Sometimes, breakups in Bachelor Nation don't have to be dramatic and tear-filled. Practicality sometimes trumps idyllic television romance. Bachelor in Paradise stars Cassandra and Justin have broken up, it was revealed on After Paradise. While they committed to continuing their relationship outside of the show, things did not pan out. Instead, the single mom showed up on After Paradise with former contestant Jonathan Holloway, who left the show long before Cassandra even joined.
If I'm being completely honest, something seemed off with them during the Bachelor in Paradise finale — and not just because Cassandra opted out of an overnight date in the Fantasy Suite. That's totally her right and prerogative, and I could tell that Cassandra was trying to stay optimistic about her relationship with Justin, but had some suspicions deep down that it wasn't mean to be.
Why did they break up? It's pretty simple, actually. Both Cassandra and Justin have children, and they live in different states. Logistically, that kind of long distance relationship was never going to work out. On After Paradise, Cassandra stated pretty plainly that she was "not about to pick up and move to Chicago," leaving her life in Michigan. I think this really helps to ground the reality of Bachelor in Paradise. This is a show about finding love in a hopeful place that may nor work on paper. Being a parent is a real factor that you don't expect to show up all the time on reality television, so I'm glad it was such a strong focus this season.
In fact, distance factored into her current relationship — Jonathan lives nearby in Detroit. All parties seem to have moved on. When Cassandra and Jonathan appeared on After Paradise together, Justin called in and congratulated the surprising new couple. This is definitely a silver lining, as far as Bachelor results go!
Image: Rick Rowell/ABC
