ABC/Ricky Middlesworth; ABC/Nino Muñoz
Jess Girod Hilariously Reacts to Fan Theory She Was Dating Bachelor Zach Shallcross: ‘WHO?’
LOL! Former Bachelor contestant Jessica Girod addressed *that* fan theory she was dating Zach Shallcross following season 27 of the ABC reality show.
“I was rumored to be with WHO?” Jess, 23, shared in a TikTok video following the season 27 finale. “First of all, I didn’t even get a date with the man. NEXT.”
The rumor started when Ria Ciuffo, cohost of the “Chicks In the Office” podcast, shared in an Instagram post from March 24 that she heard an apparent Bachelor spoiler that hadn’t been revealed anywhere yet.
“I have no idea if this is true. … It’s just something I’ve heard that apparently, no one else has heard,” Ria shared in the now-viral clip. “But apparently after Zach got engaged to one of the girls, who I believe to be Kaity, that engagement ended, and he is now with Jess. Jess is the one who loves Taylor Swift, she loves body glitter. She even posted a clip recently of them at the Women Tell All together. I don’t know how true this is. Do what you will with the information, OK? … It will be freaking crazy if it happens.”
Of course, the theory was incorrect as Zach, 27, proposed to Kaity Biggar and the couple is still going strong.
The season 27 star, for his part, reacted to the debacle during his and Kaity’s press tour following their engagement.
“It was out of [the blue],” Zach said, while appearing on the “Chicks in the Office” podcast’s Tuesday, March 28 episode. “I appreciate that she actually made a video and apologized because there’s so many crazy things that go on and people have all these conspiracies and this and that, but she owned up to it.”
Zach was immediately smitten with Kaity, who eventually took home his final rose and a stunning Neil Lane engagement ring, but their relationship on the show was not without its difficulties. As Zach made it to the final three, he remained adamant that he wanted to adhere to his “no sex rule” during the overnight dates – something he broke with Gabi Elnicki. What ensued was plenty of drama between him, Kaity, Gabi and Ariel Frenkel, who was eventually sent home before the Anaheim native had to make his final choice. Seemingly coming to a decision, Zach proposed to Kaity during an emotional finale episode, and she emphatically said yes despite the drama they faced the week before.
As for Jessica, she self-eliminated during week six after expressing her frustrations to Zach about the lack of a one-on-one date. Telling him that she would not “beg for him,” Jess showed herself out and told the leading man that she wanted to be fought for.
Opening up to Bachelor Nation shortly thereafter, Jessica shared that she wished their breakup had gone differently, sharing, “Watching that conversation was just as confusing as it was in the moment. I felt very misunderstood and I was frustrated. Watching my exit, I wish I could have used that verbiage with him.”
When the exes did reunite during the Women Tell All episode, they had nothing but nice things to say about each other.
“Was it the sparkles?” Jessica asked Zach of the reason their relationship didn’t work out on the show, referencing her love of body glitter. “Definitely not the sparkles. Love the sparkles,” Zach said in response to a smiling Jessica. She later posted the interaction on her Instagram feed with the caption, “I’m sorry, the old Jess can’t come to the phone right now.”
