In her first on-camera interview about the controversy, Wyatt's now-ex girlfriend, Haley Stevens, is speaking to ET.
Bachelorette frontrunner Jed Wyatt seemingly told his girlfriend he loved her as he was hopping on a plane to film the show.
In her first on-camera interview about the controversy, Wyatt's now-ex girlfriend, Haley Stevens, told ET on Thursday that Wyatt had told her from the beginning of their relationship that he might be cast on the show, and even offered her an out.
Stevens said she and Wyatt dated for four months before he headed off to film The Bachelorette in early March -- and that he had told her three weeks into their relationship that he was in the casting process for the show.
"He came forward, basically said, 'I've been talking to my mom about this, I just don't think there's any way we can go forward. I kind of see where this is going, and I don't feel right not giving you the chance to walk away. I have to be upfront about it,'" said Stevens, who like Wyatt, is a musician living in Nashville.
She continued to date Wyatt, who told her he was interested in appearing on The Bachelorette to gain name recognition for his own music career. Then, he got the call for season 15 of The Bachelorette. In exclusive screenshots of what Stevens says is her conversation with Wyatt from March 12, as he boards a plane to Los Angeles to film the ABC show, he tells her "I love you!"
"I love you! Don't forget that. Everything is always working out," Wyatt allegedly writes, adding, "It all adds up."
In her reply to the message, Stevens texts back, "I love you! You're such a light to me and to everyone you surround yourself with. I can't wait for the whole world to know you Jed. You are so special and you are going to be so great! I'm all yours and I'm going to miss you like crazy. Go be an inspiration and a light. I'll be praying for you (and me) and your family everyday!"
ET has reached out to ABC and Warner Bros. for comment.
Stevens said she only came forward because she had heard news outlets were running with the story. "People were saying they were going to tell my story -- me, real girl, real life -- and I wasn't going to have any control of that," she said, choking up. "It didn't seem fair that nobody was going to stand up for me here."
She said she feels "embarrassed" that she let herself get into this situation. "Obviously I've looked back on this," she shared. "I read text messages that I sent that I'm like, 'This is embarrassing. How could I let myself be here? How could I let myself believe this?'"
"Someone told me they love me, this is what's best for them, I trusted in that. I could never have known that this is what the situation would be. I could never have known that feelings would be involved or hearts would be broken," Stevens continued. "I know that this story is hurtful to [Hannah Brown], and she's feeling what I have felt, and that is not an easy thing to do or know that I've done. None of it's easy. So many people are tied up in this."
See more on the situation in the video below.
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