The iconic season 13 of The Bachelor had America falling at the feet of the single father of one Jason Mesnick, throughout the whole season. He was in love with both Molly Malaney (now Mesnick) and Melissa Rycroft, but ended up choosing Melissa to be his future wife and step-mom to his son, Ty.
Melissa was a front runner throughout the whole season and it was apparent that Mesnick was head-over-heels in love with her. She was the very first woman to meet his four-year-old son, Ty, which was a HUGE turning point in the show. Little did America, or Melissa, know, but on After the Final Rose, Mesnick called off the engagement and asked Molly for a second chance. So what happened to Melissa, the winner and then suddenly not-winner of love?
The breakup on national television was a rough one and Mesnick definitely suffered the consequences from all Bachelor Nation fans. This month, Melissa opened up in an interview with Bachelor Insider and said, "I've still never seen my season of 'The Bachelor.' I've still never seen that infamous 'After the Final Rose.'" She went on to explain that after the show, things started going downhill and she thought it was because of the long-distance, but in reality, it was because he had another woman in his head.
After her live breakup, she's reconnected with an old boyfriend who later became her husband in 2009. She's found her own fairy tale ending, just like Jason and Molly did. She has three kids of her own and gives credit to the show for her happily ever after. She explained in the same interview that the entire experience on the show changed her as a person, but for the better.
Mesnick's season was featured as one of The Bachelor: The Greatest Seasons—Ever! episodes and Melissa posted a photo of herself, Jason, and Molly with a caption that some might have not seen coming. It said, "People always ask, “Are you still mad at them?” Why? Why would I be? (First....I was never mad at her at all....). But over a decade later, we’re both married, both have beautiful families, so why still be upset? We all moved on from the situation so long ago, that having to relive it again almost feels like watching other people go through it!"
Fans of The Bachelor franchise have continuously gotten their hearts broken over the years through break-ups and how the chosen bachelor or bachelorette has decided to end the show (not naming any names, but...Peter...Colton), but many of them get the love story they've been searching for in the end.
Sources: Bachelor Insider, Melissa's Instagram