Former Bachelor star Ben Higgins got some sweet praise from his new girlfriend, Jessica Clarke, in a heartfelt post celebrating his 30th birthday.
Sharing a photo of herself, Higgins and her brother, Phil Clarke, on Instagram on Sunday, March 24, Jessica wrote, “Two of my favorite guys had big bdays! Benjamin turned 30 yesterday and has been my greatest surprise and blessing. Baby Philip turns 21 today and has been my best friend and little brother since forever. My heart is just overflowing, what a weekend.”
The declaration comes a month after Higgins, who starred on season 20 of the ABC reality series, introduced fans to his new love in an Instagram post.
“I’ve been selfishly keeping this girl to myself for too long! Hey friends meet @jessclarke_!” he captioned a photo on February 20 that showed him with his arm around Jessica, 23. “I successfully slid into her Dm’s a few months ago. I took a risk and I am glad I did. She is someone special, and I look forward to where life is going to take us. Stay tuned for the journey.”
Jessica also shared two photos with her new man that same day, calling him her “secret boyfriend” and revealing that they’d taken a trip to Honduras together. “He has one of the biggest hearts and kindest spirits,” she wrote.
Higgins, who ended his engagement to Bachelor winner Lauren Bushnell in May 2017, spoke about the new relationship on his “Ben and Ashley I: Almost Famous” podcast, with Jessica revealing that their first kiss happened “as soon as you saw me.”
“That’s what happens when you date a Bachelor!” his cohost Ashley Iaconetti joked.
Speaking to Us Weekly earlier this month, Higgins couldn’t stop raving about Jessica, describing her as “just an incredible person.”
She is “the most kind and empathetic spirit I’ve ever met,” he said, adding that the Ole Miss graduate is “the one who always encourages me to be better, to do better, and to look at [things from a] different angle.”
