removed, and you know, hindsight, it's always doing funny.
Speaker 2 (33:08):
Totally, there was a lot of emotion, and I think
had we both realized, like at the end of the day,
like we're both people and we both obviously had a friendship.
At some point during the show, like we have to
just remove ourselves from the drama of it all.
Speaker 1 (33:22):
Yeah, it's funny because like when you're when you're in it,
especially someone like you who goes really far and you
you also have like this person that you're going up against,
which is Carolina, everything feels so important, so big. It
seems like it's basically it's like it's all of your world.
It's just like everything very emotion and then when you
(33:44):
when you you know, two months later, you're like, this
was it was? That was so silly, Like what is
wrong with me? Like why could I not just like
chill out and be like, yeah, I get it.
Speaker 3 (33:56):
All kind of people think they go back on and
they're like, oh, I won't do it this time.
Speaker 2 (34:00):
But it's just a.
Speaker 1 (34:01):
Very easy thing to You should have talked to my
cousin because I would have given you advice.
Speaker 3 (34:06):
No, you didn't need it.
Speaker 2 (34:08):
I should have. But something that I really wanted from
my experience is to go in and have no like
I didn't want anything. I didn't want outside noise. I
didn't want advice I didn't want which is stupid, right,
because I just wanted to take it wrong, just like
whatever happens, like I just see how I'll handle it
and just going with no expectations whatsoever. Now I'm like,
(34:31):
I'll take all the advices I can get, like, tell
me everything, give me all the like I want to.
Speaker 3 (34:35):
See once you have that like baseline experience of having
been on the show, you know what I mean. Like,
I feel like now if you were to get advice,
you would receive it so much differently, in process it
differently than if you had gotten it prior to ever
stepping a little limo.
Speaker 2 (34:51):
You're right, it's so different.
Speaker 1 (34:53):
When you're living in where where do you and Carolina
stand now? Just friends not friends whatever?
Speaker 2 (35:00):
I mean, we're definitely not friends. But I would I
go out of my way to not engage with any
like Karolina hate or dislike or anything that could perpetuate
any type of narrative towards her or mean. Like I'll
even respond like something nice just to get people to chill.
But what I found with the Internet is you just
have to ignore it. Yeah, right, Like if I try
(35:21):
to write something nice to diffuse it's like, well now
you're saying that because da da da dah. Or if
I say something, if I would say something mean or
like kind of you know, rude or whatever. It's the
same thing. So I personally don't have anything against Carolina
at all. I think she's a sweet, bubbly person. I
think that the process it wasn't the best environment for her,
(35:45):
for sure, it wasn't the best environment for any of us.
Like none of us are made for this environment, right.
I think it's all about like how you take it
and grow from it, like now moving forward, Like I
would never I always think to myself, like is what
I'm about to say and respond like emotional?
Speaker 1 (36:01):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (36:01):
Or is it you know, where's it coming from? Like
that is it actually something that's going to further this discussion.
It's something that I've worked on myself like since to
show because I've noticed, like I will allow myself to
get emotional about stuff that just doesn't need it, you know,
it doesn't require an emotional response. And I'll just like now,
and you.
Speaker 1 (36:20):
Can't you cannot win against the internet, Like you just
can't win against him, and like you look at like
even look at somebody like Joey, who was probably the
most beloved bachelor in a very long time, Like I
would say, Joey, like the amount of love.
Speaker 3 (36:34):
To hate it like reaching like top five, like.
Speaker 1 (36:36):
Joey's at like probably like ninety eight percent love and
there's probably like two percent hate. But if he went
down that rabbit hole, like it would feel like everyone's
against them and he could find those comments argue with them,
and then it just gets worse and worse and worse
when in reality, like fucking none of that ship matters.
Speaker 2 (36:55):
Yeah, but it doesn't matter. And I think that's what
I struggle with too, right because I don't want to
perpetuate any of that negativity towards Carolina or you know,
our feud online. But then I wonder like should I
just reach out to her and try to have a
nice conversation with her or is that then going to
be well, you know, now you want to be friends
with her even though women tell all your you know.
(37:17):
So it's I just I don't know. I don't know
what the right avenue is or what the solution is,
but I have no hate or disdain or anything towards
Carolina at all.
Speaker 3 (37:27):
So I want to ask you about your time in
Chicago with Letia, you and Parisa.
Speaker 1 (37:36):
So now we're post show, post.
Speaker 3 (37:38):
Show, you and Serafina and Serafina Oh, Okay, yes, all
four of you are there.
Speaker 2 (37:44):
How is that?
Speaker 3 (37:45):
How did that come to be? Tell us about it?
Speaker 2 (37:49):
So much fun? It was actually very random. I was
supposed to be on trial actually at the end of
March into April, and its settled. Parisa and Serphena were
coming We're regardless, and so then my trial settled and
I was like, wait, guys, I'm going to be in
Chicago now, let's have Latia come too, because she was
just finishing up with AFR. And so it came to
(38:11):
be like very randomly. And I say that because I
know that if I would have seen, you know, a
bunch of girls hanging out in a city without me
and that haven't spoken to me about her invited me,
I would have felt a certain type of way. So
this is just like to all the girls in my season.
It was it just happened to work out, and the
girls came to Chicago. I don't want to exclude anybody
(38:31):
like that. We're so close to everyone on our cast,
like truly, and I wish everyone could come to Chicago.
But I mean, we're going to be going on trips together,
you know, probably all summer.
Speaker 1 (38:42):
Else are you friends with? What's your friendship like with Juliana.
Speaker 2 (38:48):
Again, it's like the internet stuff. Like I thought we
were everything was all good and we were friends, like
we were definitely friends while we were filming. Post filming,
we had exchanged a good amount of texts, checking in
on each other, like we'll send each other some nice stuff.
But then the Internet, you know, takes me hanging out
(39:10):
with Latia and being good friends with Latia as we're
against Juliana, and it's like causing this discourse that doesn't exist.
It just doesn't, it doesn't exist. And I think the
a large part of it was, you know, Juliana had
like a post AFR event and then Litia had one
as well, and I thought, understandably, like I had to
(39:31):
be there for Litia because aside from the show, like
outside of the show, Latia and I are friends, like
we talk about everyday life stuff that has nothing to
do with the show. Juliana and I are more so
like show friends. You know, we've kept in touch, talked
about the show. How are you doing after tonight's episode?
How are you doing? You know, how do you feel?
Things like that? Just like nice cities, But we'd never
really had like a friendship outside of like the elements
(39:54):
of the show, and so I sent her a very
nice message saying, you know, I'm going to be there
to support Latia and you of course I wrote you know,
but I just wanted to kind of let her know
and like, thank you for inviting me to your event,
but I'm going to be Latia that night, and I
assume she's on invite it, you know, kind of like that.
And at the time, Latia didn't have any post AFR plans.
(40:17):
We were just like going to get into pajamas and
like quorder takeout and just like watch TV. But then
she ended up doing like a little something that she
put together. So I mean, all is that to say
is I addressed it with Juliana and I gave her,
you know, my congratulations and all that and told her
I'd be with Latia. She didn't respond to me after that,
(40:37):
so I didn't think, Okay, maybe she is feeling a
certain type of way about it. And then posts AFR again.
