When Grant Ellis visited Juliana Pasquarosa in Newton during The Bachelor’s Hometowns episode, he could envision their future together.
“Seeing your family really confirmed things for me,” Ellis told Pasquarosa during the “Week 6” episode. “After our last conversation you said that you think you could be falling for me … I am doing the same. I’m falling for you.”
The Bachelor is a reality television show where one man attempts to find love among a group of women, eliminating some each week, with the ultimate goal of getting engaged by the end of the season.
This season starred 31-year-old Ellis as “The Bachelor.”
As the season progressed, his relationship with Pasquarosa grew stronger — ultimately leading to a romantic proposal in the Dominican Republic.
“Obviously, she’s very attractive, but her personality and her demeanor and the way that she is is what attracted me to her,” Ellis said.
With the engagement, Pasquarosa became the first-ever winner in franchise history hailing from Massachusetts. During the “Finale and After the Final Rose” episode, the Newton-native announced she and Ellis would be “shipping up to Boston” as the next step in their relationship.
For Pasquarosa, it’s not just about coming home — it’s about introducing Ellis to the community that shaped her.
Pasquarosa’s ties to Newton run deep. She grew up in the same house her mother was raised in, and her father is well-known in the community, she said.
Pasquarosa said she’s excited to introduce Ellis to the strong sense of community and sports pride found in both Newton and Massachusetts.
“It takes a lot to be from Mass., and so I’m excited to see him fit into all of that,” she said.
The Hometowns episode — where the lead visits the hometowns of final four contestants to meet their families and friends — marked Ellis’ first time visiting Massachusetts.
Ellis said meeting Pasquarosa’s family in Newton was “one of the points that pushed me closer to being able to figure out who my person was.”
“She has such a big family, and that’s something I’m kind of missing,” he said. “That’s a part of my life now, and I’m excited to get to know them.”
Ellis first appeared in The Bachelor franchise in Season 21 of The Bachelorette — on account of his mom secretly submitting his application.
“Initially, I wasn’t going to go,” Ellis said. “But then I talked to my parents, and they said, ‘You only live once.’ That’s when I said, ‘I’m just gonna go for it.’”
Though he was eliminated from The Bachelorette in Week 6, Ellis was chosen to be The Bachelor last August.
Pasquarosa’s own casting story mirrors Ellis’ unexpected entry into the franchise — Pasquarosa and her sister had a tradition of “Bachelor Mondays,” where they’d grab a bottle of wine and watch the newest episode of the show together.
“One random day in April, I got a phone call from a [The Bachelor] casting producer asking if I had any interest,” Pasquarosa said. “I hung up, texted my sister and was like, ‘Did you sign me up for The Bachelor?’ She was freaking out.”
Pasquarosa was initially hesitant due to starting a new job, but ultimately agreed because she thought, “maybe God has a different plan for me, I’ll just go through the process and see what happens.”
Ellis said stepping into the lead role as The Bachelor — as opposed to being a contestant — came with a new set of challenges.
“It’s you and 25 other ladies, and that means 25 stories,” Ellis said. “When you’re a contestant, you don’t even see the lead like that. Most of your time being spent is with the other people in the house.”
As the franchise’s second ever Black Bachelor, Ellis said the pressure was even greater.
“There’s just things that you have to be cognizant of because you want to be a good representation,” he said. “I went in there definitely trying to be a lot more careful, because there may be some things that I say or a certain way I act or culturally that just might not resonate with some people that are watching.”
Despite gaining national attention after the show aired, Ellis said he still feels like the “same person” with the “same goals” he was before the cameras and the spotlight — just one who happens to take a few more pictures and get recognized in public.
Ellis said his season authentically portrayed his journey, especially since it ultimately led to a love story — “the most important thing.”
He said filming The Bachelor was a “fun” experience but admitted the hardest part was watching his journey unfold on screen.
Pasquarosa agreed, noting many quiet, meaningful moments that didn’t make it to air. She said a difficult part of watching the show back is seeing missing context and dramatization of their relationship.
However, rewatching the show back hasn’t hindered her and Ellis’ relationship, as they had a “solid foundation” before the show aired, she said.
“Not everything is shown and everybody has a different view, and everybody has a different story or what they feel happened,” Ellis said. “But at the end of the day, the accurate thing was, I fell in love and I found my fiancé.”
As for the couple’s future in Boston, Ellis said he is taking it in stride. He said he’s excited to “see what Boston has to offer” — namely seeing a Celtics game and trying different types of foods.
For Pasquarosa, the hometown support is unreal.
“I really am just your average Boston chick,” Pasquarosa said. “Now to have people from a place that means so much to me support and know who I am, it feels so surreal.”
As the couple adjusts to life post-show, they’ve found comfort in their families and in the support of their new community.
“It’s a really emotionally challenging, once in a lifetime, unique experience,” Ellis said. “I’m a part of a club that I could say maybe 29 people have been a part of. And I think that’s something that’s really cool.”
