Team Tayshia Adams! Zac Clark’s ex-wife, Jennifer Stanley-George, is rooting for the season 16 Bachelorette couple … but she knows they may have a tough road ahead.
“It’s been a long time [since our divorce] so I’m sure he’s ready. I’m sure if they truly have feelings for each other then it’ll be great,” Jennifer exclusively told Us ahead of the Tuesday, December 22, finale. “The trust issues that we had, I don’t imagine anyone else would have, having not gone through what I went through with him. They seem really happy. I hope that they work out. They look like they have chemistry, and they seem like they are in love.”
Jennifer, who recently welcomed her first child with her second husband, added that “it’s not easy” to be with a recovering addict.
“He has dedicated his life to helping others, but it’s not a glamorous life and it’s difficult and it can be messy at times,” she noted. “I just hope she knows and really thinks about what that means.”
Zac, 36, was candid with Tayshia, 30, about his previous marriage ending over his battle with substance abuse. The New Jersey native, who has been drug-free for nine years and now works as an addiction specialist, was married to Jennifer from June 2009 until their split in January 2011. The pair, who met at York College, finalized their divorce in February 2012.
“He lied to me about it for years. Our entire relationship he lied to me about his drug use. I mean, I didn’t know. I was very naive,” Jennifer told Us about Zac’s demons. “He needed to go [get clean] for himself, not for me. And I think at that point, if we had stayed together, he would have been doing it for me.”
Tayshia, for her part, was previously married to her college sweetheart too. The former phlebotomist and Josh Bourelle called it quits in August 2017 after less than two years of marriage. They made things official by filing for divorce that October. The paperwork was finalized before she left to compete on season 23 of The Bachelor.
The reality TV personality accepted a proposal from Zac during Tuesday’s finale after saying goodbye to Ivan Hall and Ben Smith. Tayshia and Zac subsequently opened up about their future together on Good Morning America, noting that they plan to split their time between the East and West Coasts.
“We’re just going with the flow at the moment. We’re just going to date each other,” she said on Wednesday, December 23. “We’re actually going to be spending Christmas in New York, which is going to be amazing. I’m going to be bicoastal. I’ll have my place [in California] and I’m looking forward to spending time in New York with him and just getting used to being bicoastal.”
Zac added, “I mean, I want a big wedding when the day comes. She might think differently and she’s going to get what she wants. But, no, I want to date. I want to take you out and do all those things.”
With reporting by Diana Cooper
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