The Bachelorette winner Tino Franco has revealed where he, his ex-fiancee Rachel Recchia, and Rachel's runner-up Aven Jones stand now after the dramatic finale of Season 19.
ADVERTISEMENT
On The Bachelorette: After the Final Rose that aired on September 20, Rachel confirmed she had called off her engagement to Tino because he had cheated on her, and the pair publicly discussed the demise of their romance and how it impacted them.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' FRANCHISE COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER?? (PHOTOS)
The Bachelorette host Jesse Palmer then told Rachel that someone was waiting backstage "demanding" to speak to her, and it was Aven.
Aven then surprised Rachel onstage and asked her out for a drink so they could "catch up." Rachel said she'd absolutely love to and the pair took off together, leaving a hurt and embarrassed Tino in their dust.
ADVERTISEMENT
"I don't know if there are any rumors going [around], but Aven is a great dude. Aven is super nice and always straight forward, and he's super accountable," Tino shared with Nick Viall during a recent episode of "The Viall Files" podcast.
"I don't think he knew I was going to be out there when he came out."
Following the After the Final Rose special, fans criticized Rachel, Aven and The Bachelorette producers for humiliating Tino and essentially kicking him while he was already down.
But Rachel told Variety last month that Aven did not intentionally show Tino up. In fact, Rachel insisted Aven never would've stepped on the stage had he known Tino was still sitting there.
"I didn't even know what was happening," Rachel claimed at the time.
ADVERTISEMENT
"It really just all happened very quickly and it was not something that Aven directly chose to do. So yeah, he would never want to put him in that position... Aven coming onstage really was ultimately just him showing his support for me."
Tino revealed on Nick's podcast how Aven reached out to him the night before After the Final Rose filmed. (That same day, Tino also said he locked himself in a bathroom to cry and escape production).
"I think my phone was off, because I was getting too many texts it was overwhelming," Tino said.
"But [Aven] texted me that night saying, 'Hey, I'm really sorry. That was tough.' And then we talked on the phone the next day too. He's a class-act dude. I don't think he was, at all, trying to posterize me."
Rachel's The Bachelorette co-star Gabby Windey had dubbed Aven a "knight in shining armor," but Tino apparently doesn't think Aven had set out to one-up him.
ADVERTISEMENT
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELORETTE' COUPLES NOW: WHOM DID 'THE BACHELORETTE' STARS AND THEIR BACHELOR PICKS ULTIMATELY END UP WITH?! (PHOTOS)
"I think he just went there with the intention of cheering up Rachel," Tino continued. "Because seeing an ex after four weeks when it was a pretty crushing breakup would be understandably hard on anybody."
Tino, however, admitted he thought it was "mean" of the show to orchestrate such a low blow and he was definitely "frustrated" with producers after the incident.
"The show, I would've thought with them knowing how much I'd been struggling, wouldn't go there or do something like that," Tino noted.
As for where Tino and Rachel stand now, Tino shared how they no longer communicate.
ADVERTISEMENT
"Rachel and I weren't talking at all [before AFR]. There were no toxic texts or anything, or drunk phone calls, between us after the breakup. We [had] a clean break," Tino revealed.
Tino said after their split, he did a lot of "self-reflection" and came to the conclusion that Rachel had done so much for him and he really appreciated her impact on his life.
"I really wish during my dark times I could have leaned more on that, because I don't think I would've gone with a toxic outlet [of cheating]," Tino shared.
Tino said Rachel was "so good" to him and "it was so not right" what he did and how their relationship ended.
"This is certainly not how I wanted it to end," Tino insisted.
"I wanted to be with her forever, [but I told her] the time we spent together [meant] so much and still does, even after AFR, I can still appreciate her setting the bar really high on how a woman can treat somebody in a relationship."
And Rachel told Kaitlyn Bristowe on her "Off the Vine" podcast earlier this month how she's still single.
"I don't know [what's going on]. I feel like that's the big question," Rachel noted of her post-show relationship with Aven.
"I just care about him so much that I genuinely just want him to be happy in whatever capacity that is with me or, like, whatever it is. I just really want to see him just thriving."
She added, "So what's to come? I don't know. I mean, I'm definitely, definitely open to seeing what happens, but it's two people [and] we've been through so much."
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' COUPLES NOW: WHO DID 'THE BACHELOR' STARS AND THEIR BACHELORETTE PICKS ACTUALLY END UP MARRYING? (PHOTOS)
ADVERTISEMENT
But Rachel clarified to Kaitlyn that she's "not actively trying to date at all" right now.
"But I do feel like I'm not in a position where I'm, like, so broken that I need months to heal," she continued on the podcast.
Rachel insisted that she's "okay" and has been working on herself.
"I've been broken up with [Tino] since before you guys knew. So I do feel like I am in the spot where I do want that, but I'm not, like, on the dating apps," Rachel said.
She added, "I don't want to start doing that yet. Because it's so sad to me that's where I'm at, honestly... Going two full seasons and then to end up right back where you started? That's where it's frustrating."
On potentially starring on The Bachelorette again, Rachel said she'd definitely do the show if she could be guaranteed to find her person.
Rachel found out Tino had cheated on her in mid-July when The Bachelorette's nineteenth season premiered, and then the couple broke up in late August, around the time of The Men Tell All special.
During his "The Viall Files" interview, Tino recalled why exactly his relationship with Rachel fell apart and why he cheated on the flight instructor.
On Part 1 of The Bachelorette Season 19 finale, Rachel broke up with Aven because he had admitted to her family and friends that he didn't feel ready to propose marriage at the Final Rose Ceremony.
At the time, Rachel felt lied to and betrayed because she had assumed they were on the same page about an engagement.
Aven said, after meeting Rachel's family, that he was falling in love with Rachel and wanted to continue dating her after the show more than anything.
Aven admitted he got "caught up" in the process a little bit but definitely saw his future with Rachel. He said he just wanted the timing of their engagement to be perfect and feel natural.
ADVERTISEMENT
But it wasn't enough for Rachel, who said she wanted her final bachelor to be totally sure about her and confident in their relationship.
Aven told Rachel before leaving the show that he was never going to get over their split, and he apologized on Part 1 of The Bachelorette finale for hurting her and leading her on with all of their engagement talk in the Fantasy Suite.
Rachel told Aven that she respected his honesty and he ultimately had every right to feel the way he did while filming. Rachel even pardoned Aven from having to apologize to her.
"You were perfect... but you can't really look back," Rachel concluded on Part 1 of the finale.
"I'm really happy to see you, and I really just wish you nothing but the best."
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' FRANCHISE COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER?? (PHOTOS)
ADVERTISEMENT
Interested in more The Bachelor news? Join our The Bachelor Facebook Group!