I text her, I congratulated her, I said I'm sorry,
I'm not going to be there tonight, and get a response,
and then the internet made this like, oh, she must
be team Latia.
Speaker 3 (40:53):
Right in my head, like a narrative that's going around
of like who's team from your season?
Speaker 2 (41:00):
Yes, yes, and it's truly for me. It's if Juliana
would have had that party a different like a different night,
Like let's say they just did family in front like
close like Boston and his friends that night, and then
had another one for like the cast and stuff. I
would have been there. I would have been there to support.
It just happened to be the same night that Littilla.
(41:20):
I knew it was going to have a really rough
night and it was really heavy on her.
Speaker 3 (41:24):
It sounds like you were objectively just closer with Latia.
Speaker 2 (41:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (41:29):
Also like it's okay that, like you know, like some
people just don't become friends after the show, Like you know,
we all have our own We're all adults that have
our own separate life, so it's kind of like, hey,
if it doesn't work out, Like I'm not going to
kill myself over this friendship, what do you think I
was gonna say?
Speaker 3 (41:48):
Not something less dramatic, but yeah.
Speaker 2 (41:51):
You know so I I think we're friends. I think
Juliana are friends, at least from my end. Again, I
had I'd see I saw what the internet was saying
about team Juliana team Latia. So again, I sent her
a really long message saying, if you were offended by
the fact that I wasn't at your event, I'm so sorry.
Like I would have, like I would have explained to
(42:11):
you a little bit more about why I'm going to
be with Latia, it wasn't. The public doesn't get to see,
like really who you're friends with after the show, right
because we have to keep that private until the finale,
And so no one really knew, including Juliana, that I
was really close with Latia, And so I explained that
to her. I said, you know, I still want to
support you and Grant, like I'm really happy for you too.
I like posted on my story for them, did like
(42:32):
whatever I could to show like I'm here supporting you guys,
and I'm so happy for you. It has nothing to
do with like i'mitia and therefore, like I don't want
to be a part of like your love story or
like your congratulations you know. So yeah, I thought that
was really unfortunate that she's feeling that way about some
of us, But you know, I thought I covered my
(42:53):
bases with her, and I think we're fine.
Speaker 1 (42:55):
Before we let you go. If you end up going
to Paradise, we don't know if you're going or not.
I would assume you're somebody that they would at least ask,
are there any guys that you would be interested from
this franchise meeting down there?
Speaker 2 (43:13):
Do you guys ever get an actual Sometimes we do?
Speaker 3 (43:15):
We do, we do like a keem name. I think
the guys are a little.
Speaker 1 (43:20):
Guys will definitely well there's been I think, yeah. There's
What we.
Speaker 3 (43:25):
Started to do is ask like, if you were on
here with someone else, we'd be like, who do you
think Dina should match up with? Because people get uncomfortable
saying direct names, which I totally understand.
Speaker 2 (43:35):
It's so uncomfortable for me.
Speaker 3 (43:37):
But do you have your eyes on people?
Speaker 2 (43:38):
Like?
Speaker 3 (43:39):
Are there people if you don't want to share names?
Do you have anyone in mind?
Speaker 2 (43:42):
No? I don't. I don't have my eyes on people
because I think for me, like what's my data point?
Like where what do I know about you? Like the
very little that I can see from your social media
that's just not enough. Like in terms of if you're tall,
I'm probably interested.
Speaker 1 (43:58):
In you, Okay, So they just got to be tall,
basically cast tall guys on this show.
Speaker 3 (44:04):
Yeah, yeah, you're in a good d I would say
that if you're tall, you're automatically like inconsiderate. Guys. If
you're listening to this, you're into Dina and you're not tall,
Just back off.
Speaker 2 (44:14):
I'm so sorry to do that to you.
Speaker 1 (44:15):
Guys, you're gonna have mean to be.
Speaker 2 (44:17):
But my jeans, Like, I just am thinking about my children.
Speaker 1 (44:20):
You know you're gonna have you You're going to have
the one short Romanian guy come for you in paradise. Yeah,
and you're going to fall in love with them. You're
like everything I said.
Speaker 2 (44:30):
Out a lot, and I think I'm the first Romanian
on the Showman just came it a little okay.
Speaker 1 (44:40):
Diana, thank you, uh, thank you so much for taking
the time out of your day. It was really great
meeting you and talking to you. And I don't think
this is going to be the last time we see you,
but you never.
Speaker 3 (44:50):
Know, totally not, hopefully not.
Speaker 2 (44:54):
Thanks guys, and.
Speaker 1 (44:55):
To our listeners, thank you guys so much for tuning
into Batch Happy Hour. Make sure you download and subscribe
to the podcast.
Speaker 3 (45:01):
We have more exclusive interviews coming your way. Thanks for listening. Bye.
Hey, everyone, welcome back to Beat your halfy Hour. I'm
Joe and I'm Serena and we are here today with
Dina from Grand Season.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
Hi. Dina, Hi, it's so nice to meet you guys.
I know Serena, you and I got a chance to
talk a little bit after Women Tell All, but Joe
wasn't there. So Joe, nice to meet you. Nice to
see you Serena again.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
Nice to meet you too. I'm I'm also from Chicago.
Where are you from?
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Amazing? I'm from Chicago. Was born and raised in the
Southwest suburbs Burridge if you're familiar with it.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
Yeah, okay, so grow up Melrose Park.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Okay, that's like more city right close.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
Do you know where like Johnny's Beef is?
Speaker 2 (00:40):
I only know like Bona Beef?
Speaker 1 (00:42):
Really?
Speaker 2 (00:43):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (00:44):
Wow, I wasn't expecting that. I think my cousin is
that the drive through Bona Beef? Yeah, Bonea Bee's good.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
I went to high school with all of them, so
you know, that's really the only place that I would
go to get beef if I was going to get
beef in Chicago. I'm so sorry, got it, got it.
Speaker 3 (00:59):
I think my cousin taking me on like a Chicago
beef tour of the city. At this point, I've had
so many different beefs. Really, yeah, he loves them.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
That's not like my go to food.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
If I'm hungry, what's your go to like Chicago staple,
I just.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
Go find dining because it's just everywhere. I live right
smacked up in the city, so it's just everywhere. I'm sorry,
do you.
Speaker 3 (01:23):
Have a favorite restaurant?
Speaker 2 (01:25):
I would say I took the girls there, So I'm
just gonna say Maple and Ash. That's like the one
place that I would take if someone was coming into
town and they needed to go somewhere that was like
fun and vibe, but like really good food, Like I
love Italian food, so i'd go to like Elina's, which
is like a little spot in West Town that.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
Doesn't get yeah, and.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
They've got like the candles. It's kind of has the
bachelor vibe in there. I love it.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
I used to live over there. I lived close to there.
I think my cousin knows you, Teresa.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Yeah, she's one of my friends.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
Yeah, she's my cousin.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
So okay, well that's amazing. Yeah, I did know that.
