Believe it or not, we’re halfway through the season already. Only two episodes to go before the hometown dates and when things are going to reeeeeeealllly get interesting. I know I say this every season, but it is funny how it takes them one month of real time to get from 29 girls down to 4, but then it takes three weeks of real time to get from 4 down to 1. Shows you how many insignificant cast members there are on any given season. This season is no different. 10 girls are headed to Paris, which is usually about 1-2 more than usually are still around by episode 6. So I guess good for them that a few lucked out and got to travel overseas at this point, even though us as viewers have seen very little of their connection with Arie. I’m speaking mostly about Jenna. Usually there’s around 8 left in episode 6, then 6 in left in episode 7 right before hometowns. This time it’s 10 and 7 respectively. Really no rhyme or reason to it, but it’s interesting to note for future seasons. I’m just gearing up for what we have coming at the end. Sure all these other dates are fine and dandy, but what do they really mean in the long run? The only thing to really pay attention to is basically any interaction he has with his final two girls, and even THAT is sufficient enough since we know how it plays out. Just get me to the finale and save us all from these next few episodes. I beg you.
Just wanted to remind anyone interested in attending the Reality Steve Fan Appreciation Party in Las Vegas on Friday, June 8th, there are still spots available. I know it’s still 4 months away, but I will be periodically reminding people as we go since I know people like booking at the last minute. Which is fine, but I cannot guarantee there will be spots available if you wait that late. If you’re interested in coming, email me at steve@realitysteve.com with how many people would be coming and their names. If you’re flying in, a confirmation of your flight itinerary gets you confirmed for the party. If you’re driving or are local, you just need to email me a hotel confirmation. It’s an open beer and wine bar along with some food for the duration of the party, we have a trivia contest with prizes for the top 2 finishers, and other than that, just a rollicking good time. Might have a few Bachelor Nation people attend this year that I’m still working on. I will let you know as soon as they’re confirmed.
Another one of Arie’s exes, Giustina Lee, spoke out last week to the tabloids saying Arie had also been in contact with her since he got back from filming – but she never picked up the phone. Geez. Did he just get back and rip through all his exes on speed dial? That’s now 3 that we know of – Giustina, Sydney, and obviously he’s been in touch with Courtney. Just like I said to Sydney in the podcast, it’s obvious why he contacted them – to smooth things over and make sure they didn’t say anything negative about him to the press. That seems to have backfired. But for all those who trashed Sydney after the podcast, and are immediately jumping on Giustina for just being some ex looking to extend her 15 minutes, or just some random who barely knew him trying to keep her name out there, social media clearly shows Arie has spent A LOT of time with Giustina over the years. She says since 2013. Well since 2015 (that’s as far back as I went before I stopped looking), there’s plenty of photographic evidence of them together. Lets run it all down, shall we?
In 2015, they dressed up together for Halloween…
In 2016, she tweeted out a picture collage of them for his birthday that clearly showed numerous pictures of them together dating back a few years…
Just this past August, she was FaceTiming him…
About 4 days later, they were together with a group…
Then a few days after that, Arie and Giustina were at Top Golf together in Vegas…(first pic she posted the actual night they were together, but Arie wasn’t in it. The second pic was posted the day he was announced as the “Bachelor,” but it was from the night of them at Top Golf together)
And on the day he was announced as the “Bachelor,” when I tweeted out the first information I’d received about Sydney, Giustina responded with this tweet to me…
A quick look at Giustina’s IG (currently set to private) and you’ll see there’s absolutely nothing on there that screams “law student.” Nor is she ANYTHING like Becca or Lauren. Do I think Arie and Giustina were ever in a serious, committed, monogamous relationship? No. But he certainly spent a lot of time with her. There’s no need to bring Giustina on the podcast or what not. She said what she said in that article and her photographic evidence of years of hanging out with him is all you need to know. It’s always fun to be right. I just let Arie’s actions speak for itself. Go ahead. Continue to make excuses for him. It’s really funny how creative people can get with their narratives that none of this is his fault, when anyone living in reality could’ve seen something like this coming from a mile away.
For those that didn’t listen to last Thursday’s podcast with the Possessionista Dana Weiss, there was something we talked about that I want to hit on again since I feel it’s important. One of the popular responses I’ve gotten to last Tuesday’s spoiler reveal is that somehow Lauren went behind Becca’s back and what not. I can tell you that didn’t happen. You can absolutely question Lauren’s decision making in all this and why she’d actually believe a word that comes out of this guy’s mouth, and that’s fair game. But I can report to you that she did nothing wrong in the interim. Arie was the one who reached out to her first. Picking up the phone and hearing what he had to say isn’t wrong. Sure, everything after that you can question, but there was no secret relationship going on between Arie and Lauren while he was engaged to Becca. This was all Arie’s doing. He was conflicted, he was confused, he reached out, and obviously Lauren didn’t slam the phone down. Becca knew Arie was struggling with his decision, however, I don’t think she felt he’d actually go through with breaking off the engagement. My understanding is she thought they would work through it. It’ll be really interesting to hear what every party has to say come the finale.
Speaking of Lauren, as I mentioned in the last couple weeks, she used to be engaged to minor league hockey player Chris Crane (who by the way attended high school at the same time as Sydney in Ohio. Of course they did). Chris and Lauren got engaged in July of 2016, and set a wedding date of July 2017, but Lauren broke off the engagement in December of 2016. Didn’t take much to do a Google search and find these photos from their engagement day on Chris’ mother’s Facebook page:
Her page is public, but I’m guessing it won’t be much longer. If you find it before she turns it private, there’s also about a 1 min video of Chris actually proposing that day. The good thing is that the relationship has been over a full year before everything went down with Arie. However, there is a part of me that thinks the broken engagement played a role in her taking Arie back. Ultimately, it’s her decision and she can do whatever she wants with her life. Personally, I think it’s a giant mistake given everything we know about him and what his track record shows. Unfortunately, I think she’ll end up learning the hard way. Only time will tell. Good luck you two!
