Lexi Young may have eliminated herself from Joey Graziadei‘s season of The Bachelor, but not before she saw the tennis pro have eyes for Kelsey Anderson and Daisy Kent.
“I always saw him and Kelsey A. have a strong connection from night one,” Lexi, 30, told Us Weekly after the Women Tell All taping. “I think I also saw it with Daisy, though, in a lot of ways. Kelsey A. and I were a little bit closer, and so I got to see [and] I got to hear about their connection, and I think he’s left with a very difficult decision. They both bring unique things to the table and they’re both wonderful in many ways.”
Lexi, for her part, quit the show during week 6 after learning that Joey, 28, would not be in a rush to get married or have kids after getting engaged. (Lexi’s endometriosis diagnosis played a major part in why she wanted to have kids right away.) When asked if she ever regretted the decision, Lexi told Us that she did for a brief moment on the drive to the airport.
“I wondered if I should have given it an additional week, but after having time to reflect, I think a lot of that was just rooted in emotion because you give so much to this journey,” she said. “We had such an emotional conversation together. I think ultimately I’m confident in my decision, but at the time it was obviously an emotional choice.”
Some fans suggested that Joey should’ve been ready to get married sooner as the show typically ends in an engagement, but Lexi doesn’t hold it against him.
“I think everyone’s timeline is true to themselves and I didn’t know what his was before I came on, so I think it’s fair that his answer would differ from mine,” she said. “I think I am glad I opened up about it when I did and I’m glad we had that tough conversation so other people could stay here that aligns a little bit more with his timeline than I did. So no, I don’t fault him at all. I think everyone has their own journey that they’re marching towards, and it doesn’t have to align with yours, but the person that I ultimately end up with, it will. And that’s all that matters.”
While Lexi saw Joey’s connections with his eventual final two, Kelsey A. and Daisy, Jenn Tran told Us that she was solely focused on her bond with the tennis pro.
“I think my motto in the mansion was really just keep my relationship, my relationship, and I really just didn’t listen to anybody,” she said. “So I very much was just focused on Joey and I’s connection the entire time. I mean, I’m not surprised that they’re the final two. They’re amazing women who I am very close friends with.”
Jenn, 26, insists that she was “falling in love” with Joey and went through the emotions of a breakup when he sent her home ahead of hometowns. Regardless, she only has praise for her Bachelor.
“I have nothing but good things to say about Joey and I’s relationship. He was 100 percent himself the entire time,” she told Us. “He’s so genuine and he really just made me feel so safe the entire time I was there in terms of just being who I am, and he was just so open and receptive of everything, and he truly is an amazing guy.”
The Bachelor concludes on ABC Monday, March 25, at 8 p.m. ET.
