The Bachelor’s Kelsey Toussant brought her dad to the season 28 finale after discussing their strained relationship on the show.
“Yep, Dads here 🧡,” Kelsey, 32, wrote via her Instagram Story on Monday, March 25, alongside a snap of her and her father sitting side by side.
Kelsey previously opened up to Bachelor Joey Graziadei about her estrangement from her dad during a February episode of the dating series.
“We were really close growing up. … We played video games together, we talked about everything. He was my rock, my safe haven. He would be there through everything, no matter what,” she said before sharing that her dad later “stopped talking” to her “for a very long time.”
Kelsey explained that her father “didn’t support” her decision to attend college, as it went against the family’s religion.
“Anyone who was in his household has to be in the religion, and so I wasn’t allowed to be there anymore … and that hurt,” she said.
Kelsey told Joey, 28, that although she was in the process of rebuilding a relationship with her dad, his behavior “affected the way I trust” in relationships.
“Because if someone can be there for you in the beginning and then just totally go away, it’s hard,” she said.
While Kelsey didn’t specify what religion she was raised in during the conversation, she previously recalled her “very strict religious background” during an August 2019 interview with Voyage LA magazine.
“When high school came around, I joined a theater class and that’s when I realized I wanted to pursue creativity for the rest of my life. At the same time, I was a full-blown Jehovah’s Witness and I knew the two couldn’t coexist,” she said. “So, I decided to leave the religion and set my focus on attending California State University, Northridge.”
Joey was supportive of Kelsey during their candid conversation about her past, noting that she had “every reason to have those trust issues.” However, the pair’s connection didn’t last, and Kelsey was eliminated during week 7. Joey proposed to another Kelsey, Kelsey Anderson, during Monday’s finale.
“I can’t wait another minute to tell you that I love you,” Joey said during his proposal speech. “There is something about you. You have this infectious energy that makes me smile. It’s a feeling I’ve never had before. I know during this time that we’ve built a very strong flame and the only reason I know that flame will never go out is because you’re my light. I have known for a while that I’ve wanted to have a beautiful life, but I truly didn’t know how beautiful that life could be until I met you.”
Kelsey A., 25, accepted the proposal. Runner-up Daisy Kent shared a sweet moment with Joey’s now-fiancée in her hotel room before breaking up with Joey herself.
Although Kelsey T.’s Bachelor journey didn’t end with a diamond ring, she can look back fondly on the experience.
“Grateful for the past and excited for the future ❤️,” she wrote via Instagram on Saturday, March 23, alongside several photos from her time on the show. “What a journey from start to finish!”
