ABC
The Bachelor’s Maria Georgas Says Joey Graziadei ‘Made the Right Decision’ by Eliminating Her
No hard feelings! Maria Georgas reflected on her experience on The Bachelor after being eliminated from the show on the Monday, March 4, episode and gave a shout out to Joey Graziadei in her statement.
“I want to thank my family and friends who have supported me through this journey,” Maria, 29, wrote on Instagram on Tuesday, March 5. “I want to thank Joey, who made the right decision, and lastly, myself for staying true to who I am.”
The executive assistant also thanked viewers who have had her back all season long and urged her fans not to hate on Joey’s final three women, Daisy Kent, Kelsey Anderson and Rachel Nance. “All 3 woman [sic] equally deserve to be there and are there for a reason,” Maria said. “Don’t send hate to anyone because of this!! I’ve personally grown so much from this it’s insane. I will continue to grow as I go.”
Maria said that The Bachelor was an experience that she’ll “never forget” and concluded, “I didn’t get the man but I got the most amazing support behind me and for that I will be just fine.”
Season 28 was quite a journey for the Canada native, as she found herself in the middle of drama during her time on the show. Amid her feud with fellow contestant Sydney Gordon, Maria went on a dreaded two-on-one date. Her strong connection with Joey, 28, prevailed and Sydney, 28, was eliminated after the tense outing.
However, during week seven, Joey began second-guessing the relationship after Maria threatened to leave the show due to her insecurities about his connections with other women. She wound up sticking it out and took the tennis instructor to meet her family, but Joey’s doubts led to her elimination after the hometown date.
Joey and his final three will head to Mexico for fantasy suites on the upcoming March 11 episode. After that, Maria, Joey and other women from the season will reunite for the Women Tell All special on March 18, where Maria will likely be in the hot seat to discuss the ups and downs of her time on the show.
“I have nothing but gratitude and love for everyone involved,” Maria wrote in her Instagram message. “That’s including the amazing people I’ve met along the way. The love and support I’ve received has been incredible. I am truly in awe and it doesn’t go unnoticed. I can’t express enough how much it means to me.”
She also included a lesson for her fans, adding, “If you can take one thing from watching me, it would be to always be yourself and know it’s OK to not always fit the mold. You won’t be everyone’s cup of tea but you’ll be someone’s shot of tequila.”
