Jessenia Cruz lost interest in Ivan Hall as soon as Chris Conran showed up on Bachelor in Paradise, and now, viewers think they must have dated before the show because of a picture that has been circulating.
However, Katie Thurston has stepped in to clear the air, and she is claiming that Jessenia and Chris didn’t date before the show, but they did meet up.
Bachelor in Paradise gets chaotic
The latest episode of Bachelor in Paradise was just as chaotic as promised, and now, as couples split up and cast members start connecting with other people, it’s getting really messy.
One of the messiest splits right now is Jessenia and Ivan, who BIP viewers were definitely excited about. But with Chris’ arrival in Mexico, Jessenia’s focus has shifted, and Bachelor Nation is crying foul because they think Jessenia and Chris may have been dating before coming on the show.
The reason for these Bachelor in Paradise rumors is that back in May, Jessenia and Chris were among those hanging out with Katie Thurston after she finished filming The Bachelorette.
In fact, Jessenia even shared a photo of her and Chris taken during the San Diego meetup that can be seen by scrolling right on the Instagram post below.
So when Chris showed up in Mexico and exclaimed that he was coming to get his girl, naturally, Bachelor Nation thought something was up.
Katie Thurston clears the air about Jessenia and Chris
One person who was there when Jessenia and Chris met in San Diego is setting the record straight after many questions about the BIP pair and how well they really knew each other.
One commenter wrote, “I guess Ivan never actually stood a chance. Why did no one mention this on the beach the way they blew up Brendan and Pieper?”
Katie Thurston not only responded, but she also copied the question and answer to her Instagram Stories so that everyone could easily see what she had to say.
She fired back, “because we were all JUST FRIENDS hanging out.”
That hasn’t necessarily put an end to the speculation that Jessenia and Chris had something going on before Bachelor in Paradise, but it does give a bit more context to the photos they all shared from that trip.
Bachelor in Paradise airs on Monday and Tuesday this week at 8/7c on ABC.