When Jesse Palmer said we were about to embark on the most dramatic season — ever — of The Bachelorette, long-time fans probably rolled their eyes a bit. But even though each season seems to be the most surprising or emotional, we’ve got to give credit where it’s due as we did just watch the most dramatic season ever, or at least a finale that will go down in history for the enticing drama that enfolded during the episode.
Rachel Recchia was one of two bachelorettes this season, and her happily-ever-after didn’t pan out as she’d hoped. She did end up getting engaged and experienced some beautiful moments with her then-fiance, Tino Franco, but it didn’t last.
Fans were invited in to witness the intense breakup between the two of them, and then they sat on the sofa together to talk about their relationship and subsequent breakup. But it was a conversation that left our heads spinning. So, what exactly went wrong between Rachel and Tino? Let’s take a look.
What happened between Rachel and Tino?
Tino told Rachel he was unfaithful to her as he had kissed another woman he’d known before his stint on the series. He denies that it went any farther than that and says that the moment made him realize that he wanted to be with Rachel.
Rachel, of course, wasn’t having any of it and she’s still not convinced it was just a kiss or that she knows the whole story now. In an interview with Bachelor Nation alumn Michelle Young and Becca Kufrin, she shares that Tino’s story changed each time he talked about what happened.
“Every single time he told his story, something changed, a detail would change. First it was a kiss at a party, then it was a kiss in an Uber to her house where his car was parked, so where is the story connecting? When you’re lying, you can’t get your story straight. That’s why he was getting up multiple times to try to figure it out, but then would come back and put it on me.”
Fans did see the way Tino would talk in circles when Rachel asked him about details or wanted to push the conversation forward. It seemed like there were things both were trying not to say, which of course, comes with the territory.
Signing up for a dating show means you know your life and personal relationships will become public knowledge, but that doesn’t mean you want every detail of what happens behind closed doors to be put on display, especially in your darkest moments.
Tino’s dad also alluded to the split via a quote he shared on his social media, as shared by US Weekly.
“Nobody’s perfect. We make mistakes. We say wrong things. We do wrong things. We fall. We get up. We learn. We grow. We move on.”
While the message was clearly meant to support to his son, as one would expect a parent to do, it’s not lost on viewers that Tino’s parents appeared to be the least supportive parents that Rachel met — which was also a topic of conversation between the pair.
When did the couple break up?
Rachel and Tino discussed having a relationship for some time after their engagement in Mexico, but it was clear that they were dealing with a lot while adjusting to day-to-day life away from the series.
The two met at a home around the time the Men Tell All special aired. Rachel notes that she found out about the infidelity during this period and was trying to make sense of it all. The two had a heated discussion about what happened and Tino referenced a journal where he’d written down things that upset him during the course of their relationship after the series.
Rachel says that they were in a tough place in their relationship but that she never wanted to give her engagement ring back, as Tino alleges. She also says they never broke up, but that conversation instead focused on them trying to date rather than rushing into a marriage.
“I can only try to understand his side and assume that’s where confusion was coming from. We were struggling. I don’t think there’s an excuse. I’m not making excuses, but I never said I was giving the ring back. I never said our engagement was called off. He was just upset that we were in a bad place.”
There were things they went in circles about, neither wanting to go too far into a conversation in front of the camera, but that means a lot of things were never properly discussed. It is clear that things happened that neither wants to be made public, but Rachel says she was doing a lot of work on herself as well as their relationship, while Tino did something else entirely.
Bachelor Nation shares the following information that Rachel shared in the Happy Hour Podcast referenced above.
“Instead of sitting there and doing the work like I did, he ran straight to someone that he was somewhat seeing before the show. That’s where the struggle is. He also kept that from me for weeks. This happened around the time of the premiere and around ‘Men Tell All’ is when I found out. He went that long with this information and sat in front of me telling me I need to do all this work.”
Understandably, Rachel was upset about Tino hiding the information as well. Though Rachel told him that they couldn’t fix things after he’d kissed another woman, it was evident to anyone watching that the confrontation was also fueled by many other issues just simmering under the surface. They both felt hurt by one another, but they didn’t have the necessary conversation to get past it.
What happened at The Bachelorette‘s big finale?
The Bachelorette finale allowed Tino and Rachel to talk again, but it wasn’t a productive conversation. Instead, they continued to talk in circles about what happened between them. Tino would bring things up, Rachel would bring up her side of the story, and they’d both sort of fall silent. It was difficult to watch, not just because of the cheating and the heartbreak, but because the pain was evident on both of their faces, no matter who was right or wrong.
Another big event that happened during the finale was that Aven came out on stage to talk to Rachel. While fans were initially excited to see him, it wasn’t all sunshine and roses after reflecting back on the situation. Yes, Tino cheated on Rachel, and he hurt her. Also, fans had long been rooting for Aven to sweep Rachel off of her feet, but it happened in a way that the latter confirms Aven didn’t ask for. In fact, he was against it.
In a chat with Variety, Rachel talked about Aven taking the stage and how it wasn’t really a choice they put into his hands.
“Unfortunately, that was not Aven’s choice. And he did express concern of not ever wanting to do that the second we stepped off stage. He still does respect Tino as a person, and no one ever wants to be put in a position where they are humiliated or they feel like that on stage. That was not his intention, my intention, or anyone’s… I didn’t even know what was happening. 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.”
What happened when Rachel gave Aven that 1000 wat smile and walked off stage with him?
“Well, we (Rachel and Aven) did have an opportunity to talk, and it was so incredible to see him… Aven’s always been my support system throughout this journey. To see his face in the corner after going through something that was really difficult, it [brought] back all those feelings of safety. And honestly, it was just so amazing to see him, and we were able to talk after without microphones, so it was really nice.”
Next, Rachel addressed the question we’d all been wondering, does she see a future with the guy fans wanted her to be with from the beginning?
“I’m so happy to have seen him, and who knows that the future is going to hold. I’m definitely open to it and just seeing where it goes organically without any pressure.”
Rachel’s stint on The Bachelor and then The Bachelorette is something she isn’t interested in doing again, so an organic situation would be best for the pair. Aven and Rachel have always had a meaningful connection, but we doubt fans will be clued in about anything that happens between them for quite some time; be it friendship or otherwise.
Despite the heartbreak she sadly went through, Rachel also did find a great love in the series — her friendship with Gabby. The two have been through ups and downs together that no one else will ever understand, and it’s formed a bond between them that will never be broken.
If you missed any drama from the finale, a quick Twitter search or listening to the Happy Hour Podcast episode will fill you in.