The Bachelor's Maria Georgas has revealed if she regrets almost quitting on Joey Graziadei twice during his season.
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"I know what I signed up for. I don't know what was going through my mind," Maria told E! News.
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Maria was at the center of drama for many weeks while The Bachelor filmed, and she had to constantly defend her character and prove her intentions to Joey.
Maria therefore battled insecurities and doubts while competing for Joey's heart, and she nearly quit the competition twice.
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The first time Maria considered leaving The Bachelor was after Sydney Gordon, Lea Cayanan and Jess Edwards all turned against her, and then Maria almost gave up for the second time right before hometown dates.
When thinking back to her pre-hometowns meltdown, Maria explained to E! News how she felt her relationship with Joey was slipping, or at least falling slightly behind the other bachelorettes, because Joey was well aware she was always embroiled in conflict.
Joey told Maria that he needed a partner who was going to fight for him and never leave him during tough times, especially since he feared being in love and having that woman walk away from him.
Maria therefore decided to stay, and she and Joey continued to build on the connection they had established in Montreal, Canada.
"I was willing to say like, 'Okay, I will let you continue your great relationships with everyone else. I think that I'm not going to be able to catch up.' It was overwhelming and everything accumulated into me trying to run away," Maria shared.
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"I was really going to go. I was not in a good headspace."
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But Maria insisted she's happy that she didn't leave and give up on Joey.
"I wish I just took a second to myself to take a couple deep breaths and [tell myself], 'Don't do anything that's going to jeopardize this.' Hindsight is 20/20," Maria said.
Joey eliminated Maria from The Bachelor season after he met her family during hometown dates.
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Maria was smitten with Joey and called him "the epitome" of what she wants in a partner, but she struggled to express her true feelings to The Bachelor star.
Maria therefore made a last-ditch effort to tell Joey that she was "falling in love" with him right before the Rose Ceremony following hometown dates, but it wasn't enough to save her.
"You said everything I needed to hear... I hope you know that I was trying my best to get there," Joey told Maria before letting her go.
"Tonight, I just felt like it would be dishonest to move forward with the amount of doubts that I have."
When Joey walked Maria out of the Rose Ceremony, he mentioned that although they had gone down a bumpy road together, he really cared about her and always fought for her.
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Maria had been accused of being a catty and manipulative bully, and Sydney even aimed a gaslighting rant at Maria on Instagram after her ouster aired on The Bachelor.
"People who were fighting me and trying to come for my character, I just couldn't stand for," Maria explained. "I wish that we were able to come to common ground in the moment. I wish I was able to make that happen."
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Joey claimed in the media earlier this year that Maria was misunderstood, but Maria admitted she was "not innocent" in the drama.
After Maria's elimination aired on The Bachelor, she took to Instagram with a post reflecting back on her time with Joey.
"Wow. What an experience this was! I have nothing but gratitude and love for everyone involved. That's including the amazing people I've met along the way," Maria wrote.
"The love and support I've received has been incredible, I am truly in awe of it and it doesn't go unnoticed. I can't express enough how much it means to me."
Maria thanked family and friends for their support and then confirmed that she's not the woman for Joey, hinting that everything played out the way it was meant to.
"I want to thank Joey, who made the right decision," Maria noted.
"And lastly, myself for staying true to who I am. All 3 woman equally deserve to be there and are there for a reason. Don't send hate to anyone because of this!!"
Maria continued in her post, "I've personally grown so much from this it's insane. I will continue to grow as I go. I want to thank everyone who has been watching and experiencing this process with me, you have seen me through it all."
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Maria said fans were able to see "the good, the bad and the ugly" of her The Bachelor stint.
"If you can take one thing from watching me, it would be to always be yourself and know it's ok to not always fit the mold," Maria wrote.
"You won't be everyone's cup of tea but you'll be someone's shot of tequila. This experience was something I'll never forget. I didn't get the man but I got the most amazing support behind me and for that I will be just fine. You all amaze me. It's all happening."
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Click here to learn more about Joey's The Bachelor bachelorettes or click here to read spoilers that reveal how Joey's season ends and who he picked as his winner.
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