With the recent hard launch of her new boyfriend, Jill Chin has officially put her “Team Jacob” title to bed.
Jill, who made a significant splash in the franchise during Season 8 of Bachelor in Paradise last year, announced her relationship with Ellis Kalaidjian earlier this month.
While Ellis doesn’t hail from the world of reality television, Jill recently opened up about the “hilarious” and “bizarre” way the two first connected.
Jill became known for her relationship with contestant Jacob Rapini during her time on BIP, which they decided to end mid-season after Jacob had other prospects. The two rekindled their spark again after filming, which they shockingly announced during the season’s reunion.
While their second attempt at love was an exciting update for fans, the two ultimately called it quits shortly after the reunion aired.
Now that Bachelor in Paradise has been over for a few months, Jill seems happier than ever in her new relationship with Ellis — which is something she still has trouble wrapping her head around sometimes.
“I have a boyfriend, it’s crazy. We’ve all been waiting for this. I finally found someone that I think is worthy of being my boyfriend,” Jill recently said on the Click Bait with Bachelor Nation podcast.
“We haven’t been dating for long yet. People are gonna be like, ‘Oh my God, you hard launched so fast,’ but I feel like when you know, you know,” she added.
Jill said that the two had met in December 2022, around the time of Christmas, which they celebrated by getting each other “a little something.”
Jill Chin explains how she met her new boyfriend after Bachelor in Paradise
After host Joe Amabile asked Jill how she and Ellis met, she described the ordeal as “a little bizarre slash hilarious.”
The former contestant went on to clarify that it was actually her mom who set them up, as Ellis is her assistant’s boyfriend’s son.
“He lived in Newport, and she knew that I was moving to Newport, so she set up a family dinner,” Jill explained. “She showed me his picture, and I thought he was cute, so I told her to give him my number, but instead, she set up a family dinner for me to meet this guy at.”
Jill admitted that she was anxious about showing up at his house for a family dinner, so she was relieved when the plan had gotten canceled. However, she still wanted to show that she was interested in him, so she casually “slid in his DMs.”
“I found him on Instagram, and it took me a long time to find him, green flag,” Jill joked. “Then we went out, and we have been together ever since!”
Bachelor Nation supports Jill in her new relationship
After such a memorable time on the beach, it’s no surprise to see that Jill’s fellow BIP castmates have remained loyal with their utmost support for her new relationship.
In the comments section of Jill’s “hard launch” post, Genevieve Parisi told Jill that “nobody deserves this” more than she does, while Sierra Jackson let Jill know that everyone is “about it.”
Brandon Jones spoke for many when he told Jill, “We here for this,” and Hunter Haag let Jill know that she has been “WAITIN for this one.”
Although Bachelor Nation may have hoped for Jill and Jacob to have a “happily ever after” of their own, it’s clear she has had much better luck outside of the franchise in the dating department.
And, as for Jacob, well, we may just see him on Bachelor in Paradise again this fall.
Bachelor in Paradise is currently on hiatus on ABC.