Getting candid.

Bachelor Nation got to know Michael Allio on Season 17 of "The Bachelorette" and again on Season 8 of "Bachelor in Paradise."

During his time on the Bachelor Nation shows, Michael was open about his experience as a father and single dad following the passing of his wife, Laura, a number of years ago.

Three years ago, Michael found love with girlfriend Jade Marie Chapman, and the two have been going strong ever since.

Earlier this month, Michael took to social media to reveal the exciting news that he and Jade are officially engaged!

Now, the Bachelor Nation star has taken to social media to respond to critics who have judged his relationship after the loss of his wife.

In a new video posted online, he said, “First off, I got engaged. I can’t believe it, we are so happy over here. Like this is the greatest thing ever, I got the greatest girl in the world. James loves her, I love her, everybody loves her. Life is so good. And for everybody that’s been sending congratulations notes, all that, thank you. And especially to all those [who] have supported me and my own journey since the beginning.”

“I also think it’s time we have an honest conversation,” Michael went on. “Over the years, I was told I wasn’t ready. That I’d never be ‘over it.’ That loving someone new meant I was leading them on because some part of me would always belong to the past. And some of the same people who sent those messages are now sending hearts and congratulations.”

Michael shared that grief is a “complicated reality” and that finding love again “doesn’t mean you loved the person you lost any less.”

“A widowed person can carry what happened to them and still move forward. We can remember and rebuild. We can miss what was and be deeply grateful for what is. Those things are not contradictions,” he shared. “Jade never asked me to erase a chapter of my life in order to write one with her. She had the courage and compassion to understand the whole book. That is love.”

Michael then ended his post by expressing, “To everyone who stood beside us while we figured out what came next, we can’t wait to celebrate with you. And to the people who spent years judging the journey only to applaud the destination…you do not get to celebrate the destination if you did not support the process.”

He then added, “We’re celebrating with the people who supported us on the way here.”