Jenn Tran has insisted she and her ex-boyfriend Matt Rossi were "never in love" and that his heartfelt speech on The Bachelorette really confused her.

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On The Bachelorette's July 29 episode, Matt -- who had traveled all the way to New Zealand on his own dime, according to host Jesse Palmer -- surprised Jenn in Auckland right before the fourth Rose Ceremony of Season 21 was about to commence.

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"I was really, really shocked and confused. I was trying to wrap my head around, 'What is it exactly that he wants from me?'" Jenn admitted to Nick Viall during the August 1 episode of "The Viall Files" podcast.

Matt, a 28-year-old Boston-based beer salesman and content creator, told the cameras he and Jenn had dated for several months "about three years ago" when Jenn had been living in Boston prior to her move to Miami, FL, for PA school.

"He ended it," Jenn confirmed to Nick, who previously starred on The Bachelor's 21st season.

Jenn shared while filming The Bachelorette in April that she and Matt -- who was a self-described former "f-ckboy" -- had "recently reconnected in the past few months as friends."

Jenn recalled of Matt's grand gesture to crash her The Bachelorette season, "It's not like we were in Kansas or Connecticut. He flew to New Zealand! And at first, when I saw him, I thought to myself, 'Wow, a friendly face! I'm so excited! He must be here to give me some advice or something.'"

"And then very, very quickly," she continued, "I realized, 'This man is not here to give me advice.'"

Jenn said Matt had been "a good friend" in her life and she knows his family very well.

"We're on such good terms, so I wasn't upset [to see him]. He wasn't a toxic ex or anything like that," Jenn confirmed.

"If anything, I was very confused in that moment because I just didn't think that he loved me like that."

On The Bachelorette's latest episode, Matt claimed in a confessional, "We were in love, and I think a part of us will always be in love, and for me, it's just never been so strong. I think me being here, hopefully, is one step in the right direction to proving to her how much she means to me and how seriously I'm taking this."

Nick admitted that Matt's "I love you" profession sounded performative -- as a way to definitely get on the show -- rather than sincere.

"Well, I was just confused because we hadn't dated in three years," Jenn noted.

"We had seen each other here or there and gotten dinner, or whatever, but I was just confused where the 'I love you' was coming from. And when he said, 'We were in love,' we were never in love!"

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Jenn laughed and reiterated, "We were never in love. We dated for, like, three months. We were not in love!"

Jenn admitted that "the thought definitely crossed" her mind that Matt was appearing on the show for fame and clout because he's "a bit of an influencer."

Matt has an impressive TikTok and Instagram following from posting photos of his beloved "Wiener dog."

Jenn clarified, "I know him very well... but I had to ask the question: 'Do you really mean that,  and why are you actually here?' But I think when he doubled down, I was like, 'Okay, sh-t, this is serious.' I don't think he would've flown all the way... to New Zealand if he wasn't."

Jenn said she felt very comfortable with Matt and he was "familiar" to her but, when they were talking prior to her The Bachelor days, she "didn't see him in that light during that time."

Even though Jenn and Matt seemed to have a platonic relationship before her The Bachelorette stint, Jenn told her ex-boyfriend that he had "so many chances" to declare his love or make a move on her.

"You're what, ready to get engaged?" Jenn asked.

"I'm ready to do it," Matt confirmed.

Matt told Jenn that the previous three months felt "different" to him, adding, "I feel like we've been able to connect on a deeper level. You are one of the most important people in my life, and you know me better than anyone else in the world. I'm not ready to let it all go."

Jenn replied, "You know you could've said this before I left."

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"I did say it," Matt countered. "But I didn't say it as grandly as this, I guess."

Matt continued, "It's not the first time I've said this, and I really hope it's not the last: but I really do love you."

"Matthew!" Jenn blurted out, appearing overwhelmed and bewildered.

"My intentions are to be with you, and I want to continue this journey together... I would love to join [your cast] for me to prove to you how much you mean to me," Matt suggested.

Jenn took a moment to breathe and process things. Jenn had already developed strong feelings for many of her bachelors, and she was afraid how Matt's presence may stir up drama or upset them.

Jenn's heart was pulling her in two different directions, and then The Bachelorette episode ended on a cliffhanger.

A preview for what's to come on The Bachelorette suggests Jenn may decide to welcome Matt into the competition.

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

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