Who is Matt Rossi? What we know about 'The Bachelorette' star Jenn Tran's ex-boyfriend and their relationship

Matt Rossi shocked Jenn Tran and fans all over the world when he crashed Jenn's The Bachelorette season and asked for a second chance.


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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Matt told the cameras he and Jenn had dated for several months "about three years ago," and Jenn confirmed the pair had "recently reconnected in the past few months as friends."

While Jenn thought she and Matt were just friends, Matt said he was in love with her -- and that his feelings for The Bachelorette star were stronger than ever before.


In fact, Matt told Jenn that he was "ready" to get engaged.

Jenn confirmed in a confessional that Matt was not the "toxic" ex-boyfriend who had "messed [her] up a little bit" in the past, but at the same time, she questioned his intentions because he had "so many chances" to be with her before her The Bachelor journey.

"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," Matt told Jenn.

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

"I did say it," Matt responded. "But I didn't say it as grandly as this, I guess... I really do love you."


The episode ended on a cliffhanger, with Jenn contemplating whether to allow Matt to join her cast of bachelors.

Until The Bachelorette viewers find out whether Jenn allows Matt to compete for her heart, let's learn some information about Jenn's ex-boyfriend right now.

Below is a list of five facts Reality TV World has compiled about Matt Rossi.

Jenn Tran credits Matt Rossi with getting her into PA school

In a December 2023 TikTok video she posted before Joey Graziadei's The Bachelor season debuted on ABC in January, Jenn explained that she had moved to Boston right out of college and started dating a boy with a "wiener dog," and so she dubbed him "Wiener Boy" for the sake of not identifying his name. (Matt later confirmed he is "Wiener Boy.")

Jenn said she was completely head over heels in love with "Wiener Boy" and wanted to marry him. Three months later, this man dumped her and Jenn recalled hitting "rock bottom" and being "in shambles" over the split.


She had apparently never experienced "a lower low" before in her life.

Jenn, who was constantly reminded of her ex, therefore needed to get away, and so her friend suggested they should take a fun and inexpensive trip to Miami, FL.

Jenn loved her experience in Miami so much that she returned to the city two months later. At that time, she was applying for two-year PA school programs in Boston, New York, and California. Because of her newfound love of Miami, she also submitted an application for one of the schools there.

"I probably applied to 10 schools... and every single one of those schools rejected me, except for the school in Miami," Jenn revealed.

"So if I never dated Wiener Boy in the first place and Wiener Boy never broke my heart so badly... I would've never gone to Miami and I would've never applied to a school in Miami. If I never applied to Miami, I never would've gotten into PA school and I wouldn't be in PA school right now, which is crazy!"


She added, "If Wiener Boy hadn't broken my heart, I wouldn't be fulfilling my dreams right now."

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Jenn met Matt Rossi, the dad of a wiener dog, on Hinge

Matt confirmed he's "Wiener Boy," the guy who had broken Jenn's heart, in a February 2024 TikTok video. Matt is a dog dad to a shaded English cream mini dachshund named Kirkland the Hotdog.

"The rumors are true. I am 'Wiener Boy' and my ex went on The Bachelor," Matt said as Joey's The Bachelor season was airing on ABC.

Pretending as if Kirkland was telling the story from his perspective, a voiceover shared, "My dad... was a 24-year-old f-ckboy living in Boston with his three best friends... He was painfully single, not too different from how he is right now, so he decided to go on this app called Hinge, which he had never done before."


"He found this really cute, sweet girl named Jenn -- totally out of his league. Somehow she gave him a chance, they hit it off, and they started dating. Things started to heat up, and they got pretty serious and Jenn was ready to settle down with her person. But my dad just wasn't there yet. He was still, as I said, a f-ckboy."

The voiceover continued, "Anyways, years passed, they're still friends, and now my dad is using her for clout."

At the end of the clip, Matt whispered, "Give me another shot!"

Matt is not actually an insurance agent. He sells beer!

Matt Rossi has worked for The Boston Beer Company for well over four years now.

When Matt surprised Jenn on The Bachelorette, the show's on-screen graphics billed him as a 27-year-old insurance executive from Atlanta, GA.

However after the episode aired on ABC, Matt revealed on Instagram that the bio information was wrong and he's actually a 28-year-old beer salesman.


Matt began working as an associate brand manager for Twisted Tea in 2020, and then he was promoted to an innovation incubator. In November 2022, Matt became a brand manager for Truly Hard Seltzer, according to Matt's LinkedIn.

Matt also previously worked for PepsiCo.

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Matt Rossi is also a proud content creator

Matt has more than 50,000 followers on both TikTok and Instagram as of July 2024, and his content is about his dog as well as lifestyle and entertainment.

Even Matt's dog Kirkland has his own Instagram account with nearly 9,000 followers.

Matt has appeared on podcasts discussing brand management and monetizing dog content, and he also has an Amazon page where he promotes items in home, pet, travel and more.


Matt did, however, go to college. He graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration in 2018.

Running is one of Matt's passions in life

While taking a jog at Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire earlier this month, Matt wrote on Instagram, "FILR (f-ck I love running)."

Matt will also be running in the TCS New York City Marathon on Sunday, November 3, 2024, to raise funds for Concern Worldwide, an international humanitarian organization working to end extreme poverty in 26 countries.

Matt is apparently excited to take on this 26.2-mile trek.

"Having lived in NYC during my early 20s, I felt that it's only natural for my 2nd marathon to be in a city that I once called home," Matt wrote in June on Instagram.

"I'm extremely grateful to accomplish this goal in support of a cause that is making such a positive impact across the globe."


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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