Could Nick Viall’s single streak be broken? The former Bachelor opened up exclusively to Us Weekly about recent speculation he’s dating actress Rachel Bilson — and he doesn’t deny she embodies the qualities he’s looking for in a girlfriend.
“She’s beautiful. Is it flirtation? I just think I was complimenting her Instagrams,” Viall, 38, explained to Us at the Nick Viall for Plenty of Fish Dine and Dish event on Tuesday, September 17, of their recent social media exchanges. “It was cheeky. No, maybe I’m just dense, I don’t know.”
The “Viall Files” podcast host told Us that having the O.C. alum, 38, on his show “was a dream” and referred to Bilson as a “dream girl.”
“I always had a crush on Rachel. I told her that on my podcast,” he added. “She was really cool. She’s a lot of fun, has a great sense of humor and she knows how to give me a hard time, and I really appreciate that. Yeah, she’s become a fun and cool friend.”
As if he sees them dating, Viall simply replied: “I mean she’s a dream, I’ll say that.”
Viall and Bilson raised eyebrows about a potential romance earlier this month after they began leaving playful messages in the comments section of each other’s recent Instagram posts. The duo first met in July when the Take Two star appeared on Viall’s podcast, where she opened up about dating as a single mother. (Bilson shares daughter Briar, 4, with ex Hayden Christensen.)
“I was talking to this guy a few months back [and] anytime I would bring my daughter up, they would never pursue the question or ask more about her,” Bilson explained. “It was a red flag because anyone that you’re going to get involved with, if you have a kid, they have to be all about the kid.”
In August, the two exchanged cute remarks about clothing, but Viall furthered speculation when Bilson posted a stunning photo of herself sitting on a rock surrounded by nature earlier this month. “Nice mountains,” the reality star quipped.
Us broke the news in September 2017 that Bilson and Christensen, 38, had split after more than a decade together. Viall, meanwhile, has tried for love multiple times on Bachelor shows, and was also briefly linked to actress January Jones.
With reporting by Travis Cronin
