The Bachelorette alum Jason Tartick has opened up about a big "misstep" he made during his four-year relationship with Kaitlyn Bristowe.
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"I put myself in a tough position when I think about just living in Kaitlyn's house and not having any form of real estate or backup plan, and it did create quite a scramble [after our split]. Those are things you don't plan for," Jason explained.
Jason, a Buffalo native who initially competed for Becca Kufrin's heart on The Bachelorette's fourteenth season in 2018, asked Kaitlyn out on their first date in January 2019, and their romance moved quickly.
Jason moved from his place in Seattle, Washington to live with Kaitlyn in Nashville, TN, in June 2019. The couple then adopted their two dogs together and got engaged in May 2021.
"I think about the fact I invest in real estate but I don't even have any real estate," Jason continued on his podcast.
"So the idea is if things don't work out, now I'm technically homeless and I have to get a house that can work for dogs, my professional life, and everything else. I think about 2023, and that was a misstep."
Jason, whose podcast focuses on money and careers, suggested that he never took his own advice.
"I've talked a lot about getting real estate, AirBnBs, investing in a studio office space -- and I haven't done it," Jason admitted.
"If I did that, I would've had a little bit of a buffer. And because I didn't do it, when sh-t hit the wall, it collapsed on me, like, really hard. So that was a big misstep."
Jason also said he doesn't like asking for help and his prideful independence has been "a little bit of an issue" in his personal life.
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RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELORETTE' COUPLES NOWHowever, Jason had to ask a friend if he could live in his house, temporarily, while the friend was spending time in another country.
"I had to call a friend and say, 'Hey, I'm in a really tough spot. I can't get into a place unless I literally just get a hotel day by day. I know you have a place... in Nashville and in Canada,'" Jason recalled.
"He was in Canada with his family, and so I knew his Nashville place was open. I was like, 'I'll pay you anything.'"
This friend, however, didn't accept any form of payment or reimbursement.
"I feel I'll always be indebted to him because when I was at a really, really, really fragile point, he and [his partner] were just like, 'Our place is your place. You take it as long as you want. If you try to pay me, I will not accept anything,'" Jason revealed.
"And it gave me a three-week buffer to then get a place. But that was one I should've prepared better for and I should've been more prepared in general for."
Jason ultimately moved himself out of Kaitlyn's Nashville home into his new place. (Kaitlyn also subsequently moved into a new house for a fresh start after her back-to-back broken engagements to The Bachelorette 11 winner Shawn Booth and then Jason).
"There was something about the idea -- especially moving out of a significant other's house -- it sounds bizarre, but I really wanted to feel that and remember it," Jason shared.
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Jason also had a handful of friends and family help get settled into his new place.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' COUPLES NOW: WHO DID 'THE BACHELOR' STARS AND THEIR BACHELORETTE PICKS ACTUALLY END UP MARRYING? (PHOTOS)
Jason -- who has a book Talk Money to Me coming out this April -- has been attempting to heal and move on from his Summer 2023 split with Kaitlyn, who now appears to be dating Tayshia's ex-fiancee and The Bachelorette 16 winner Zac Clark.
Kaitlyn and Zac rang in 2024 together at a party in Kaitlyn's new Nashville home, and they were recently spotted dancing together and hugging at a bar in New York City, where Zac currently resides.
Kaitlyn has faced backlash about her apparent new romance with Zac -- including speculation she had cheated on Jason while they were still together and also broken "girl code" with Tayshia -- but the former Dancing with the Stars champion claimed on social media earlier this year that she was never unfaithful to Jason.
"Some of you [are] treating me like I murdered someone," Kaitlyn wrote in a series of posts via Instagram Stories.
"You would think by now I'd be used to the hate. I'm not. Your words hurt. Your shaming hurts. Part of me feels a little sad and honestly embarrassed for you guys because this shouldn't be how you spend Day 1 of a new year."
The Bachelor alum also noted, "But you don't even know the truth, and your HATE should actually come with consequences. I truly worry about some of your mental health. It's not OK. It's. Not."
Kaitlyn subsequently appeared to address her relationship with Zac by writing, "I wish I could just share my truth and tell you my side. It's hard to bite my dang tongue sometimes... But you just go on and continue to have your own little made up story in your head and believe what you want to believe. Social media la la land. Good lawwwddd."
Kaitlyn proceeded to post a screenshot of her exchange with someone who wrote to Kaitlyn, "But like they don't know the truth or any backstory. It's wild... Like go volunteer. Go give blood plz."
According to the Instagram account @BachelorNation.scoop, Kaitlyn began liking Zac's Instagram photos in July 2023 after about a year of no likes, Zac started liking Kaitlyn's photos in May 2023, and Jason stopped liking Zac's photos in early October 2023.
Jason, however, didn't publicly comment on Kaitlyn's new relationship until early January, and Kaitlyn admitted on her "Off the Vine" podcast she was "disappointed" in her ex-fiance for allegedly playing the victim.
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But about one year after their engagement aired on ABC, Zac and Tayshia announced their breakup in November 2021.
Tayshia is currently dating former Summer House star Luke Gulbranson.
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About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