I just haven't had a chance to say that too
yet nice?
Speaker 1 (02:04):
Wow?
Speaker 2 (02:05):
Okay, but Joe didn't she live in your place?
Speaker 1 (02:08):
But yeah, that was there? Wow? Okay, okay, let's let's
get into it. Let's start from the beginning. How did
you wind up on the Bachelor?
Speaker 2 (02:24):
Oh? God? So how did I wind up on the Bachelor.
I was going through a breakup, like a pretty long
term breakup, and I was heading to my sister's place
for I think it was a Christmas brunch or something.
And I'm not joking. I had, what this is bad
and I'm going to get in trouble for it. But
what one hand had my phone in it, and then
my other hand was on the wheel, and I was
just like applying, like just for ships and gigs, like
(02:45):
I didn't think anything of it. I was like this.
I was watching a lot of reality TV at that time,
like I think Love is Blind had just come out
for the first time. I was I was watching Bachelor
for the first time since like years ago, and I
was like, let me just like apply. I'm sure nothing
will come of it. And then I went to my
sister's little brunch and I told them, like, guys, guess
what I just did. And I was like, I find
(03:07):
nothing's gonna come of it, but like how funny. We
all had a good laugh. Yeah, and sure enough, like
the ball just kept rolling and it turned into something
and then it was like, yeah, you're gonna be on
and I was like, oh shit, I guess, I guess
I'm going.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
Did you apply for Love is Blind as well?
Speaker 2 (03:23):
No? No, yeah, I don't think love is blind, So
like I'm not even trying to like do that experience.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
I think people that are applying for the Bachelor are
not trying to prove that love is blind. Yeah, it's
very different themes and messaging coming out of this different.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
Totally different vibes, and I'm not even gonna sit here
on line and pretend like I'm gonna believe that love
is blind.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
So yeah, I agree, I agree. I think that that
show to me is wild, But imagine that you're watching it.
Speaker 3 (03:55):
And the stakes are also just so high. Like getting
engaged at the end of a show is one thing.
I know people think that's crazy, but like I just
think that's way more doable than getting married.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
Yeah, right, and before you ever even see them, you know,
you're already engaged before you even get to see them, right,
So it's just yeah, no, it definitely did not apply,
never even to cross my mind. I don't know why
the Bachelor was just at the forefront. I think I
had such a good time watching Love Is Blind. I
was like, what else can I watch that's like in
the same genre, And so I went and I watched
(04:24):
I think it was Clayton's season. I think it was
his season.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
Yeah, did you watch Gen season?
Speaker 2 (04:32):
I did, once I realized that I was going through
the process and this might happen. I did watch her season,
and then I watched Joey's as well. That's kind of hard.
Speaker 3 (04:42):
Were there any guys that stood out for you that
you were like, ooh, I kind of hope that they
might be the Bachelor while you were going because you're
interviewing as Gen season's airing and assuming.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
Yes, Grant was actually at the top of my list.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
Okay, wow, Yeah, that's good.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
That's always like, I mean, I feel like you, I
feel like that's a sign when you're like, I really
want it to be this person and then it is.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (05:05):
Did the concept of getting engaged at the end of
you know, two months intimidate you at all?
Speaker 2 (05:13):
No, not even a little. That's like the exciting it
for me. So prior to being on the show, was
in like a four year relationship and it just wasn't
going and you were, well, it was going somewhere, but
it ultimately I don't think that was my person. And
so I always said after that relationship, like, once I
heal and I'm like ready, you know, to go out
there again. I feel like I'm going to meet my person,
(05:33):
date very short, get engaged, and then a lobe. So
that's always have been like kind of my plan moving
forward in relationships. So to me, I was like, oh, perfect,
I get to just go and do what I want
to do in my real life anyway on a show,
let's just do it.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
Were you so you're so you're someone who is ready
to get engaged to get married totally?
Speaker 2 (05:52):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
Were there other women on the show that you felt
were aligned with that and then other women that you
were like this person, No, is this person ready?
Speaker 2 (06:02):
I think that's one of the most surprising things about
the show, At least for my season and my experiences.
I thought every girl that I met was on that
same mindset as me, Like everyone was super ready to
get to know Graham, get to an engagement, get married.
It just seemed like maybe it was also because they
casted an older group, like I'm thirty two years old,
(06:23):
and a lot of the women were around my age,
maybe a little bit younger. I think the old the
youngest was like twenty seven. Actually, Ella might be like
twenty six. Either way, everyone had that mindset of like
we were just looking to find my person, get engaged,
and just like cut the bullshit. You know, everyone I
felt that when I talked to them had that same
mentality as me. So I really didn't feel like anyone
(06:45):
was there just like, whoop, you do, let's see what happens.
I'm not really looking to get engaged. I had never
got that vibe.
Speaker 1 (06:51):
No who. I liked her. I thought she was one
of the more. I thought she was entertaining, and I
thought she had a great personality. But I would have
probably what was her name, I think Bailey. Bailey wasn't
really giving me I'm ready to get engaged at the
end of this.
Speaker 3 (07:08):
Well, I agree, but defense they showed her in a
very fun, silly, playful light. We didn't really get to
see a more super side of her.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
Agreed, and she she was my roommate actually in the house.
So she's actually one of my close friends. And she's
so funny. She's so light hearted. She will like make
anything goofy, which we love her for. But she has
a very serious side too, and she's definitely someone who
if she met her person like, she would be should
be done, you know, like let's just do the damn thing.
Like so, I do see where you're coming from. But
(07:39):
she's someone that I would say too, is ready for
an engagement too.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
I think she'll do. I don't know if she's going
to go to Paradise, but I think she'll do pretty
well in Paradise.
Speaker 3 (07:47):
She's personality super suited.
Speaker 1 (07:49):
Yeah, yeah for that show. Okay, So going back to
night one, you step out of the limo, you see
Grant for the first time, kind of take us back
to that moment. What's going on in your head?
Speaker 2 (08:01):
Oh God, stepping out of the limo and seeing Grant
for the first time. I just remember being so nervous.
And I'm not really somebody that gets nervous, which makes.
Speaker 1 (08:11):
It, which makes it worse, by the way.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
Way worse, because I wasn't expecting to be nervous, right,
and I actually was in the limo. Oh God, was
I before or after Juliana? I don't remember, but like
she got why don't I remember this? It seems like
a really important I think I was right after her.
I was right after her because they kept talking. Everyone
of my lema kept talking, talking, and I'm like listen,
(08:34):
like I have to get in the right red headspace,
like I think you have to say.
Speaker 3 (08:37):
I was first out of my limo and I was
so relieved. I was like, get me out of this
thing as soon as yeah. And then you have to
sit and you have to watch other people go and
like listen, and people.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
Are just like chitter chattering. So if you have this
whole monologue, which I did, even though they cut it
to a really short thing, like I had this whole thing,
and I was like, if I'm messed up, I'm screwed,
Like they're gonna err it. Here's the thing about a
TV that I wish I knew going in. You think
while you're in it that everything you say is going
to be aired. So you're just like, I said that
stupid thing, it's going to be aired. Oh I messed
(09:10):
up there, that's going to be it. And you just
like I just kind of got used to that idea
in my head and I just kind of thought that
that's what it's like. So when you watch it back
and you're like, oh, I could have butchered the whole
thing and then like just done like four lines correctly
and it would have been fine, And that sounds stupid. Sorry,
I'm going off on a tangent what you're saying it
(09:30):
it's like an important.
