Sam McKinney has broken his silence about his awkward and tense breakup with Jenn Tran after his elimination aired on The Bachelorette's latest episode.
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After the episode aired on ABC, Sam took to Instagram on Monday night and posted a video.
"What's up you guys? So my time on The Bachelorette is over, and I really just want to take this time to say thank you," Sam began in the video.
"And I want to start at the top with Jenn for showing me that I was capable of loving again after my past. That's something I'm truly grateful for."
Sam was referring to how he had been previously engaged to a woman but got cheated on. The split left Sam heartbroken and yearning for marriage and children more than ever before.
Sam claimed on The Bachelorette that he was convinced Jenn was going to be his future wife, but Jenn believed his love declaration wasn't genuine since he didn't seem to understand Jenn's wants or needs.
Jenn didn't think that Sam saw her for who she really is, and he spoke in generalities about wanting a "ferocious love."
Sam explained in his Instagram video, "I wish I was able to truly show how I felt in that moment right there, but that love that I carry is visceral, it's instinctive, and it's beyond descriptive, and it just didn't work in that setting -- and that's okay."
When Jenn asked Sam specific questions about her character or their emotional connection, he'd grab her face for a makeout session or blurt out, "I appreciate you," or, "I love you."
Sam, for instance, said he loved Jenn because she's "selfless," but he couldn't come up with a concrete example of a single time Jenn had acted selflessly during their time together.
"This is how I know you're selfless, actually. After Night 1, that connection that we had was hot," Sam told The Bachelorette star.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELORETTE' COUPLES NOWAt one point, Jenn criticized him for sounding like he was reading off a script.
On The Bachelorette, Jenn acknowledged how she couldn't continue dating Sam because he reminded her too much of her toxic relationships in the past, and so she dumped him in Seattle, WA.
"I've been through this so many times -- teaching people what love means and teaching people how to prioritize me. I've closed this chapter in my life already. I am done. I am done with it!" Jenn shouted at the bachelor.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELORETTE' COUPLES NOW: WHOM DID 'THE BACHELORETTE' STARS AND THEIR BACHELOR PICKS ULTIMATELY END UP WITH?! (PHOTOS)
Sam wrapped up his video by saying, "I really want to say thank you to my castmates. I made friends that I will hold onto forever."
"And for the fans who have still supported me through all of this, thank you, because that was not easy watching. So y'all's kindness has gone so much further than what you know, for me and my family. And to my family, I love you guys. Thank you," he concluded.
Sam has received a lot of backlash for his behavior on The Bachelorette, and his family has posted numerous messages on social media claiming Sam had received an unfair and very unflattering edit.
Sam never responded to the hate except for posting smoke and mirror emojis, suggesting things were not as they appeared to be on The Bachelorette.
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In the caption of his Instagram post, Sam wrote how The Bachelorette footage of his breakup with Jenn was difficult to relive.
"As tough as this was to watch, I'm thankful. Jenn's fearlessness in all aspects of this process showed me that it was possible for me to open myself back up after my past," Sam wrote.
"Her ability to feel and respond to all of my emotions in every situation was something that I've never had. It's something that gives me hope for the future."
Sam -- who feuded with Devin Strader on The Bachelorette and sometimes made Jenn feel uncomfortable by not reading her emotions -- went on to admit that he's "not perfect," adding, "And I don't claim to be."
"But I do know where my heart is and the love I have inside of me," Sam continued in his post. "And I'm looking forward to the day I get to share that with someone. Thank You."
Jenn realized something was "missing" with Sam in Seattle, and so she set out to get to the bottom of things.
During a group date at a radio station, Sam confessed to Jenn that she wasn't his type and he had been anticipating The Bachelorette star would be Daisy Kent or Maria Georgas.
Sam, however, claimed he was in love with Jenn without being able to back up his feelings for her and what made her different from any other woman who could've starred on The Bachelorette.
"He's dismissing me and he's not listening and he's not asking," Jenn complained to The Bachelorette cameras. "I'm not seeing the love! What does [pour into his emotional part] even mean?"
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Jenn asked Sam flat out what he had learned about her during their one-on-one date in New Zealand.
Sam paused and replied, "First, you have no idea how much I appreciate you, and now I see it. I love you."
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"This whole journey for me..." Sam began.
"For you -- again!" Jenn interjected in frustration.
Jenn decided that Sam wasn't going to be able to give her the type of love that she wanted or deserved, and so she dumped him in his hotel room and gave him a cold hug goodbye.
Sam found his exchange with Jenn "frustrating," and he told the cameras, "The energy that she brought was very dull. It's not my fault... At the end of the day, it is what it is. I will always keep the main thing, the main thing -- and that's finding my person."
Jenn admitted she was "so mad" that she had gotten it "wrong" with Sam, who had received her First Impression Rose as well as the first kiss of the season.
Jenn explained how her connection with Sam was mainly physical and letting him go was a huge "turning point" for her in this journey of finding true love.
"I understand what I want, and what I want is not Sam," Jenn concluded.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' FRANCHISE COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER?? (PHOTOS)
Click here to read episode-by-episode spoilers about how Jenn's The Bachelorette season unfolds, including who Jenn picks as her winner and runner-up.
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About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
