PHOTOSBachelor Nation Reacts to Dean Unglert's Emotional Hometown Date & Shocking ‘Bachelorette’ Elimination
July 18 2017, Updated 4:04 p.m. ET
Dean Unglert stole the show on Monday night’s episode of The Bachelorette. In what was one of the most emotional hometown visits in Bachelor & Bachelorette history, Dean reunited with his family after eight years of not being under the same roof together, and had his first real heart-to-heart with his father since the passing of his mother when he was in high school. All while bringing Rachel Lindsay along for the ride.
“I guess my biggest gripe with everything is when mom passed away. I was a 15-year-old in my most vulnerable state in my life, and my father, my brothers, my sister, like, none of us came together and came in like a moment of solidarity and said, 'Hey, like, this sucks for all of us.' Like, 'Let's be with each other, and, like, let's build off of this.' There was never that moment," Dean shared with his dad. "I'm worried that my family's put on this front that we all are a big traditional happy family because at the end, everything isn't fine and cool.”
Dean’s brave decision to reunite with his family and speak to his father after so many years while ABC cameras were rolling led to several past Bachelor and Bachelorette contestants to speak out in support of him.
"I love how my friend @deanie_babies handled himself during his tough hometown date," Ashley Iaconetti captioned a photo of her and the eliminated reality star. "I admire how he was able to articulate his feelings so well during a time of such high emotion and anxiety and still be so full of love and vulnerability. You're a good one, kid."
Ben Higgins took to his iHeartRadio podcast, that he shares with Ashley, to address Dean’s hometown visit, which he confessed, "touched him emotionally" more than once. "For Dean to be that vulnerable in a very mature place and say 'I'm so scared for this,' just how deep and emotional is that time?" he asked on his “Almost Famous” podcast. "I watch that and you know how I am. I like the moments that are heavy, that are real and that was one of them."
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Newlywed and Bachelor in Paradise alum Evan Bass, was also touched by Dean’s hometown visit, and attributed his emotions to being a father of two young boys himself. "I'm experiencing so many emotions watching Dean—I just wanna give him a hug," Evan wrote on Twitter. “As a father, I feel compassion for Deans Dad. As a son I feel so much heartbreak for Dean. This was amazingly powerful. Family is hard. Dean grew up 10 years in 1 week.”
While Rachel admitted that she was falling in love with Dean during his hometown visit, she ultimately decided to send him home at the rose ceremony, which of course only caused more Bachelor alumni reactions.
“Don't worry Dean, vulnerability on national television leads to great things. Trust me, BIP alum, Sarah Herron, tweeted.
"I may or may not have just thrown my wine at the TV after that one. #TheBachelorette," Jennifer Saviano wrote on Twitter in response to the rose ceremony. Carly Waddell then responded, "I SO get that."
Raven Gates simply tweeted, "NOOOOOO NOT DEAN. SWEET DEANIE. #TheBachelorette," after his shocking elimination.
What’d you think about Rachel’s decision to send Dean home? Sound off in the comments.