Speaker 3 (09:32):
Like I felt the exact same way, even though I
logically know like not everything can be shown. I think
it's hard to conceptualize how much you live and experience
and then how little is shown until you like live
it and then watch it back and you're like, wow,
I only really needed to like have my shit together
like zero point seven percent.
Speaker 2 (09:53):
Of the time.
Speaker 3 (09:55):
Like I were like the same pair of orange sweatpants
like every single day, and like, I don't think you
ever saw those are defense on TV.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
I'm like saving this one outfit for this particular and
it gets like two seconds of air time and I'm like, yeah,
where was I stressing about the outfit?
Speaker 3 (10:10):
And I remember going to Paradise and feeling so much
more relaxed, just because you can mentally be like I
know like, so much of this is never going to
even be shown.
Speaker 1 (10:21):
Well, that's I mean, that's what I mean. That's what
I thought. Then the second time around in Paradise, when
I was just laying around doing nothing, they showed all
of it.
Speaker 3 (10:28):
Comes well, you also were I guess, I guess.
Speaker 1 (10:32):
It was part of my person No, I'm saying the
second time guys.
Speaker 2 (10:36):
You guys were a lot more like main character energy,
you know, in your season of Vethroom Paradise. I just
started watching it actually, and I was like, Okay, it's
a lot of you guys because obviously you guys get
engaged at the end, but you don't realize that that's
what the editing does.
Speaker 3 (10:50):
Right well, and you also don't know while you're filming
it how your story is you being going to end
because it's so fast, so it's just you're experiencing in
real time. And then until you know you've made it
to the and you're getting engaged, you're like, maybe they
will show us.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
Yeah, oh yeah, you guys are definitely getting shown. Well
I know the same thing, so yeah, I think regardless,
you kind of get main character energy because like everyone thinks,
you only think of yourself like we just can't help it, right,
We're human, And so when you get out of it
and you're watching it back, you're like, oh, where am I?
Where am I? It's like episode three and I've seen
(11:25):
like twenty two seconds of myself, which is honestly a
good thing, because I was stress in before everything was airing.
I was like, which one's gonna watch with my family?
Which ones can'tup? Like? I just felt like all of
the you know, worst like cringey moments were gonna come up,
and they just didn't.
Speaker 3 (11:42):
So it's got to be a mix of like a
bit of a letdown because there's things that you wanted
to see that you'll never get to see back, and
also a bit of a relief because you're like, okay,
only so much is going to be shown. I don't
actually have to stress as much as I've been stressing.
Speaker 2 (11:56):
Thousand percent. Yes, that's exactly how I felt.
Speaker 1 (11:59):
So see going back to Grant and that that first moment,
did you feel like you had a connection with him?
Speaker 2 (12:06):
I felt like it was an immediate connection. I remember
thinking he is so tall, which is one of my
only qualifications for a man these days.
Speaker 3 (12:17):
I just thought it was funny she was just like, oh,
he's so tall. Thank god, I love him.
Speaker 1 (12:25):
God.
Speaker 2 (12:25):
Yeah. I mean I'm five four and like everyone in
my family's like pretty average height, so I'm like, I
just need it for the jeans.
Speaker 3 (12:31):
My god, that's what my dad says. My dad's always like,
we have to bring up the family average. Okay, we're
all on the medium height side. I know.
Speaker 2 (12:40):
He was thrilled, very lucky, so that that was really it.
I was just like, I remember and they got a
photo of me doing this, I'm like looking up as
if he's like this.
Speaker 3 (12:51):
It was.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
I just remember feeling like I was dumbfounded because I
didn't expect him to be so tall. And then I'm
just like this little thing, like trying to remember like
what I wanted to say, and then I could have
sworn there was like a halo around him, but it
was just like the stage lights. I realized later, because
it's the first time that you're in front of like
lights and the cameras and all of that, and I
was like, is there right, halo might like going crazy.
Speaker 1 (13:14):
And I feel like they really they really make the lead.
They really make the lead like angelic looking that first
night and you it's just like you're like.
Speaker 3 (13:23):
Whoa, yeah, have a presence to them.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
Yes, He's like just like, what's the word there's a
from like out of this world?
Speaker 3 (13:32):
What's the ethereal?
Speaker 2 (13:33):
Let's go with that one. Yeah, being you know in
front of you, and you're just like, whoa, that's how that's.
Speaker 3 (13:38):
An extra trust.
Speaker 1 (13:41):
I don't know if that's that's an alien.
Speaker 2 (13:45):
It just he just didn't seem from like this world,
you know. He just seems like so out of this
a figure, right, And you're just standing there and you've
obviously done a little bit, did a little bit of research.
I saw my gen season things like that. But once
you're standing there and then the light and then all
the stress, it's just like this huge moment. So yeah,
it was it was a lot to take in, but
(14:07):
I definitely felt that connection. I definitely felt like, Okay,
I think I meant to be here.
Speaker 3 (14:10):
And then what was your first conversation with him about?
Speaker 2 (14:14):
Oh? My first conversation with Grant was about oh man,
I think I told him that he looked like an
angel up there, Like I just had had to tell
him that I saw a halo above his head, not
to like inflate his ego too much. And then I
think we talked a little bit about my family. I
said something like, you know, if we make it to
hometowns loll because this didn't happen, but like, you know,
(14:35):
I have a really big family, and he's like, oh,
how big is your family? And I said, well, I'm
like more of a visual person, and so I had
one of those The best way I could describe it
as like a you know, like that opens up.
Speaker 3 (14:47):
Yes, and it's all the little stick figures in paper.
Speaker 2 (14:50):
Yes, exactly. So I was like, well, this is my sister,
this and that my mom and dad, d da da,
and like we just kept it, just kept going and
going and going until we were both standing up and
I was like, well, that's my family. And it was
just like this huge line of people and that's just
like my immediate family, right, like my brother's and stuff.
So we talked about that. I talked a little bit
about his family, and honestly, that first conversation came out
(15:13):
of my head because I was the one who got
interrupted by his sister walking into the house, and so
there was all this commotion about someone walking in and
then all of a sudden we're interrupted and I just
like look up at it. I'm like, I don't remember
her from when I walked into the house, you know,
earlier that that night. So I was like a little dumbfounded.
And then it was the first time getting like interrupted too,
(15:34):
So you're like, how am I supposed to act like?
Am I supposed to ask for more time? Am I
supposed to just get up and leave? So I was
like okay, and I'm like left, I don't know it was.
Speaker 1 (15:43):
Are you Greek?
Speaker 2 (15:44):
Romanian? Greek?
Speaker 1 (15:48):
Yeah? Yeah, I thought you were Greek?
