Rachel Reccia came to The Bachelorette looking for love, little did she know she would find it in all the wrong places, or at least in the wrong person. This week during the season finale, we found out that Rachel’s fiancé, Tino Franco, cheated or at least we think he did. It was confusing as the two in a Ross and Rachel, Friends-style argument, went back and forth about whether they were actually “on a break” when he kissed another woman. Whether they actually were on a break, whose to know, but what we do know is that these are no longer together, and Rachel is moving on.
Season 19 of The Bachelorette featured bachelorettes Rachel, 26, and Gabby Windy, 31, on their searches for love and the perfect partners. Unfortunately, the season came to an explosive ending as the finale revealed that Rachel and Tino had called it quits. Not only had they called off the wedding, but they also revealed the trouble in paradise began way back in May after the show finished filming.
Rachel revealed to the Bachelor Happy Hour Podcast that after the show wrapped, she and Tino’s relationship went through what she called “growing pains.” She went on to explain it was a normal part of the Bachelorette process that many couples have to take time after the lights and cameras go away to get to know each other. Rachel said that although they had slowed things down a bit after the show to work on communication and compatibility, she had never called anything off as Tino claimed. Therefore she considered his kissing another woman definitely cheating.
She went on to make it clear that she didn’t totally blame Tino for the miscommunications in their relationship. What didn’t help was Tino’s father, who was not exactly a fan favorite nor Rachel’s biggest fan, joined the debate on social media. He created the #teamtino hashtag and posting to his Facebook “nobody’s perfect” over his son’s cheating scandal. Like father, like son apparently. That paired with the very dramatic ending to the finale with Rachel leaving the stage with her previous love interest, Aven Jones, is causing fans to think things are definitely over, and that Rachel is moving on.
Rachel and Aven had been pretty hot and heavy throughout the season before Aven admitted that he was not ready to propose to Rachel and her walls went up. Many fans felt it was a moment that became the deciding factor that led Rachel to Tino. She admitted to Chicks In The Office podcast that looking back now that she made a mistake and could understand what Aven was trying to say to her. She went on to say she wishes she had just “taken a second” to hear him out, but it seems like Rachel might be getting that second chance as the two strode off the stage together arm in arm.
Are these two back together? Not officially. Rachel is being pretty tight-lipped over the status of their relationship, other than casually saying they are just going to see where it goes. She did say she was ready to date again although she doubts she will be making another round on the Bachelorette track.
