About a week before the play finale aired, screenshots of texts Erich allegedly sent his ex earlier he appeared on The Bachelorette surfaced connected social media. The purported messages appeared to suggest that Erich ended their narration truthful helium could spell connected the amusement and that helium signed up for The Bachelorette to beforehand his vocation alternatively than to find love.

Erich and Gabby besides addressed the texts during the Sept. 20 occurrence of The Bachelorette: After the Final Rose, with the play 19 victor reflecting connected his actions.

"I met this miss astir a period earlier this each started, and I had nary thought I was going to travel here," helium told host Jesse Palmer. "And ultimately, I realized determination was not a transportation long-term, and it was astir the aforesaid clip the amusement had reached out."

Still, Erich acknowledged helium didn't grip the concern with his ex arsenic good arsenic helium could have.

"I handled it poorly 100 percent," helium continued. "I led her on, and I wanna ain that. I person nary hard feelings toward this miss astatine all, and I afloat recognize her actions. I kinda took the casual mode retired successful a consciousness wherever I didn't wanna person a hard conversation. But I've learned a batch from it, and I wanna ain that 100 percent. And I bash not person immoderate hard feelings for this girl. It was a mistake that I made connected my part."

Erich called his actions "cowardly," admitting helium utilized the "show arsenic an excuse to not face her astir our relationship" and that helium wanted to "continue to person fun" alternatively of telling her helium didn't spot a aboriginal together.

And portion helium didn't expect to find emotion connected world TV—adding he'd lone seen 1 occurrence of the bid beforehand—everything changed erstwhile helium met Gabby, with them getting engaged connected the play finale.

"I emotion this miss with each my heart," helium said. "It's 100 percent real. I ne'er expected it. I privation this to beryllium forever."

Though Gabby doesn't support Erich's actions—telling him "you were benignant of an a--hole" to his ex—she forgives him.

"His honesty and consenting to instrumentality accountability is each I tin truly inquire for and is thing that I privation successful a partner," she added. "So it's been hard but erstwhile you accidental yes to spending the remainder of your beingness with idiosyncratic it's not going to beryllium easy, particularly successful the nationalist eye. So we're conscionable trying the champion that we tin to marque it work."

- Reporting by Daniel Trainor