Speaker 3 (15:50):
Okay, Well, what was your family's response initially when you
said you were going on the show. I know this
was kind of a big topic throughout your journey, especially
during hometowns, but what was the initial reaction? How many
how many siblings do you have?
Speaker 2 (16:09):
Again?
Speaker 1 (16:09):
Twelve?
Speaker 2 (16:10):
One of eleven, one of eleven, so I have ten. Yeah,
there's four brothers, six sisters, and then my parents, Yeah
there were Romanians, so my parents are here for we're
here first generation, first generation. That would be a first generation, right, yeah,
and so you know, typically the I guess, I say
(16:31):
timeline of like a Romanian woman, especially first generation, is
you get married, like in your early twenties. I mean,
you start having kids, and typically like the guy that
you get married is like someone that like your mom
or dad knows, or like someone from the church or
someone in the Romanian community, or like someone set you up,
you know, like they'd like to keep.
Speaker 3 (16:49):
It like very similar to Indian culture.
Speaker 2 (16:51):
Mom's very it's a very like Eastern European thing too,
you know from other cultures. Is what like from other
European cultures too. But I've never been that way, and
my parents accepted that a long time ago. I'm like,
I'm not I'm not marrying a remaining guy, like, you know,
no offense of the remaining guys. I'm sure you guys
are great, but like that's just not It's just not me,
it's not my path. I just didn't want that for myself.
(17:13):
And I also wanted to continue education, which if I
got married early, it probably wouldn't have gone through college
and law school and you know, started my career. And
so my family knew that, and so when I told
them about the show, they were like, you know, that
sounds like something you would do, Like you know, that's
what you want to do. Go ahead. We supported. My
sisters were super supportive of it, and my mom because
(17:35):
they had watched it. They had watched the show growing
up and we had watched it with them. My dad
was like, they were in Romania at the time too,
mind you, So like I called them, I facetimed them
and they were okay with it, but my dad didn't
like really know what the show was about. When I
asked my mom, she was like, ask your dad. And
when I asked my dad, my dad just ask your mom,
And so I was like, oh, well, both of them
(17:56):
said fine, you know, it's okay, it's less to do it.
And by the way, I have to leave week, and
they were just like, oh, so, you know, a lot
of that is on me because my dad didn't understand
like the full format of the show. He certainly didn't
get that there's an engagement at the end, even though
I know I told him, But to him, it was
just like a lot of information all at once.
Speaker 3 (18:16):
Do you kind of as a child have always led
somewhat of an untraditional path compared to like what your
parents would have expected you to live. So this isn't
like the first time you're doing something unconventional.
Speaker 2 (18:30):
To them, that's exactly right, and so it was not
surprising to them.
Speaker 1 (18:35):
And then let's let's jump I mean, we'll we'll continue
with like your path on the show. But speaking of
your parents, so they don't come to your hometown and
meet Grant. You know, as a viewer, were kind of
under the impression that they're just like not okay with
the show. But you're saying they were okay, So then
like why weren't they there?
Speaker 2 (18:55):
So mind you that when I found out that, like
there was a little bit of discourse between my family
about the show, I didn't get to talk to my family.
I only spoke to producers. Right. The information that was
said to me was, hey, like a lot of your
family's really supportive and they want to come to hometowns,
but then you've got a few of them kind of
(19:16):
fighting and saying this is too fast. And also we
had a shorter season. Like when I spoke to my
family about hometowns, I said, if I go to hometowns,
we're going to be at like week eight or week seven.
I forget what I said, but it was like way
later weeks because then you pretty much only have two
weeks left until you're engaged. Right, My family got notified
(19:37):
I think it was week three or four, because they
start to kind of notice the families that they think
might be in hometowns for the women that might be
going to hometowns pretty early on, and so they were like,
she just left, Like what do you mean? And so
that started that stirred up a lot of issues in
the family group chat. They were like, you guys, she
(19:58):
just left a few weeks ago, Like this crazy, Like
does anyone like actually know what's going on? And so
they'd been looking on Reddit, they were looking online. There
was like this storyline that like I might be a
villain and I like started a ruckus at the R
and B day. I don't know if you guys ever
heard about that, but there was that going on in
the background, and my family was like, is this show
actually about finding love? Is this show serious? Or are
(20:21):
they just trying to pain her as someone who she's not.
So that was an added element with my family. And
so if you can think of a normal family and
how much you guys might have differing opinions a family
of ten, eleven, twelve, my parents included having all of
these different not speaking to me, seeing different stuff online,
then thinking about the timeline they were just fighting about
(20:43):
it and like whether it was for me whether they
should go and if they're like, well, if we don't go,
then maybe she'll just come home and move off to
deal with this, you know, but then if so, It
was a lot of that, and all I heard was
the family was fighting. They feel a certain way about it,
and I was like, you know what, I don't feel
like my connection is super strong right now where I
can get engaged. In two weeks. I had been in
LA for like eight days since Scotland, like waiting for
(21:06):
my hometown, and I was like, I feel like I
should be missing him more. I feel like I should
be worried about how his hometowns are going with the
other women, and I just wasn't. So that was worrying me.
And so when I got that call for the producers
as I'm on my way literally at the gate going
to Chicago, we were one of the last people on
(21:27):
the plane. Hey, your family's fighting about hometowns, Like, what
do you want to do? Do some of them to
come due, some of them not come? I said, you
know what, I'm am not going to be able to
convince my family that I'm ready to get engaged in
two weeks based on where I am right now, So
let's just do a friend's thing, Because if it's going
to be me sitting down with like the half that's supportive,
then I just shafted the other half that's like not
(21:49):
that supportive. And I want everyone to be like in
a kumbaya, you know, we all support you, and we
all want to see like where this is going with Grant,
And it just didn't look like that was going to help,
and so I made the decision at the end of
the day, did not have them.
Speaker 3 (22:03):
Well, you're persally also thinking like, okay, let's say just
bring the family that is supportive of it. Then you've
got like a divide situation, or you bring all of them,
and you're spending a lot of your hometown convincing some
of your family of this process how it works, and
then you're also doubting the relationship. You're probably like I
don't want to spend like all this time convincing them
(22:24):
and selling them on this situation to then see them
like two days later when I head out.
Speaker 2 (22:29):
Yeah, and also when I wasn't convinced myself when Granted
I first saw each other for the first time in Chicago.
Like I told him, I was like, I feel off,
I feel weird, Like it's been eight nights. He's like,
it's been a few days. I was like, no, it's
been like nine. It's been like nine days traveling, including
all of that, I'm not seeing each other. And I
just felt like, if you want to know whether your
(22:51):
relationship will, what's the phrase, like take the test of
time or like survive the test of time, whatever the
phrase is, like, you have to spend I'm apart from
that person, right and then when you see each other again,
like see how you feel. And I was very aware
of how I felt. I was like, I feel distant.
I feel like our connection is not that strong, and
(23:11):
like as strong as I thought it was because I
had just been out in the real world. I was
out in Beverly Hills, like we were like doing fun stuff.
