Jed Wyatt's love interest from before going on The Bachelorette caused his newly blossomed relationship to stall not long after taping wrapped up on the show. His final soundtrack on a season-long album of deceit lured Hannah Brown into an engagement, but Wyatt quickly went from Mr. Right to Mr. Wrong as his partner became privy to new information about a romance he never properly stowed in the past.
The Nashville musician came onto the show to promote his career - a secret he divulged to Brown earlier in the season on a one-on-one date. He wasn't, however, telling his new girlfriend the whole story, which became evident once his former girlfriend Haley Stevens stepped forward to claim that he'd never actually broken it off with her when he left to film the show. This prompted some to attack Wyatt and his family on social media, resulting in Jed pleading patience and respect until he was able to speak his piece.
During the finale, Wyatt, who got engaged to Brown when she chose him over heartthrob Tyler Cameron, tried to tiptoe through his lies to avoid losing his fiancée. But once Brown had seen the text messages saying "I love you" that Wyatt sent Stevens shortly before embarking on The Bachelorette, the fate of the relationship was sealed. Though Stevens had said she and Wyatt were a couple, her ex-boyfriend saw it differently. During the finale, Wyatt said he didn't perceive it to be an exclusive partnership, also downplaying the significance of the trip to the Bahamas the pair took prior to filming.
Brown, who officially broke off the engagement during a phone conversation that wasn't filmed for the show, was unimpressed when Wyatt ended things with Stevens, as he said, "in my heart, not verbally." On the After The Final Rose segment, after expressing to Brown that he was still in love with her, Wyatt apologized, saying, "I'm sorry I took that experience away from you." Brown, to her credit, didn't want to vilify Wyatt for his mistake, responding, "I hope that, from this, you will be honest and learn and grow into the man that I do believe that you can be, for whoever's in your future." She then asked Cameron for another shot, to which he gleefully accepted.
In choosing Wyatt and sending both Cameron and second-runner-up Peter Weber home on back-to-back nights, The Bachelorette riled up a fanbase desperately hoping Brown would see through Wyatt's dishonesty before he dropped to a knee. Brown's response to the situation, however, more than made up for it. She rightfully knew that a lifelong relationship, especially one that carries a spotlight of national attention, couldn't be rooted in deception. Brown cemented a reputation as a dignified lead on The Bachelorette not because she avoided controversy, but rather because she handled each twist and turn with the poise and strength to inspire and educate countless viewers watching at home.
Source: Jed Wyatt