Fans of The Bachelor have quickly started seeing Cassie Randolph as a frontrunner for Colton Underwood‘s heart after watching them cuddle on the February 4 episode of the show. However, just one day later, the second season of Castle TV‘s Christian reality show Young Once dropped and made it seem like Cassie had only been single for about two months before looking for love with Colton.

The first season of the web show was shot in 2015, and documented Cassie’s love story with now ex-boyfriend Caelan Tiongson. The couple dated for about five years before breaking up, but seemed like they had some unfinished business when Young Once season 2 began filming on August 7. Cassie had dumped Caelan, but he still had very strong feelings for her and Cassie even seemed to be contemplating a reunion.

“I don’t know if it’s just not the right time for me with him, or if he’s just not the guy for me because if he was … I just want to be 100 percent in if I’m gonna get back into it,” she said on the show before meeting up with him. “Getting back with Caelan, I know where it’s gonna go, like we’re probably gonna get married and have a family within three years. I don’t know if that’s right.” Now, Caelan is sharing his true feelings about his longtime ex looking for love with The Bachelor, and Cassie is clapping back at haters.

How Does Caelan Feel About Cassie Going on The Bachelor?

At first, it seemed like Caelan wasn’t thrilled that Cassie was on The Bachelor. He was the one who wanted to reunite on Young Once, after all. Fans noticed that on the night of the Bachelor premiere on January 7, he posted an Instagram with the caption, “Blocking out all the noise today. Going after 6-0 tomorrow🗣🙉.” But now that Young Once has started airing and more pressure was being put on him to comment, he wanted to make it clear that he has no hard feelings against Cassie.

“Both Cassie and I made mistakes in our relationship, but I think we’d both agree it dragged out much too long anyway,” he explained in a statement on Instagram alongside a photo with his former GF. “It can be said without a doubt that her and I were not a fit for each other. The reality of the situation is that Cassie is a great girl. Nobody has the right to tell her whether or not she has good intentions. I wish her nothing but success and happiness moving forward. I thought this would be the best way to preserve the truth and encourage the trolls to check themselves before tearing down a good human being.”

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I’m posting this here so no words can be misconstrued. As many know, my ex girlfriend is currently a contestant on the tv show The Bachelor. The both of us have also appeared on a documentary series called Young Once. The show catches you up on our lives as the first season was shot at Biola University while we were still going to school there. They happened to catch the closing of mine and Cassie’s on and off relationship during the recording of this show. Make no mistake that Young Once was filmed before The Bachelor, and the fact that they are airing at the same time is a strategy to attract viewers. Both Cassie and I made mistakes in our relationship, but I think we’d both agree it dragged out much too long anyways. This is because I persistently pursued a reunion and she knowingly kept the door open at times because of indecisiveness, neither of which matters because it has been over for good since before she went on The Bachelor. However, it can be said without a doubt that her and I were not a fit for each other. Also, I’m sure there are millions of breakups that have lasted longer than they should have and nobody should be held at fault for that. The reality of the situation is that Cassie is a great girl. Her decision to go on The Bachelor was a decisive moment in my life to move forward so why couldn’t it serve as that for her as well? If I met my dream girl a month after our final closing this summer that would just be how God had it planned for me. Nobody has the right to tell her whether or not she has good intentions. So although the full truth may not be out…not everybody’s business needs to be on reality tv. Cassie will eventually explain her side and I endorse whatever she says because there is no reason for her to hide the truth. I wish her nothing but success and happiness moving forward. I post this because of the outlets who reached out to hear “my side” and because I heard Cassie was receiving a lot of negativity for our past relationship. I thought this would be the best way to preserve the truth and encourage the trolls to check themselves before tearing down a good human being. Life is about moving forward, not dwelling on the past 👍

A post shared by Caelan Tiongson (@caelantiongson) on

As for people that think Cassie went on the reality dating show too soon after her final split from Caelan, he says, “it has been over for good since before she went on The Bachelor,” so back off! On the show, it seemed like they had just broken up a month earlier, but Cassie herself responded to a post on @thebachelorbanter saying that they actually ended things in 2016. “Yes, there was a time that we rekindled our friendship to see if we should get back together, but we never did,” she wrote on Instagram. Though she admits that being friends with Caelan proved “too hard,” they still had to be in each others’ lives because they have “many friends in common.”

How Did Caelan and Cassie Meet?

Cassie met her boyfriend Caelan while in college. “The show catches you up on our lives as the first season was shot at Biola University while we were still going to school there,” said Caelan. “They happened to catch the closing of mine and Cassie’s on and off relationship during the recording of this show.” Cassie also said that they were college sweethearts, but ended things when she graduated in 2016.

What Was Caelan and Cassie’s Relationship Timeline?

“Caelan and I dated all through college and in 2015 we filmed Young Once,” she said. “A while after our breakup, we put our past behind us and became friends again. We share a lot of mutual friends and he is close to my family. We both dated other people and had moved on. While we were never officially a couple again, there was a time last spring that we considered getting back together, but that didn’t work out.”

Cassie Colton The Bachelor week 5
ABC

Cassie said she once again came into contact with Caelan after not speaking since spring because of the show. “We filmed for several weeks prior to Caelan heading to Asia and before I found out that I was cast for Bachelor,” she said. So Cassie did not know she was officially cast while she was considering a relationship with Caelan.

What Is Caelan’s Job?

Caelan played basketball in college, and he was apparently very good. He now plays for a professional basketball team in China, which is why Cassie wanted to talk to him before he moved there for a year to play. Totally understandable, right?

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Is Caelan Dating Anyone?

It sounds like Caelan is still single. In his message, he said that Cassie’s “decision to go on The Bachelor was a decisive moment in my life to move forward. If I met my dream girl a month after our final closing this summer, that would just be how God had it planned for me.” So it sounds like for now, that “dream girl” slot is still open!

Does Cassie End Up With Colton?

Cassie got super close with Colton in the recent episodes of Bachelor, even leading some of the other contestants to start regarding her as a frontrunner. If you’re too impatient to see if she wins his heart at the end of the show, you can check out our spoilers here. Either way, it looks like she has her ex’s blessing!

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