We were just like out in the world for the
first time, not in this like little bachelor bubble. And
so I think it was the first time where I realized,
you know, I don't think it's me. Yeah, yeah, And
I was so delusional. I was like, there's no way
(23:32):
anyone has said I love you right now, right at
this point, there's no way because I don't feel that
at all, and I don't think I could get there
in two weeks. Maybe I could, That's why I stayed
Maybe I could, But at this point I was so delusional.
I thought everyone was around the same playing field as
I was, because it was just not it was such
a quick process. I was like, how could anyone possibly
(23:54):
fall in love in week four? Week five?
Speaker 1 (23:58):
But did you guys talk about did you talk about
that with the other women when you got down to it,
like the last the last four women, did you guys
have that conversation of like you're like, I'm not really ready?
Speaker 2 (24:09):
Yeah, that happened. So right after my hometown, I was
the last hometown, we went back to LA and we
had the producer set up this whole you know, girl
chat before the rose ceremony, and that was the first
thing that I said. I said, so my family wasn't
there at my hometown, was just a friends thing and
we were all kind of talking about our fears moving forward,
(24:31):
and that was the first thing I said, Guys, I
don't know if I can be engaged in two weeks,
Like does that not sound crazy to anyone else? And
like you could hear a pin drop.
Speaker 3 (24:39):
They were all like, we're ready for Yeah.
Speaker 1 (24:43):
We're all so a little crazy, but no.
Speaker 2 (24:45):
No, no, don't be wrong. I would be ready to be engaged.
I just didn't feel that totally. Yeah, yeah, Like if
I like felt it and like everything was like on
the up and up, up and up, up and up
the entire time, I would have been one hundred percent there.
But I did didn't feel that with Grant. They're just
quite frankly, was there just wasn't enough time. And because
(25:05):
of the limited amount of time that I thought that
I was able to spend Grant, I thought the girls
were feeling the same way.
Speaker 3 (25:11):
Do you think looking back, if it had been your
person that was the lead, it might have been different,
Like do you think your feelings of like this isn't
enough time. I don't know if I'm ready had to
do with both, like the short time frame obviously you
guys had a short season also, and then in tandem
with the fact that maybe Grant just like wasn't the
guy for you.
Speaker 2 (25:32):
That's absolutely what it was. It's just Grant wasn't my person,
and it just took, you know, the process to figure
that out and That's what the show's all about, right,
like to figure out if you are each other's person.
And you know, do I think that a longer season
would have made me figure that out or would have
made him my person? Probably not, you know, I just
(25:53):
think it took me up until Hometowns to realize, oh,
he's definitely not my person. Yeah, and that was okay.
You know, ultimately he found his person and that's all
that mattered, and that's what it was all about.
Speaker 3 (26:03):
So did you think he was gonna end up with
like from that girl chat where you like, hmm, I
think maybe it could be so and So.
Speaker 2 (26:13):
I mean Latia, it was Latia for me, it was
Lytia since we were in the house. I mean when
we were in the house, I just remember we were
all talking so freely, like I never felt. I know,
there's this like idea that the girls get so jealous
and we're so jealous of each other's connections and things
like that. We're really not because we don't know, we
(26:34):
don't know what the connection is. Like we talk like
how girls chat, but we're not like, oh, you know,
he told me that you know, I'm his number one,
or he told you know, we don't. We're not comparing
notes in that way. We're just kind of like talking
about Grant generally, like, Oh, isn't he's so nice? Oh
he's so sweet? Did you see when he said this?
Like we've talked that way, right, And so unless I'm
(26:56):
there watching them interact or hear about a conversation that
they had, we really don't know where the other relationships
for the connections stand, right. And so the only person
that I felt in the house had such a strong
connection and like really was withholding a lot was Letia.
Like she always kept her peace and her cards really
(27:16):
close to her chest and was never really like in
those conversations, and you could tell it was because she
felt strong feelings pretty early on. And so I always
thought that, And even I remember in Scotland, like before
she got her one on one she we had talked
about it briefly in our hotel room, like she was like,
I'm like I'm screwed, like I'm really indeed, And I
(27:39):
was like, oh, okay, yeah, I thought so, because this
is the first time you get voiced it to me.
But you just buy her mannerisms by the way that
she would It's just like a look you know, people
just have like a look about them. And obviously I
was there at the Puppy day two with Litia and
Grin and Sarafina, and I could just tell then too
that third connection was pretty strong. So I always thought
(28:01):
with I really did.
Speaker 1 (28:10):
Okay, So pre Women Tell All, before we before you
go to Women Tell All, where do you stand with Carolina? Like,
what what is your relationship? Like now you guys like
kind of you beefed down the show, then you you
kind of make up. And that's what we see going
into Women Tell All.
Speaker 2 (28:35):
Before Women Tell All. I think, man's this is so
difficult because I think we were all navigating like the
internet space and like the public attention for the first time, right,
And so I thought we were just fine, Like we
weren't friends, I would I wouldn't say, but we also
weren't enemies or weren't against one another in any sense
(28:56):
of the word. I had even sent her a text
at some point and say, you know, regardless of what
the internet wants to, you know, say and like create
this kerly Ni versus Dina divide like I don't feel
that against you at all, just so you know, And
then we kind of exchanged some niceties and that was it.
Speaker 1 (29:12):
So you two were on the same page.
Speaker 2 (29:15):
We were on the same page. Yeah, And then you know,
I think I went into Women's how all like super
defensive because there had been a lot of online stuff
and I think the public feeding into it can sometimes
feed into you. And that's like the first mistake that
I made, as I let it really get to me.
And so I went in there like kind of in
(29:35):
lawyer mode, like I'm just going to go there and
any argument you have, I'm going to attack it, and
I'm going to make sure that I prove my point,
which was stupid because we're not in a courtroom, and
we're also not here to like win the case, right,
Like we're just people having an argument, right, or having
like a disagreement on something. And I think with the
TikTok that I started to remember that I'd posted TikTok
(29:58):
a previewing the upcoming.
Speaker 1 (30:01):
Yes yes, yes, yes yeah.
Speaker 2 (30:04):
And just that day, I think it was like earlier
in the day, I posted a TikTok of like me,
Carolina and Alex like goofing around in Madrid. It was
just like a funny TikTok that we did and we
were not able to post because once the Madrid episode
came out, we were able to post like Madrid content, right,
And so I posted that and then later on in
the day I was getting like inundated with like just
(30:30):
so much Bachelor of content, you know, I'm like, oh,
this will be like a funny way to or like
a way to preview the next episode. And it was
a trending sound at the time as well. I didn't
have like a following or anything like that, so like
never in a million years, and I think it would
get the attention or traction that it did and then
have her respond to it in that way. And then
(30:50):
of course that made me respond because now I'm defensive.
But it was never my intention to like slight her
or to make her upset. Now looking back, I can
totally underderstand why he did. Yeah, really, I truly understand
why he did. And I wish that I would have
text her and said, like, hey, you know, I'm seeing
like this video is obviously blown up and people think that,
(31:12):
you know, you threw me under the bus or whatever.
