Justin Defended His Divisive Bachelor In Paradise Rose Ceremony Move

The latest Bachelor in Paradise rose ceremony has divided Bachelor Nation — and now, one of its stars is speaking out.

A Thorny Rose

To recap: Early on in Season 10, Justin Glaze forged a connection with Lexi Young. When his ex-girlfriend Susie Evans arrived during the summer spin-off’s July 14 episode, Justin assured Lexi he would be an “open book” when it came to navigating the awkward dynamic.

“I appreciate you. I genuinely do. And I am looking forward to how we can progress this,” he said, shortly before the pair shared a cocktail party kiss.

But to Lexi’s shock — and that of her castmates — Justin ultimately gave his rose to Susie, seemingly to afford his ex (with whom he still shares a “ton of love”) the chance to find her person in Paradise. Susie wasn’t thrilled, though. “I feel like he was trying to sacrifice his position for me to stay and meet people next week,” she said in a confessional. “It should have been Justin gives his rose to Lexi, and I go home. Like, it’s fine.”

Viewers Were Torn

Fans at home were just as surprised by Justin’s 11th-hour gesture. Some found it touching — as one viewer wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “why did I tear up a little when Justin decided to sacrifice his experience on BIP for Susie.” Another agreed that it was “honestly so selfless” of Justin to put Susie’s happiness first.

However, others argued that Justin shouldn’t have pulled the move when Lexi was “all in” on him. One fan commented on Justin’s Instagram, “Bro, totally fine if you still have feelings for your very sweet ex, but don’t lead another very sweet girl on. Just own your feelings and tell her that her intuition was right. Why waste her time?”

Justin replied to their comment with a lengthy one of his own, writing that he had “no intention to lead anyone on” in Paradise.

“I was very intentional with who I pursued. But unfortunately the same interest was not reciprocated for days,” he continued, claiming that Lexi didn’t want to date someone that lived in a different area and “was unsure if we wanted the same things out of life.” He also claimed that Lexi encouraged him to pursue other prospects and wanted to do the same.

Justin said he chose to sacrifice his rose “for someone I deeply care about rather than take the chance of continuing to pursue someone who I didn’t feel was genuinely interested in me.” However, Lexi herself commented as well — and said Justin’s claims were “simply not true.”

She also argued that any points she’d raised about a potential relationship didn’t “justify” Justin’s decision to not fill her in before the rose ceremony. “I asked you directly to come to me if anything changed, and you chose not to,” she said. “That lack of respect speaks volumes.”

Justin did ultimately apologize for not informing her of his plan before the rose ceremony, noting, “I wish I had the opportunity to do so, but as you know those conversations and timing are not always in our control.”

Lexi, on her own page, also claimed that the show “cut out half my conversations with Justin,” suggesting there’s more to the Paradise saga than meets the eye.