Once they were allowed to speak more openly about the rollercoaster experience of being on the show, Tyler and Ashley offered differing levels of perspective on their relationship.
When asked by People on October 6 why he tried to warn Ashley about his reputation as a “not nice” guy, Tyler said he did it because he “was in a bubble before her.” “Anyone that I dated, the slightest interest of not being serious, I was okay with cutting people off,” he told the outlet. “I am at a point in my age where I didn’t want to waste anyone’s time, so it could come off as mean or cold.”
“I just wanted to let her know that’s the person I was but I came here to find love, and prior to, I was trying to,” he continued. “But of course dating is hard in itself, so I just wasn’t into wasting people’s time. And I may have come off cold and I just want to let her know, ‘Hey, there are people that may be like, ah, he’s an a**hole.’ No, I’m just honest, honestly.”
In a separate interview conducted by People, Ashley revealed she was shocked at the idea that others could perceive her fiancé as unkind. “The whole point of coming into this experiment is to jump in with both feet and accept someone for who they are,” she reflected. “So when Tyler did say something like, ‘Oh, some people may not say that I’m nice,’ I’m like, ‘You are amazing to me. You’re the sweetest person. How could someone not think that you’re nice?’ I was shocked by that.”
Ashley said he went “into detail” and defended his behavior by claiming he wasn’t “the most pleasant person” after working “long hours.” “That’s self-aware to me. I think everyone comes with something and I think the good part is recognizing it and realizing the person you want to evolve to be,” she said. “So no red flags.”