I'm sorry that you know, it's become that That's not
what I wanted it to be. And I should have
thought it through or I should have texted you, but I didn't,
and I really should have. I wish I would have.
Speaker 1 (31:23):
Do you wish you would have went into Women Tell All? Then?
Not defensive? Like how would you have approached it now?
Looking back at it? How would you approach it now?
Speaker 2 (31:33):
I wish I didn't come in so defensive, I really do.
And I think I should have laid down on my
sword about a lot of that stuff and realized that
Carolina was probably getting attacked left and right throughout the
entire season. And when you're not in that, and it's
like your algorithm will feed you what is you know
is relevant to you? You know, I wasn't seeing Carolina hate,
(31:55):
I wasn't seeing Carolina comments. I wasn't seeing any of that.
And so then when Women Tell All came out and
people were like, you guys are mean and you're this,
and I was seeing a lot of that, I was like, oh,
this is probably what she was experiencing, you know, just
a few episodes ago. And I had no idea, Like
you just don't know what you don't know. And so
going into Women Tell All, she came in kind of hot,
(32:16):
you know, with the words on her little you know,
he don't even know to call it like her. Yeah,
the blazer was like her saying is or her one liners,
her singers, And so I was thinking, like, Okay, I
guess we're up for battle, you know, I guess this
is what we're doing. And so instead of hearing her
and like taking it in and being like, Okay, I
(32:37):
can understand where you're coming from, taking myself out of
it and responding that way, like I was just coming defensive. Defensive.
Speaker 3 (32:43):
Yeah, but I also think when you go to tell
all there's so much time. Not so much time, actually
there's but there's time between filming the show and then
filming Tell all Right, you kind of had that space,
whereas I feel like the stuff between you and Carolyne
on social media was still kind of fresh. So you
were both coming in with a lot of emotions and
now probably talking about it, you feel a little bit
(33:04):
more removed, and you know, hindsight, it's always doing funny.
Speaker 2 (33:08):
Totally, there was a lot of emotion, and I think
had we both realized, like at the end of the day,
like we're both people and we both obviously had a friendship.
At some point during the show, like we have to
just remove ourselves from the drama of it all.
Speaker 1 (33:22):
Yeah, it's funny because like when you're when you're in it,
especially someone like you who goes really far and you
you also have like this person that you're going up against,
which is Carolina, everything feels so important, so big. It
seems like it's basically it's like it's all of your world.
It's just like everything very emotion and then when you
(33:44):
when you you know, two months later, you're like, this
was it was? That was so silly, Like what is
wrong with me? Like why could I not just like
chill out and be like, yeah, I get it.
Speaker 3 (33:56):
All kind of people think they go back on and
they're like, oh, I won't do it this time.
Speaker 2 (34:00):
But it's just a.
Speaker 1 (34:01):
Very easy thing to You should have talked to my
cousin because I would have given you advice.
Speaker 3 (34:06):
No, you didn't need it.
Speaker 2 (34:08):
I should have. But something that I really wanted from
my experience is to go in and have no like
I didn't want anything. I didn't want outside noise. I
didn't want advice I didn't want which is stupid, right,
because I just wanted to take it wrong, just like
whatever happens, like I just see how I'll handle it
and just going with no expectations whatsoever. Now I'm like,
(34:31):
I'll take all the advices I can get, like, tell
me everything, give me all the like I want to.
Speaker 3 (34:35):
See once you have that like baseline experience of having
been on the show, you know what I mean. Like,
I feel like now if you were to get advice,
you would receive it so much differently, in process it
differently than if you had gotten it prior to ever
stepping a little limo.
Speaker 2 (34:51):
You're right, it's so different.
Speaker 1 (34:53):
When you're living in where where do you and Carolina
stand now? Just friends not friends whatever?
Speaker 2 (35:00):
I mean, we're definitely not friends. But I would I
go out of my way to not engage with any
like Karolina hate or dislike or anything that could perpetuate
any type of narrative towards her or mean. Like I'll
even respond like something nice just to get people to chill.
But what I found with the Internet is you just
have to ignore it. Yeah, right, Like if I try
(35:21):
to write something nice to diffuse it's like, well now
you're saying that because da da da dah. Or if
I say something, if I would say something mean or
like kind of you know, rude or whatever. It's the
same thing. So I personally don't have anything against Carolina
at all. I think she's a sweet, bubbly person. I
think that the process it wasn't the best environment for her,
(35:45):
for sure, it wasn't the best environment for any of us.
Like none of us are made for this environment, right.
I think it's all about like how you take it
and grow from it, like now moving forward, Like I
would never I always think to myself, like is what
I'm about to say and respond like emotional?
Speaker 1 (36:01):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (36:01):
Or is it you know, where's it coming from? Like
that is it actually something that's going to further this discussion.
It's something that I've worked on myself like since to
show because I've noticed, like I will allow myself to
get emotional about stuff that just doesn't need it, you know,
it doesn't require an emotional response. And I'll just like now,
and you.
Speaker 1 (36:20):
Can't you cannot win against the internet, Like you just
can't win against him, and like you look at like
even look at somebody like Joey, who was probably the
most beloved bachelor in a very long time, Like I
would say, Joey, like the amount of love.
Speaker 3 (36:34):
To hate it like reaching like top five, like.
Speaker 1 (36:36):
Joey's at like probably like ninety eight percent love and
there's probably like two percent hate. But if he went
down that rabbit hole, like it would feel like everyone's
against them and he could find those comments argue with them,
and then it just gets worse and worse and worse
when in reality, like fucking none of that ship matters.
Speaker 2 (36:55):
Yeah, but it doesn't matter. And I think that's what
I struggle with too, right because I don't want to
perpetuate any of that negativity towards Carolina or you know,
our feud online. But then I wonder like should I
just reach out to her and try to have a
nice conversation with her or is that then going to
be well, you know, now you want to be friends
with her even though women tell all your you know.
(37:17):
So it's I just I don't know. I don't know
what the right avenue is or what the solution is,
but I have no hate or disdain or anything towards
Carolina at all.
Speaker 3 (37:27):
So I want to ask you about your time in
Chicago with Letia, you and Parisa.
Speaker 1 (37:36):
So now we're post show, post.
Speaker 3 (37:38):
Show, you and Serafina and Serafina Oh, Okay, yes, all
four of you are there.
Speaker 2 (37:44):
How is that?
Speaker 3 (37:45):
How did that come to be? Tell us about it?
Speaker 2 (37:49):
So much fun? It was actually very random. I was
supposed to be on trial actually at the end of
March into April, and its settled. Parisa and Serphena were
coming We're regardless, and so then my trial settled and
I was like, wait, guys, I'm going to be in
Chicago now, let's have Latia come too, because she was
just finishing up with AFR. And so it came to
(38:11):
be like very randomly. And I say that because I
know that if I would have seen, you know, a
bunch of girls hanging out in a city without me
and that haven't spoken to me about her invited me,
I would have felt a certain type of way. So
this is just like to all the girls in my season.
