November 18, 2022 • bachelor insider
Jessenia Cruz Explains How She Wishes Andrew Spencer Had Handled Their Relationship Differently
Getting candid.
Fans first met Jessenia on Season 25 of “The Bachelor,” and she went on to appear on Seasons 7 and 8 of “Bachelor in Paradise.”
After her emotional self-elimination on this week’s episode, Jessenia stopped by the “Click Bait with Bachelor Nation” podcast and opened up about her relationship with Andrew Spencer and where the two were lacking.
Jessenia started off by saying that the energy and vibe of the “Paradise” cast felt off immediately upon her arrival.
She said, “After I arrived, I could see how the energy there was really heavy. I’m telling you, there was a moment on the beach where I really missed my cast from last season. I feel like we were so much better at bouncing back. We could have a hard day, but the next day we would start anew. This cast had such a hard time bouncing back.”
Jessenia went on, saying that Andrew was definitely someone who was impacted by the heavy energy.
She said, “I’m not going to blame them for it, but I feel like Andrew definitely struggled with that. Whether or not he was still thinking about Teddi while we were connecting, I don’t know. That was a bomb for me during our conversation just as much as it was for everyone else. I knew that they were linked, but I didn’t know that he was still that invested.”
Jessenia said that while she understands why Andrew’s heart wasn’t fully in their relationship, she wishes he would’ve told her sooner.
“When he finally revealed to me where his head had been the whole time, I remember thinking I don’t blame him. He’s completely valid to feel that way. I just wished he had made that realization sooner. Because I could’ve changed my direction completely,” Jessenia explained.
And “Click Bait” co-host Joe Amabile asked Jessenia if there were any other red flags in their relationship that could’ve been a sign Andrew wasn’t all in.
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Jessenia said, “I definitely was worried about the slow pace at some points. There were moments where I remember certain conversations being awesome and making great strides. But then the next day, there were more moments where Andrew was spending time with his friends than he was with me. That’s when it started to click for me. I wondered if this was a boys vacation or was he there to do ‘Paradise’ the way you’re supposed to. As the days went by, I realized he was definitely tuned out of this process.”
Jessenia said she looked at other couples on the beach and saw guys like Brandon Jones, who still made time for his friends but was prioritizing his relationship with Serene Russell.
She said, “There were definitely some guys that had a really great balance. I noticed that. I mean, women notice everything. With Andrew, there was a moment where he did praise me. He said he loved that we have the ability to do our own things and then hang out. But in my mind, we were only hanging out in the moments when it really matters, like before a Rose Ceremony versus just throughout the day. I wanted those little check-ins throughout the day. I really didn’t get any of that.”
To hear more of Jessenia’s conversation on the “Click Bait with Bachelor Nation” podcast, check out the full episode below.