September 08, 2020 • bachelor insider
The Powerful Reason Why Clare Crawley Wants to Thank Juan Pablo Galavis
Clare Crawley and Juan Pablo Galavis didn’t end well on Season 18 of "The Bachelor." For Clare, when one Rose Ceremony door proverbially closed, many more opened.
The 39-year-old is set to begin her time as the Season 16 Bachelorette when her season premieres Tuesday, October 13. Before all of that can happen, though, she took a trip down memory lane Monday on the season finale of "The Bachelor: The Greatest Seasons — Ever!" featuring none other than Juan Pablo.
At the end of the episode, Clare spoke with Chris Harrison about her time on "The Bachelor" and how she’s changed since that unforgettable moment when she told off Juan Pablo. Chris asked about her memories and thoughts on that time.
Clare replied, "It’s crazy. It’s still something that affects my life today. It was a big thing to actually go through 'The Bachelor,' but how it ended up with me and him has just obviously impacted my entire life. It’s been such a journey."
She called those final few minutes on the show a "moment that changed my life," though it took "a lot of self-reflection" to get there.
The longtime host asked if there "were things you wanted to say in that moment" to Juan Pablo, and Clare said she wants to "thank him."
Clare elaborated, "I know that sounds weird, but I want to thank him, because if it wasn’t for him, if it wasn’t for this opportunity, I wouldn’t be the woman I am today."
She said she didn’t want to give Juan Pablo "too much credit" for this new empowerment, but she’s learned a lot about "forgiveness to move on and move forward."
Clare said, "It’s almost like carrying that brick around, that burden of something heavy and hateful that I don’t have in me anymore. I am just using it to build a house and using it for growth."
Chris and Clare spoke as she was quarantining before filming her season of "The Bachelorette," and she said she’s "not anxious at all" about being the new leading lady.
"I’m excited about this," she gushed. "Where I was to where I am now and the work I’ve done, I’ve done so much to prepare for this moment. Meeting the man of my dreams, I could not be more ready for this."
Clare Crawley’s season of "The Bachelorette" begins Tuesday, October 13, at 8 p.m. on ABC.