It was it just happened to work out, and the
girls came to Chicago. I don't want to exclude anybody
(38:31):
like that. We're so close to everyone on our cast,
like truly, and I wish everyone could come to Chicago.
But I mean, we're going to be going on trips together,
you know, probably all summer.
Speaker 1 (38:42):
Else are you friends with? What's your friendship like with Juliana.
Speaker 2 (38:48):
Again, it's like the internet stuff. Like I thought we
were everything was all good and we were friends, like
we were definitely friends while we were filming. Post filming,
we had exchanged a good amount of texts, checking in
on each other, like we'll send each other some nice stuff.
But then the Internet, you know, takes me hanging out
(39:10):
with Latia and being good friends with Latia as we're
against Juliana, and it's like causing this discourse that doesn't exist.
It just doesn't, it doesn't exist. And I think the
a large part of it was, you know, Juliana had
like a post AFR event and then Litia had one
as well, and I thought, understandably, like I had to
(39:31):
be there for Litia because aside from the show, like
outside of the show, Latia and I are friends, like
we talk about everyday life stuff that has nothing to
do with the show. Juliana and I are more so
like show friends. You know, we've kept in touch, talked
about the show. How are you doing after tonight's episode?
How are you doing? You know, how do you feel?
Things like that? Just like nice cities, But we'd never
really had like a friendship outside of like the elements
(39:54):
of the show, and so I sent her a very
nice message saying, you know, I'm going to be there
to support Latia and you of course I wrote you know,
but I just wanted to kind of let her know
and like, thank you for inviting me to your event,
but I'm going to be Latia that night, and I
assume she's on invite it, you know, kind of like that.
And at the time, Latia didn't have any post AFR plans.
(40:17):
We were just like going to get into pajamas and
like quorder takeout and just like watch TV. But then
she ended up doing like a little something that she
put together. So I mean, all is that to say
is I addressed it with Juliana and I gave her,
you know, my congratulations and all that and told her
I'd be with Latia. She didn't respond to me after that,
(40:37):
so I didn't think, Okay, maybe she is feeling a
certain type of way about it. And then posts AFR again.
I text her, I congratulated her, I said I'm sorry,
I'm not going to be there tonight, and get a response,
and then the internet made this like, oh, she must
be team Latia.
Speaker 3 (40:53):
Right in my head, like a narrative that's going around
of like who's team from your season?
Speaker 2 (41:00):
Yes, yes, and it's truly for me. It's if Juliana
would have had that party a different like a different night,
Like let's say they just did family in front like
close like Boston and his friends that night, and then
had another one for like the cast and stuff. I
would have been there. I would have been there to support.
It just happened to be the same night that Littilla.
(41:20):
I knew it was going to have a really rough
night and it was really heavy on her.
Speaker 3 (41:24):
It sounds like you were objectively just closer with Latia.
Speaker 2 (41:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (41:29):
Also like it's okay that, like you know, like some
people just don't become friends after the show, Like you know,
we all have our own We're all adults that have
our own separate life, so it's kind of like, hey,
if it doesn't work out, Like I'm not going to
kill myself over this friendship, what do you think I
was gonna say?
Speaker 3 (41:48):
Not something less dramatic, but yeah.
Speaker 2 (41:51):
You know so I I think we're friends. I think
Juliana are friends, at least from my end. Again, I
had I'd see I saw what the internet was saying
about team Juliana team Latia. So again, I sent her
a really long message saying, if you were offended by
the fact that I wasn't at your event, I'm so sorry.
Like I would have, like I would have explained to
(42:11):
you a little bit more about why I'm going to
be with Latia, it wasn't. The public doesn't get to see,
like really who you're friends with after the show, right
because we have to keep that private until the finale,
And so no one really knew, including Juliana, that I
was really close with Latia, And so I explained that
to her. I said, you know, I still want to
support you and Grant, like I'm really happy for you too.
I like posted on my story for them, did like
(42:32):
whatever I could to show like I'm here supporting you guys,
and I'm so happy for you. It has nothing to
do with like i'mitia and therefore, like I don't want
to be a part of like your love story or
like your congratulations you know. So yeah, I thought that
was really unfortunate that she's feeling that way about some
of us, But you know, I thought I covered my
(42:53):
bases with her, and I think we're fine.
Speaker 1 (42:55):
Before we let you go. If you end up going
to Paradise, we don't know if you're going or not.
I would assume you're somebody that they would at least ask,
are there any guys that you would be interested from
this franchise meeting down there?
Speaker 2 (43:13):
Do you guys ever get an actual Sometimes we do?
Speaker 3 (43:15):
We do, we do like a keem name. I think
the guys are a little.
Speaker 1 (43:20):
Guys will definitely well there's been I think, yeah. There's
What we.
Speaker 3 (43:25):
Started to do is ask like, if you were on
here with someone else, we'd be like, who do you
think Dina should match up with? Because people get uncomfortable
saying direct names, which I totally understand.
Speaker 2 (43:35):
It's so uncomfortable for me.
Speaker 3 (43:37):
But do you have your eyes on people?
Speaker 2 (43:38):
Like?
Speaker 3 (43:39):
Are there people if you don't want to share names?
Do you have anyone in mind?
Speaker 2 (43:42):
No? I don't. I don't have my eyes on people
because I think for me, like what's my data point?
Like where what do I know about you? Like the
very little that I can see from your social media
that's just not enough. Like in terms of if you're tall,
I'm probably interested.
Speaker 1 (43:58):
In you, Okay, So they just got to be tall,
basically cast tall guys on this show.
Speaker 3 (44:04):
Yeah, yeah, you're in a good d I would say
that if you're tall, you're automatically like inconsiderate. Guys. If
you're listening to this, you're into Dina and you're not tall,
Just back off.
Speaker 2 (44:14):
I'm so sorry to do that to you.
Speaker 1 (44:15):
Guys, you're gonna have mean to be.
Speaker 2 (44:17):
But my jeans, Like, I just am thinking about my children.
Speaker 1 (44:20):
You know you're gonna have you You're going to have
the one short Romanian guy come for you in paradise. Yeah,
and you're going to fall in love with them. You're
like everything I said.
Speaker 2 (44:30):
Out a lot, and I think I'm the first Romanian
on the Showman just came it a little okay.
Speaker 1 (44:40):
Diana, thank you, uh, thank you so much for taking
the time out of your day. It was really great
meeting you and talking to you. And I don't think
this is going to be the last time we see you,
but you never.
Speaker 3 (44:50):
Know, totally not, hopefully not.
Speaker 2 (44:54):
Thanks guys, and.
Speaker 1 (44:55):
To our listeners, thank you guys so much for tuning
into Batch Happy Hour. Make sure you download and subscribe
to the podcast.
Speaker 3 (45:01):
We have more exclusive interviews coming your way. Thanks for listening. Bye.
Hosts And Creators
Joe Amabile
Susan Noles
Serena Pitt
Kathy Swarts
Popular Podcasts
40s and Free Agents: NFL Draft Season
Daniel Jeremiah of Move the Sticks and Gregg Rosenthal of NFL Daily join forces to break down every team's needs this offseason.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.