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The Bachelor’s Grant Ellis Has Been Open About His Relationship With His Parents: Meet His Mom and Dad
The Bachelor star Grant Ellis’ parents are his biggest supporters. During his run on Jenn Tran’s season of The Bachelorette, the New Jersey native got candid about his relationship with his father, which has changed over the years amid his dad’s struggle with addiction. Additionally, Grant revealed that his mom was responsible for kicking off his journey on The Bachelor franchise.
The Bachelor’s Grant Ellis Opened Up About His Dad’s Addiction
Grant got candid about his father’s struggle with addiction during The Bachelorette season 21 in 2024.
“My father has been an addict for, like, 30 years. Addiction is a hard thing because, you know, growing up, my pops was everything, like, he was my superhero,” he told Jenn, recalling how his dad would be intoxicated without Grant’s knowledge during outings when he was a kid.
His dad ultimately decided to enter rehab after a job loss.
“[He] checked into rehab, and ever since that, we had a talk and he was like, ‘Listen, son. This is the first time that you know the real me when I’m not intoxicated,’” Grant continued. “So I’m, like, really leaning into that. So now, he’s, like, a little under two months sober, so, you know, I hope he holds strong. And it’s his first time living, too.”
Grant concluded that his “mission in life is to be the man that my father wasn’t.”
Though it may have seemed on the show like his relationship with his father wasn’t in a good place, the day trader revealed that it was quite the opposite during an August 2024 appearance on “The Viall Files” podcast.
“Yeah, I love my father to death, man, and he did the best that he could,” Grant told host Nick Viall. “It’s his first time living too, and he has this trauma and he just took a certain route and I don’t want him to ever think that I’m, like, bashing him or putting him out there, but you know, this is, it’s my life story.”
Grant continued, “And my relationship with my father is great. I’m super proud of him for the progress he’s made, where he’s come from and what he’s doing now. Yeah, I just want him to know that he did a good job.”
Grant admitted that he “didn’t always” feel that way about his father.
“Growing up, sometimes you may harbor resentment, but then when you’re in the position where you’re letting somebody down, then you realize that you could be trying your hardest and sometimes you’re gonna make mistakes. So looking back at it, I can’t hold myself to a different standard than somebody that’s let me down,” he said.
Grant concluded, “So it’s like, I can’t really be mad at my pops for that, I gotta just kind of let that go and just roll with the punches and just try to help him along his journey.”
He continued to speak about his relationship with his father as season 29 of The Bachelor aired, and he reflected on his decision to mend their relationship during an interview with Us Weekly in February 2025.
“When you’re a kid, you think your parents could do no wrong. But then you grow up and you start to realize they’re human, they make mistakes, they need to learn and grow. I’m proud of my dad and where he’s at. Throughout the course of the season, you see my relationship with my father come into play,” he said. “[At the very end], he comes back and gives me some really solid advice — that’s something I’ve been looking for my whole life, and it’s something that helped me get over the edge to make my decision He’s able to come back in my life and help me when I need it the most.”
The Bachelor’s Grant Ellis Revealed His Mom Signed Him Up for ‘The Bachelorette’
The former basketball player has his mom to thank for his Bachelor journey. He revealed on “The Viall Files” that she was the one who signed him up for The Bachelorette, and his participation in the show ultimately led to him becoming the next Bachelor.
“I remember she literally called me, I’m in the middle of my trading routine in the morning and she called me, she’s like, ‘Oh by the way I signed you up for Bachelorette so if you get a call, you know, make sure you answer,” he recalled, explaining that she signed him up after she watched The Golden Bachelor.
“And I’m like, ‘Are you serious?’” he added. “So, they ended up calling me, and then, things just progressed. And here we are on ‘The Viall Files.’”
Grant also celebrated his lead casting on The Bachelor with his mom when he found out about the role.
“I’m just calling to let you know I was selected to be the next Bachelor,” he told his mother over the phone in an August 2024 promo video for The Bachelor.
His mom could barely contain her excitement on the other end of the call. “No way! Are you kidding me? Tell me you’re kidding. I’m so excited! I’m so happy for you!” she replied. “Congratulations, son.”
Grant added, “I hope grandma and everyone watches the season with you.”
The Bachelor’s Grant Ellis Revealed What His Mom Taught Him About Love
In February 2025, Grant continued to share insight into his relationship with his mother by revealing what she taught him about love. “What I learned from her relationship [with my dad, Robert] was that love is a choice, but you have to know when enough is enough,” he told Us Weekly. “Love has to be reciprocated.”
Grant Ellis’ Parents Supported Him During the Season 29 Finale
Grant’s parents were by his side before he handed out his final rose during the finale on March 24, 2025.
While Robert and Renee were fans of Litia Garr, Grant admitted he had concerns about their different timelines. “She wants to have children right away,” Grant told his father, adding that he wanted to travel and enjoy his life for three to four years before he started a family.
However, Robert insisted that he and Litia would work out their differences if it was meant to be. “When you love someone, you’ll be able to do all those things as long as you’re both happy,” Robert said.
Meanwhile, Renee grilled Juliana Pasquarosa about her feelings for Grant, including if she was in love with him. “Grant and I have not told each other we love each other,” Juliana told Renee. “I’ve been kind of holding back a little bit in that sense just because what that means.”
Renee then asked Juliana if she felt she could fall in love with Grant. “An engagement means forever to me,” Juliana said. “Love means forever to me. He is truly somebody that I can see myself being in love with and spending the rest of eternity with.”
Grant’s time with his parents ended with Renee admitting she had concerns about Juliana. “If she doesn’t tell you she loves you, I am asking you to walk away from that,” she told her son.
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