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The end of Tayshia Adams’ journey starts tonight on The Bachelorette Season 16, but fans are still reeling from Ben Smith’s elimination. In the last episode, the contestant wasn’t able to vocalize his feelings toward the lead. So he was sent home. Then in a recent interview, Adams fully explained Ben’s exit on The Bachelorette — here’s what she had to say.

Tayshia Adams sent Ben Smith home ahead of ‘The Bachelorette’ Season 16 finale

In The Bachelorette Season 16 Episode 11, Adams’ final four men — Ben, Brendan Morais, Zac Clark, and Ivan Hall — experienced their Hometown dates at the La Quinta Resort & Club in Palm Springs. All four suitors showed up and deepened their connections with Adams. But in the end, it was Ben who fell short.

During his Hometown date, Ben realized he was in love with Adams. However, the contestant never told the lead how he really felt. Then at the rose ceremony, Adams eliminated Ben. She pointed out that they were just on different pages.

Meanwhile, Ben seemed to be in a state of shock. He robotically said he’d be OK and simply left. But in a confessional interview with producers, Ben admitted he was still in love with Adams and he “blew it.” Then Adams revealed she was disappointed with how the relationship ended. 

Tayshia Adams reveals why she eliminated Ben Smith on ‘The Bachelorette’ 2020

After Ben was eliminated from The Bachelorette Season 16, Adams went on the Click Bait with Bachelor Nation podcast and opened up about re-watching the past few episodes. 

“These Bachelor episodes, or should I say Bachelorette episodes, have me feeling some type of way,” she said. “It’s very emotional watching these things back and reliving those feelings. I may have taken one too many shots or drank a little bit too much wine, I don’t really know. I was definitely in my feels.”

Then when Adams’ co-host, Joe Amabile, brought up Ben, the bachelorette reflected on her emotions during the elimination. She said:

I remember those feelings at the time, when I was just sitting on the bench and I was like, “Show me something. Do you care at all about me? Is this meaningful toward you? Is this just how you treat every girl?” I just needed a little sense of validation and I feel like I didn’t have any of that. I felt like I was hoping that him seeing his family would be what he needed in order to vocalize that. I’m not saying “Oh my god, pour your heart out to me and tell me you love me in order to stay here.” I’m just saying give me something. It was hard. 

Ben Smith and Tayshia Adams on 'The Bachelorette' Season 16 in 2020
Ben Smith and Tayshia Adams on ‘The Bachelorette’ | Craig Sjodin via Getty Images

Meanwhile, Adams defended her own actions when she sent Ben home.

“As you can tell, I had no emotions,” she said. “Usually, when I start getting defensive, slash protecting myself, I just completely shut down and it’s just fight or flight mode. I’m going to protect myself, I’m not going to let myself feel any more things, because I don’t want to get hurt. So that’s why you’ve seen me shut off.”

She later added, “I am very much an energy person. If you’re gonna be closed off, I feel that. And I end up getting closed off. When these guys started getting vulnerable, I was just able to be there for them and vocalize my input. … That’s how we connected.”

Adams also pointed out that she had no idea what Ben was saying during his confessional interviews with producers. So at the time, she felt like Ben just wasn’t into the relationship.

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‘The Bachelorette’: Ben Smith Opens Up About His Connection With Tayshia Adams

“With Ben, it was just a constant, ‘I have to pull something out of you.’ That can be exhausting at times,” she said. “Sometimes I just want you to freaking tell me and not have me beg for it. … At this point, your families are here and you still can’t tell me? Maybe it’s me and I’m trying for something that maybe, possibly isn’t there. And him not vocalizing kind of validated that in my mind, like, ‘You know what? Maybe he’s just not feeling it and it is what it is.’”

While Ben and Adams ended their relationship with a misunderstanding, it’s possible there’s more to come in The Bachelorette Season 16 finale. Still speaking on the Click Bait podcast, Adams teased more drama on the way.

“There are still things that are going to happen that you guys have no idea about, and it’s going to throw everything in a loop,” she said.

The Bachelorette Season 16 finale will air on ABC on Dec. 21 and 22.

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