Tino Franco explains his dramatic breakup with Rachel Recchia. Image Source: US Magazine
Tino Franco explains his dramatic breakup with Rachel Recchia.
Tino Franco appeared on Nick Viall’s Viall Files podcast and discussed the dramatic breakup with The Bachelorette co-lead Rachel Recchia a month after the finale aired. The reason for their split was known to be Tino Franco’s infidelity.
Tino Franco stated that he had no doubts about proposing to Rachel Recchia, and their feelings for each other continued post-show as well. He went on to explain that Rachel knows how to have a partner and make them feel special and valued, adding that she made him feel secure in their relationship and was just everything he could have asked for and more.
The general contractor said that the distance between the two of them was challenging, but they somehow found plenty of time to text and talk on call, and the meet-ups were always passionate and they were getting to know each other more and more every day. The series provided Tino Franco with a therapist during the show, and he admitted that he wished he had taken therapy way more seriously before the issues with Rachel started to arise. He said that he knew that therapy would have helped him find a less toxic way to handle things when things got challenging for them.
Tino admitted that watching the show's promos and Rachel's PDA with other men took a toll on him at times, and he owned up that he thought it would make them a little distant, but acknowledged that they were under a significant amount of pressure. Tino told Nick Viall that he and Rachel are both very passionate people and that they would have conversations that would get elevator but not give either one of them an excuse to act out. He mentioned that he tends to think catastrophically whenever something happens or is said, and he was feeling insecure.
Being present at 'After the Final Rose' was more complicated for him because he didn't know whether Rachel Recchia would wear the ring or not, and he explained that any conversation about the ring cut him deeply and that even if something has been said about the ring, he should have taken a step back. Tino went on to say that the first part was where he thought he let her down, but he was simply letting his insecurities run wild when they talked about it.
He explained more about ‘crossing a line. He said that one night he went out with his friends, explaining that the former couple were trying to give each other space and had not contacted each other for a couple of days. Tino said that he was already feeling a little down in the dumps and while he was out he was getting attention and admitted that it was so shameful and he was not proud of it, but he sort of gave in. Tino said that he just leaned in and they kissed, and that was not fair to the girl he kissed that night either.
The contractor did explain that he did it and immediately realized, adding that he doesn't know what lies ahead for him but that person isn't someone he wants to be and realized that it was something he shouldn't be doing and that it was quite haunting for him. Tino revealed that when he communicated to Rachel the next day when he should have told her about the kiss, he did not, and this is where he made another mistake.
Tino says at that point that Rachel deserves all of that time back and that he cannot give it to her, and in the end, it just felt like the relationship was kind of checked out and he didn't want to deal with it publicly, and all that. Tino stated that he felt as if they were trying to check out and that he knew it was a one-time occurrence. He went on to say that he tried to make some changes, such as taking his therapy more sincerely and preventing problems where he could be in similar circumstances, and that he did everything he should have done before actually his mistake. Time passed, and he and Rachel continued to talk every day. Eventually, guilt took control of the situation.
Tino made clear that everything was going well because she was the perfect partner he could ever imagine. They had an in-person meetup, and it went better than he could have imagined, and it was just so much fun, and they were back and rock solid. He stated that he felt and thought, 'he is going to be with her forever.' That's when the guilt within him began to surface, and he claimed that voices in his head told him, "They can make it through this." He is capable of telling her the truth, and he owes it to her.
When Tino said he decided to tell her, the call lasted three hours, and at the end, it started to come up because other contestants were having problems with ex-girlfriends and other such things. He admitted to being a chicken, but he didn't tell her right away. Instead, he told her that he had led a girl the night before, and while she was listening, he admitted that he messed up by going up and kissing her. Tino told Rachel that they were in a bad situation and that he didn't want to justify what he did, but he wanted them to move on.
Tino stated that she dealt with the situation maturely and that she needed time to reflect on everything. He hoped that they would be able to work things out, but they were unable to, and they called it quits. Tino described their reunion for the "After the Final Rose" special as not even very nice. That was perhaps most apparent when Aven, one of Rachel's ex-boyfriends, showed up on stage at the end of Tino's discussion with the co-lead.
