Grant Ellis has set the record straight after choosing Juliana Pasquarosa over runner-up Litia Garr in the season 29 finale of The Bachelor.
For the unversed, Litia received an “I love you” from the 31-year-old reality TV star during their fantasy suite date in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic; however, Grant later claimed his heart was with Juliana.
Speaking to PEOPLE, he said, “That was the hardest thing, but ultimately it was the best thing for Litia. For me to be in a relationship where somebody may be loving me, but I’m not receiving it the way that I want or the way that I need, it would be unfair to that person.”
Notably, on the March 24 finale, Litia told Grant she was in love with him and saw a future with him, but the former professional basketball player told her he had a stronger connection with someone else.
“I love you very much, I want to give you everything that you deserve but I’m not your person. And I’m sorry that it got to this point. My emotional connection is stronger with someone else,” he said.
Litia went on to admit that she was “disappointed” and stated, “You’re different than I thought.”
Shedding light on the situation, Grant confessed it “was hard” to let Litia down and that he felt “torn” until the very end.
“You meet somebody’s family, you spend time with somebody, you hear their story, and then you have to tell them on what’s supposed to be the biggest day of their life that they’re not your person. That’s what caused me to have a little bit of stress, a little bit of confusion on how to do this,” he explained.
Reflecting on his decision of opening up to Litia about his feelings earlier in the season, Grant quipped, “I don’t feel like I misled – I feel like I led with my heart. I feel like it would be misleading if I made promises, but I expressed my feelings, which I do every day.”
“I’ve been in those shoes, so I know where she’s coming from and I’ll always come from a place of compassion,” he added.
