Bentley Williams admitted he wished Emily Maynard was The Bachelorette star instead of Ashley Hebert, but Maynard reportedly wasn't his first choice when it came to love.
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The Bachelorette bachelor was attempting to get back together with ex-wife Suzette Davis, whom he had divorced in 2009, ending their two-year marriage, just before the show began to film, OK! Weekly reported in its June 20 issue.
"They were together all the time and looking for houses to start again," a source close to Davis told OK!. "He was saying he loved her."
Davis, who is the mother of Williams' daughter Cozette, was reportedly shocked when she learned from a friend that the father of her child had signed on to compete on The Bachelorette, but Williams insisted it would be for the sole purpose of promoting his business -- a sports center called Airborne Trampoline Arena located in his hometown of Salt Lake City, UT.
"Before he left, he promised Suzette he wouldn't do anything to hurt her. He wouldn't kiss Ashley or be a disappointment to their family," a source close to the former couple told OK!. "The fact is that he did kiss Ashley and he did act like he liked her. Suzette was heartbroken and disappointed and felt very betrayed."
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The two-faced bachelor -- who feigned affection for Hebert when they were together but repeatedly bashed her in private before eventually deciding to leave the show and break her heart -- originally had hoped former fifteenth-season The Bachelor bachelorette Maynard would be standing in Hebert's place upon his arrival at the mansion.
However, Williams' disappointment led him to stay on the show simply for the thrill of the competition, as he put on a good face for Hebert but secretly referenced her as being an "ugly duckling" and "not his type" among other insults throughout the beginning of the season.
"Suzette was surprised by the horrendous comments he made in front of all of America. It got her thinking that he probably said similar things about her during their divorce," the source added.
The divorced 28-year-old businessman reportedly returned home after The Bachelorette's seventh season wrapped filming and began apologizing to Davis by giving her expensive presents. However, according to OK!, once 31-year-old Davis became aware of Williams' deceptive and crude behavior during the show, she decided any hope of a full reconciliation was destroyed.
"She kept telling him that all the gifts in the world and all the apologies didn't matter. She needed to see the show first, to decide if it's something she could get over," another source close to the former couple told the magazine. "But it was a thousand times worse than she thought. There's no chance for them now."
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Although Williams had expressed no real interest in pursuing a relationship with Hebert, they have reportedly kept in touch since The Bachelorette finished filming. In Hebert's defense, while most of America may view Williams as a villain, his friends have claimed the bachelor "was being funny" and "unfairly edited," OK! reported.
"He's a really mellow, laid-back guy. He has a dry personality and a real sense of humor," friend Ryan Childs told OK!.
Despite the pleas of his close buddies, some of Williams' local The Bachelorette viewers have reportedly refused to give him the benefit of the doubt and walked out of his business after discovering he owns the operation.
"A lady came in. She was going to have her kid's party here, and then she found out Bentley runs it. Now, she won't bring her kids here because of him -- it's ridiculous," Childs told OK!.
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski