Cassie Randolph has taken some heat for simultaneously starring on two reality series -- The Bachelor and Young Once, each of which features a different romantic interest -- and now her ex, Caelan Tiongson, is speaking out.
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Cassie may be competing for Colton Underwood's heart on The Bachelor, but an online reality series called Young Once that she starred in during her college years also began airing its second season -- which chronicles bits and pieces of her former on-again, off-again relationship with Caelan -- on Monday.
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The first and second seasons of Young Once were filmed several years apart, with the first season filmed while the pair were attending Biola University, a conservative private schools where alcohol, drugs and sex are all off-limits.
Young Once's second season was filmed this past year and gives viewers updates on the lives of some Season 1 cast members following graduation, including the latest on Cassie and Caelan's relationship.
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Caelan, however, is letting the world know their relationship and Cassie's stint on the show wrapped before she was cast on The Bachelor.
"I'm posting this here so no words can be misconstrued. As many of you know, my ex girlfriend is currently a contestant on the tv show The Bachelor. The both us have also appeared on a documentary series called Young Once. The show catches you up on our lives as the first season was shot at Biola University while we were still going to school there," Caelan wrote Wednesday in an Instagram alongside a photo of himself, Cassie and two other friends.
"They happened to catch the closing of mine and Cassie's on and off relationship during the recording of this show. Make no mistake that Young Once was filmed before The Bachelor, and the fact that they are airing at the same time is a strategy to attract viewers."
Cassie graduated from Biola University in 2016. She and Caelan broke up before her graduation and attempted to stay friends, but according to a Wednesday night Instagram post from Cassie, they reunited in Summer 2018 to film more scenes of Young Once.
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However, Cassie said their romance really never left the ground and Cassie decided to end things once and for all.
"Both Cassie and I made mistakes in our relationship, but I think we'd both agree it dragged out much too long anyways. This is because I persistently pursued a reunion and she knowingly kept the door open at times because of indecisiveness, neither of which matters because it has been over for good since before she went on The Bachelor," Caelan continued in his post.
"However, it can be said without a doubt that her and I were not a good fit for each other... The reality of the situation is Cassie is a great girl."
The basketball player then expressed support of Cassie's choice to compete for Colton on The Bachelor.
"Her decision to go on The Bachelor was a decisive moment in my life to move forward so why couldn't it serve as that for her as well? If I met my dream girl a month after our final closing this summer that would be how God had planned it for me," Caelan said on Instagram.
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"Nobody has the right to tell her whether or not she has good intentions. So although the full truth may not be out... not everybody's business needs to be on reality tv. Cassie will eventually explain her side and I endorse whatever she says because there is no reason for her to hide the truth."
Caelan concluded, "I wish her nothing but success and happiness moving forward. I post this because of the outlets who reached out to hear 'my side' and because I heard Cassie was receiving a lot of negativity for our past relationship."
Cassie is currently one of 12 women remaining in the quest for Colton's heart and final rose on The Bachelor's 23rd season, which premiered in January.
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About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski