Nick Viall and Vanessa Grimaldi enjoyed a lovely rose-filled romance on national television. Because a fair portion of America partook in their courtship via The Bachelor, the couple is subject to some heavy scrutiny. Mostly, viewers think they are a sham. When the After the Final Rose special aired on Monday, March 13, Twitter seemed to be unanimous: Viall and Grimaldi didn't look happy. Their body language screamed "unlucky in love" and even their words — both admitted to struggling with the relationship — didn't seem optimistic about the impending nuptials. Even members of Bachelor Nation spoke up — Emily Maynard, former Bachelorette, said, "Yikes!" and sent some shade the couple's way. Ben Higgins, the Bachelor before Viall, told ET, "It sounds like their relationship is off to maybe a difficult start."
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Through this all, the pair has actively defended their relationship. Yesterday, the couple stopped by The Ellen Degeneres Show and explained their seemingly "awkward" appearance on After the Final Rose.
"Did y'all think that it was awkward?" Degeneres asked the two. As Viall was there to promote his appearance on Dancing With the Stars, Grimaldi was in the audience, not in an interview chair.
"I didn't think so," Grimaldi answered from the audience. "I think we both went in it wanting to be honest and open about couples, you know, sometimes things can get tough. But we’re very committed to each other, we love each other, and that’s what we’re focusing on."
The fact is, this is almost verbatim what Grimaldi said during ATFR. Throughout the special, the couple repeatedly explained that they wanted to be transparent about their struggles. Unfortunately, the tumult of a long-distance relationship borne of reality television just isn't that romantic. So, their visible strife — which, by the way, all couples endure — reads as a broken relationship, when in actuality it's probably much healthier than those between giddier twosomes that have appeared on AFTR.
In addition, it's great that these two are open about everything. That's kind of their job as reality television stars. But no one has the right to question anyone else's relationship, and it'd be really decent of everyone to stop questioning this couple's happiness. If they say they're happy, then they are. Period.
Watch the full clip, below.