Ben Higgins isn’t ashamed to admit he was wrong about Colton Underwood and Cassie Randolph’s Bachelor love story. In fact, now he’s cheering on the ABC franchise’s latest couple.
“What do I think about their relationship now? I think they proved me wrong, which is the best thing possible,” the season 20 Bachelor, 30, exclusively told Us Weekly as he discussed his partnership with Capital One x NCAA Men’s Final Four. “I watched it as a fan and as a viewer, and when I saw the breakup, I was like, ‘This doesn’t feel right. It doesn’t seem right. She’s obviously not that into him. She’s telling him she wants to go home.’”
Cassie, 23, eliminated herself from the competition toward the end of The Bachelor season 23, concerned that she couldn’t reciprocate Underwood’s love. But the NFL alum, 27, didn’t give up on their relationship — and even considered leaving the show to pursue her — and the season finale revealed that they had reconciled.
And that’s when Higgins’ mind changed. “Then I see their story kind of take a turn and for them to come back together and build this relationship that now is existing to this day, and so I’m excited for them,” he told Us. “I’m happy for them. I’m glad they proved me wrong. I know that Colton is head over heels for her, and she is for him, so I’m wishing them obviously the best.”
He added: “Yes, maybe it wasn’t the traditional way that relationships typically play out, but it doesn’t change the cool complexity that exists in their relationship that will hopefully be a story that they can tell forever.”
Higgins was still skeptical about Colton and Cassie’s relationship a month ago. “I think [Cassie] should have did something different with Colton,” he told Entertainment Tonight in March. “It’s very clear that she was not into him. And so as much as she maybe felt the pressure to still be there and just still try to make this work — you know, you have a lot of people counting on you and watching — I think all she wanted to tell him was, ‘You’re a great guy, you’ve proven to be a great guy, but I’m just not that into you and as a result, I need to leave.’ It felt like she was kind of dancing around the subject, going, ‘This is too fast, this isn’t right for me, I just don’t know.’ She knew.”
One day after the season 23 finale, however, the podcast host — who’s dating Jessica Clarke — tweeted his congratulations to the reunited couple. “Love isn’t simple but it’s worth it!” he wrote. “Congrats @CassieRandolph and @colton!”
With reporting by Emily Marcus
