The Bachelorette bachelor Grant Ellis has criticized Thomas Nguyen's move of interrupting Devin Strader and Jenn Tran's cocktail-party conversation, only to scold Devin while Jenn was left alone.
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On The Bachelorette's second episode, Jenn's second group date was cut short for seven bachelors because Dylan Buckor, who had stood out during an Australian wildlife photo shoot, got to enjoy a romantic dinner with Jenn alone that evening.
As a result, Thomas and the other jilted bachelors were hoping to secure some quality time with Jenn at the cocktail party preceding the second Rose Ceremony of the season.
Thomas therefore asked Devin and the rest of the cast to have respect for their wishes and show some "fairness."
Devin announced to the group in reply, "I'm not going to fall back to the end of the line, but you know, I think it goes without saying that you guys deserve a little bit more."
However, at the cocktail party in Melbourne, Devin pulled Jenn aside for a conversation before any other man had a chance to.
Thomas was clearly disappointed and angry, and so he interrupted Devin and Jenn's conversation. As Thomas put Devin on blast for being selfish and arrogant, Jenn -- who had been left alone with a glass of champagne in hand -- eavesdropped on the men's heated conversation.
Devin told Thomas that he was making a fool of himself, especially because Thomas had just prioritized fighting with him over building a connection with The Bachelorette star.
On "Bachelor Happy Hour," Joe confessed to Grant that, when watching the episode, he thought it was "a bad move" on Thomas' part.
Grant acknowledged that the drama negatively impacted his night, and he added, "It's going to affect everyone. The drama gets to Jenn's head, and it definitely worried me some."
"But also, I saw it as an opportunity to reassure her that I'm not one of those guys who is going to be starting drama," continued the 30-year-old day trader from Houston, TX.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELORETTE' COUPLES NOW"[I said], 'I'm here for you.' So there were pros and cons to it, but it definitely made some of the guys look immature."
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Grant referred to the fighting as "silly stuff," and he noted, "I definitely tried to take those moments and reassure Jenn."
Grant said he actually wasn't surprised when Devin had pulled Jenn first at the cocktail party.
"Somebody was going to do it! I was going to do it!" Grant said.
"I feel like, with me, for whatever reason, I was just confident that I was going to get time. The time that I had, I was going to make the most of it."
Grant confirmed the seven guys who didn't get enough time with Jenn on the group date were "pushing" the idea that they deserved extra time at the cocktail party.
Grant said it wasn't a clear cast agreement or understanding, however, that they were going to receive that extra time.
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"So they felt like they were owed that and they wanted that, and I was kind of chilling because I already had a rose. I was just sipping my tea over there, but it was a crazy thing to watch!"
(Grant had already been given the first group-date rose, and so he was safe from elimination that night).
While Thomas took the heat for his exchange with Jenn, who also reprimanded Thomas for trying to make decisions on her behalf, Grant revealed that "certain guys were egging [Thomas] on" to stand up to Devin prior to the second Rose Ceremony of the season.
"I think that he allowed people to egg him on," Grant said, adding there "definitely was some encouragement" from Thomas' pals to put Devin in his place.
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Not only did Devin clash with Thomas, but he also rubbed Aaron Erb the wrong way earlier in the week. Aaron even gifted Devin a book on self-growth and emotional intelligence.
While Devin believed some of the guys were targeting him, in part, because he was a threat to win Jenn's heart, Grant admitted he didn't really view Devin in that light.
"I wasn't really worried about Devin. He lives in Houston and I knew that he was going to be himself," Grant told Joe and Serena.
"I wasn't really worried about any of the guys. I was just focusing on, you know, what I was supposed to be focusing on, and I didn't know what Devin and Jenn's connection was, or anybody else on the date. I was zoned in on what I [had going on with her]."
And Devin clearly had a similar outlook on the dating process.
Devin told The Bachelorette cameras, "I feel like in a group setting, guys can get idle. I don't want to be another guy in the group. For me, it's always been about her and stepping up to the plate and giving her what she deserves."
It appears there is more drama to come on The Bachelorette's 21st season when an ex-boyfriend from Jenn's past shows up and asks to join the cast.
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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
