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The Bachelorette finale has received some backlash for a dramatic twist involving Aven Jones that happened during After the Final Rose. Rachel and Tino broke off their engagement after Tino kissed another woman. The ex-couple then sat down to talk about ATFR. Eventually, Aven appeared on stage and left with Rachel, a move many fans were unhappy about. However, Rachel recently shared that Aven didn’t know Tino would still be on stage.

[Spoiler alert: The Bachelorette Season 19 finale spoilers ahead.]

During The Bachelorette 2022 finale, Aven appears on stage next to Jesse, Rachel and Tino, who are sitting down.
Aven Jones, Jesse Palmer, Rachel Recchia, and Tino Franco | Craig Sjodin/ABC via Getty Images

Aven showed up to the After the Final Rose special

The Bachelorette 2022 finale really might have been the most dramatic of all time. Tino proposed to Rachel, and she accepted, but things took a turn. After Rachel found out that Tino kissed another girl, she gave Tino the ring back, ending their engagement.

Rachel and Tino met to talk again on After the Final Rose. With Tino still on stage, Jesse Palmer announced that someone else was backstage to see Rachel, and Aven Jones appeared. Aven was Rachel’s runner-up on The Bachelorette. The pair broke up when he expressed hesitation about getting engaged so quickly.

Rachel says Aven ‘didn’t know’ Tino was still on stage during ‘The Bachelorette’ finale

Aven walked out with Tino still on stage and then left with Rachel, leaving Tino alone. While Bachelor Nation is not excusing Tino’s cheating, many fans feel that humiliating Tino in front of a live audience was a tasteless move. However, Rachel clarified that Aven never meant to do that to Tino.

“Unfortunately, that was not Aven’s choice. And he did express concern of not ever wanting to do that the second we stepped off stage,” Rachel said during a recent interview with Variety. “He still does respect Tino as a person, and no one ever wants to be put in a position where they are humiliated, or they feel like that on stage.”

“That was not his intention, my intention, or anyone’s… I didn’t even know what was happening. It really just all happened very quickly, and it was not something that Aven directly chose to do. So yeah, he would never want to put him in that position,” she continued.

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While appearing on the Chicks in the Office podcast, Rachel clarified further. “Aven didn’t know that was going to happen, and he was upset about it. He never wanted that to happen, and he was not happy that there was a crossing on stage,” she stated. “I just don’t want there to be blame on him.”

Did Rachel and Aven get back together?

Though Rachel and Aven reunited during The Bachelorette finale, it doesn’t seem like they are officially dating again. “I’m so happy to have seen him, and who knows what the future is going to hold,” Rachel told Variety.

She added that she is “open to” pursuing a relationship with him in the future and “just seeing where it goes organically without any pressure.”

The Bachelorette Season 19 finale is currently streaming on Hulu.

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