Nick Viall has been both praised and criticized for calling Andi Dorfman out on unflattering, personal details during Monday night's The Bachelorette: After the Final Rose special.
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Andi had dumped Nick, the tenth season's runner-up, for fellow bachelor Josh Murray. Andi shockingly revealed she had never loved Nick even though it took her until the morning of her engagement proposal to decide which man was the right person for her. However, a confused and devastated Nick called Andi out for having "made love" to him in the fantasy suite.
Nick has expressed he's still not completely over his "great love" in Dorfman yet is hopefully on the road to mending his broken heart and moving on. Meanwhile, Dorfman has acknowledged she's never been happier in her life.
During a Tuesday conference call with reporters, Nick, a 33-year-old software sales executive from Chicago, IL, talked to Reality TV World about his The Bachelorette experience. Below is what he had to say. Check back with us soon for more from his interview.
Reality TV World: Were you shocked to learn Andi never loved you at all? And do you think she was just saying that as to not hurt Josh's feelings? Because obviously Andi made you feel extremely confident in the idea that she loved you in return.
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Nick Viall: I don't know if I was surprised by her answer. I didn't know if that would be asked. I guess what I was more surprised about is probably -- like what you said -- how she said it, and I think I was more taken aback by how cold she seemed even from when she first came out.
I was more surprised about that. I mean, in terms of she certainly made me feel that way. And I think when it was aired, when she ended things in the relationship, I was very surprised and shocked.
One thing I said to her was, "There was that moment when I told her I loved her in the ocean and her initial response was to throw her head back in frustration and say, 'I wish I could say things back.'" And I mentioned that to her and she nodded her head "yes" like she remembers that moment. It was just like, "I know you're not suppose to assume," but.
So that was very surprising. She certainly made me feel very much -- when it was all happening -- that she did feel that way about me. So it wasn't necessarily her answer, because again, she's in a very serious relationship with Josh and basically she wants to respect that, but I was surprised just how cold it came across.
Reality TV World: How do you respond to all the backlash out there on social media in regards to people saying you just wanted to humiliate Andi by revealing you two had sex and that it was an ungentlemanly move? Do you regret disclosing that information now or are you just kind of thinking, "Well that's her fault because had she met with me before the live show, I could've gotten that off my chest in private...?"
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Nick Viall: Yeah, you know, I mean, I definitely wish I would've had that opportunity in private to have that conversation. It was certainly nothing -- I did not go into last night in any way expecting that to come up or ask her. And again, I think I was just so caught off-guard by her demeanor, and in that answer -- and, again, that kind of lack of empathy -- that it was so...
And to me, again, it wasn't necessarily about the sex but just the level of intimacy about that night. And given the situation and the time, we both knew she couldn't say things back. But I made it very clear to her where I was in my feelings for her and what something like that meant to me. And as I said last night, I had no expectations about that night.
Again, I think I was just more surprised by what seemed to be a very cavalier about that. And I think I was so caught off-guard that it just kind of came out. And certainly, the only thing -- if I have regrets -- is that I didn't want in any way to humiliate her or make her feel that way.
I feel very sorry if she did feel that way, and that makes me sad, but it is a conversation that I wanted to have and it's a question that I think, as a couple -- you know, when people break up, those are questions that people want to know.
When a certain level of intimacy is shared and it seems so meaningful, and then is almost treated like it isn't by the other person, that's something that I think two people would discuss. And unfortunately, that was my only opportunity to do that, but it was certainly nothing that I went in -- in a million years -- had planned to talk about. But I think I was just caught so off-guard.
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Reality TV World: How did your family react once you got home? Did their opinion change of Andi after you told them everything that happened or after they watched last night's After the Final Rose special?
Nick Viall: I'm not actually going to comment specifically on some of the conversations my family had. I think they were incredibly shocked both about how things ended and some of the things that I told them.
I think they were very surprised. I don't think they have any negative opinions about Andi as a person, but I think they were surprised and taken aback by, again, some of the things that happened between us and how things ended.
Reality TV World: I know you said you hadn't gone into After the Final Rose expecting to reveal that you and Andi had slept together. And last night, Nikki Ferrell from Juan Pablo Galavis' season of The Bachelor accused The Bachelorette producers of putting you up to that via Twitter. I just want to give you a chance to respond directly to her accusation against the producers.
Nick Viall: Yeah, that's 100% false. They had nothing to do with it. They were, I guess, just as surprised as anyone else -- as much as I was surprised. So, no. I mean, not to try to protect them or anything like that, but I take sole responsibility for what I said whether it was a good idea or not. In some ways, I wish, you know, it's a tough position, right?
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Because I probably never would've gotten an opportunity to ask a question that was weighing on me so heavily even though I didn't expect it. I think that's why it just came out, because I was so -- I think had she maybe seemed a part more empathetic and compassionate, I think that maybe would've been what I needed and maybe a sign that, above all of it, she was compassionate and understood how I felt.
And I think, again, that's why I was so taken aback by how cold she seemed and there was no empathy. I was just so, like, shocked thinking. And when she made that comment about not ever loving me -- and it sounded like she wasn't even close -- it was just like, "Whoa!" And I think it just kind of poured out.
Reality TV World: Do you think Andi was being genuine through her "cold" behavior or do you think she was just trying to keep her guard up with you, like maintain that wall between you?
Nick Viall: I don't know. I don't know. I was just very surprised by that. I really don't know. It has been two-and-a-half months, she's in a serious relationship with Josh, she's engaged, it's a cold situation for her and myself and Josh -- I don't know. I was just surprised.
Check back with Reality TV World soon for more from Nick Viall's The Bachelorette interview.
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski