OK, Bachelor Nation, get ready for a major revelation. The following information will either shock you to no end or make you think, “Well, it’s about time.” Ready? Bachelor in Paradise alums Ashley Iaconetti and Jared Haibon are officially dating. The back-and-forth duo confirmed their relationship status on Iaconetti’s The Story of Us webseries on Tuesday.
During the episode, Iaconetti recounted the couple’s love story from its roots — from the moment they learned about each other to their somewhat disastrous stint together on Paradise (cue all the tears) to going their separate ways.
More:The Bachelor’s Ashley Iaconetti Is Hosting a Brand New Show
In fact, it was their time apart that actually brought them back together. “I remember I heard rumors that you might have met somebody, and I was sad,” Haibon said on the webseries, referring to Iaconetti’s previous relationship with Bachelorette Canada‘s Kevin Wendt. “Sometimes I need a kick in the ass… That was a big kick in the ass.”
And in the most Bachelor Nation twist ever, Haibon got an added push from his Bachelor buddy and fellow Paradise alum Tanner Tolbert, who encouraged Haibon to tell Iaconetti how he felt. In a grand romantic gesture, Haibon did just that — and planted a big kiss on her in the airport. The airport! It’s like a scene straight out of a rom-com, no?
View this post on Instagram
However, the timing wasn’t quite right. Iaconetti opted to stick it out with Wendt for a while longer. As soon as they called it quits, though, Haibon seized his opportunity to once again plead his case. This time, he spent three days writing a poignant love letter.
To Haibon’s credit, the letter was sweet enough to turn anyone into a pile of mush.
“I’m tired of making what could be the biggest mistake of my life, which is letting go of the most important people in my life: you,” he wrote. In the webseries video, he underscored that by saying, “I’m living proof that you should listen to your gut, and that it’s not too late.”
More:4 Reasons to Love Bachelor in Paradise‘s Ashley Iaconetti
Haibon also joked, “The story of us. God, it’s a novel.” Truer words may never have been spoken by a Bachelor alum, either. Anyone who watched the messy love triangle between Haibon, Iaconetti and Caila Quinn on Paradise last year is likely surprised to learn that Haibon and Iaconetti are the last two standing.
View this post on Instagram
As they’ve gone from lovers to friends and back again, many tears have been shed between these two — you know, mostly Iaconetti’s. Haibon opened up about their rocky past in 2016, telling HuffPost he “had a lot of frustrations towards the things Ashley said and did” on Paradise, going on to remark that “it was a very troubling time for awhile between Ashley and myself. We had a lot of very difficult long and hard conversations, but we talked through everything and I’m still friends with [her].”
Alas, you know how the saying goes: All’s well that ends well. Only time will tell if this is truly a match made in Bachelor Nation heaven. But, for now, the newly minted couple admittedly seems pretty darn happy.
Leave a Comment