Who Did He End Up With? Bachelor Jason Mesnick Had a Messy Finale With Melissa Rycroft and Molly Malaney
Happiness from drama. Jason Mesnick’s Bachelor finale was one of the messiest in franchise history with contestants Melissa Rycroft and Molly Malaney. Despite proposing to one of the ladies and later changing his mind, all three reality stars have found their happily ever after.
After eliminating Jillian Harris, who went on to be season 5’s Bachelorette, Jason got engaged to Melissa during the season 13 finale. However, their bliss was short-lived when the leading man revealed he “wasn’t able to stop thinking” about Molly on After the Final Rose, which was taped six weeks after filming ended in 2009.
He told Melissa during their sit-down with Chris Harrison that he wished he had “control” of his “heart and head” in order to move forward with her, but he wasn’t able to stop thinking about his runner-up. “I think the worst thing in the world is to live your life with regrets,” the Ohio native said at the time. Although Jason noted that Melissa was “exactly what [he] was looking for” when the season started, he had changed.
The former pro cheerleader said he took a “once in a lifetime” moment away from her. “I wish more than anything that last day you would’ve just let me go instead of doing this me,” Melissa said through tears. “I’m so mad at you.” Their interaction ended with the brunette beauty returning her engagement ring.
Molly seemed extremely excited to rekindle things with Jason when she appeared on ATFR. “This is something I’ve dreamt of but never expected to hear,” she said after her now-husband revealed he ended things with the Dallas native. Jason got down on one knee and proposed to Molly and she said yes.
The reality couple’s wedding was televised on ABC in 2010, and they have since put down roots in Kirkland, Washington, a suburb of Seattle. They welcomed their daughter Riley Anne in 2013. Jason also has a son named Ty from a previous relationship.
Despite the dramatic beginning of their love story, Jason and Molly are going strong. “Everything is amazing now,” the real estate guru told HuffPost in 2017. “We have a beautiful baby, and Ty is great. Molly and I are great. When you have a great marriage and a beautiful child that comes from it, it’s hard to have any regrets about where we stand now.”
As for Melissa, she married her longtime love Tye Strickland, and they have three children together. The Bachelor Nation starlet exclusively told Life & Style that she doesn’t hold any saltiness toward her ex.
“You know, it is what it is. I was a little bit was angry at him. I just felt like he could’ve given me just a little bit of a heads up,” she acknowledged in January 2020. “But, the more I’m in the industry, the more time that goes on and the less and less I truly care about it all — it’s not his fault. I think he got played by production in the show just like everybody else did, you know? So, no, I think Jason is a great guy. I think he and Molly totally should have been together from the start and yeah, there’s no hard feelings whatsoever.”
She cheekily added, “Now, I don’t think we all need to go out for a glass of wine after dinner but I think we’re good.”
All’s well that ends well, right?
