Perfect match. Dean Unglert opened up about why his relationship with his Bachelor in Paradise costar Caelynn Miller-Keyes is “monumentally different” to his past connections.
“I have a better understanding of who I am than I had before and that allows the relationship to flourish a lot more,” the Bachelorette alum exclusively told Us Weekly at the iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas on Friday, September 20.
He also explained that his strong relationship with the former Miss North Carolina USA, 24, allows him to be his true self.
“She’s very intelligent and compassionate. I am able to be myself around her and she’s able to be herself and that’s how we create synergy and build around each other,” he added. “For the first time in my Bachelor franchise relationship history, I feel like I’m able to say what I want, do what I want and allow my partner to build with me while I’m doing that.”
The couple initially broke up on Paradise earlier this month. Unglert told the North Carolina native that he couldn’t see their relationship lasting outside of the show. Miller-Keyes then began dating season 15 Bachelorette contestant Connor Saeli, but broke up with him soon afterward.
Unglert seized the opportunity and offered to drive her back to Los Angeles in his van. The moment left some BiP fans confused about the status of their relationship, but he confirmed to Us that they became an official couple.
“I think that there was a very clear implication that we would be an exclusive couple together and I’m happy for that. I didn’t want to leave in a relationship with anyone, but then when I left the first time I realized that as great as life could be alone, I wanted to experience it with her,” he told Us. “And I made that clear to get and obviously she was on board with it.”
The California native admits things have “ been going very well,” but like any relationship, “there’s going to be some speed bumps along the way.”
The one thing Unglert doesn’t want is to become a stereotypical Bachelor Nation couple.
“I don’t like doing what’s expected of me and I feel that with couples, especially those coming out of this franchise, we’re expected to follow each other on Instagram, do interviews together to have this happy couple image,” he said. “I want to break out of that mold and be the couple that never does interviews together, doesn’t follow each other on Instagram.”
Miller-Keyes “kind of hates it sometimes, but it’s kind of funny,” Unglert admits. “She’s on board with it. It’s a silly thing to be doing, but it’s also fun.”
With reporting by Erica Grimaldo
