‘Bachelor in Paradise’: How Joe Amabile Really Feels About Kendall Long’s Return in the Finale
Many Bachelor in Paradise fans were stunned when Kendall Long came back ahead of Joe Amabile and Serena Pitt’s engagement in the finale. Now, Joe has opened up about Kendall’s second return in season 7 — here’s what the BIP star shared.
[Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers about Kendall Long, Joe Amabile, and Serena Pitt in the Bachelor in Paradise Season 7 finale.]
Kendall Long came back before Joe Amabile proposed to Serena Pitt in ‘Bachelor in Paradise’
In the Bachelor in Paradise Season 7 finale on Oct. 5, Grocery Store Joe knew he wanted to propose to Serena. But right before Joe got down on one knee, the producers sent in Kendall, who already left the summer series. She said:
“When I first came here, I knew you were going to be here. Part of me thought it would be really easy to come here and have a closure talk, and to work towards finding a new relationship and hopefully love. But that’s not what happened. I came down on this beach and was completely surprised by how it made me feel and how overwhelming it was. I think ultimately what ended up happening is I ended up coming here to fully let you go.”
Kendall expressed her excitement for Joe and Serena’s future. She also suggested that she’ll “always love” her ex in some capacity. Then Joe shared a few words.
“Obviously, I’ll always care about you. Nothing was fake with us, and we didn’t break up at the time because we weren’t in love,” he said. “I just think that you’re a catch, and I think you always will be.”
Joe Amabile on Kendall Long’s return in the ‘BIP’ finale
Following Kendall’s unexpected return in the Bachelor in Paradise Season 7 finale, Joe successfully proposed to Serena. Now, Serena and Joe are happily engaged and ready for their next step together. Joe was also honest about Kendall, and he revealed her appearance only made him “more confident” about Serena.
Meanwhile, Joe shared how he felt about Kendall’s surprising comeback ahead of his proposal to Serena. When speaking on the Bachelor Happy Hour podcast, the 34-year-old suggested that he wasn’t interested in what Kendall had to say at the time.
“[Kendall] coming down at the end, I was just like, ‘At this point, I don’t really care what you have to say.’ In the nicest way,” Joe said. “This is just not the time.”
Then when speaking with E! News, Joe hinted that he didn’t resent Kendall for her actions on the show. He noted that his ex’s timing was “unfortunate.” But ultimately, Joe was focused on getting engaged to Serena.
“I think it was unfortunate timing,” Joe said. “I had closure going into that, and really all that was on my mind was the ring in my back pocket and Serena. So I wish Kendall nothing but the best. But it was a quick and awkward conversation.”
Kendall Long shares Instagram post about ‘life’s difficult moments’ following the finale
As of this write-up, Kendall’s hasn’t directly addressed her final goodbye to Joe in the Bachelor in Paradise finale. But Kendall shared an Instagram post about “life’s difficult moments” following the final episode on Oct. 6. She wrote:
“Life’s difficult moments are a lot like takeout food… It’s always better the next day. My closest friends and family know me as the one to laugh it off. Sometimes we drop the food and instead of collapsing in the street, paralyzed by what could have tasted so sweet, I break a smile and think…there will always be another cake.”
Now, it seems Kendall and Joe are moving on after Bachelor in Paradise Season 7. So cheers to new beginnings.
The Bachelorette Season 18 with Michelle Young begins Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2021.
