Shut down! Bachelor alum Bri Springs slammed Greg Grippo dating rumors on Sunday, August 8, after the Bachelor Nation pair were photographed hanging out in New York City together over the weekend.
“Current relationship status,” the former contestant from Matt James’ season, 24, wrote via Instagram Stories along with a photo of herself holding someone’s hand. The snapshot appeared to be a throwback from a wedding she attended over the summer with a mystery man.
On August 14, a rep close to Bri clarified that the rumors are not true. “Bri is not in a relationship with Greg, nor is she interested in Greg,” the rep exclusively told Life & Style. “She would like to keep her relationship private and avoid involving her loved ones.”
The San Francisco native and Greg, 28, caused quite a stir after they were photographed by a fan walking around the Big Apple together. Bri could be seen wearing an oversized white shirt dress while the former contestant from Katie Thurston’s season wore blue pants and a casual grey shirt. However, it appears their relationship is platonic.
Greg’s outing comes on the heels of his drama with Katie, 30, after he self-eliminated during his hometown date on the August 2 episode. The New Jersey native said he hit his “breaking point” and couldn’t understand why the leading lady had to continue her relationships with the other finalists, Blake Moynes and Justin Glaze.
“I can’t be there at the end if I don’t think it’s us,” he told her before his exit. “I just don’t understand how you don’t know at this point. I just don’t get it.”
Katie explained that she was waiting until the finale to tell someone she loved them, and after a lot of back and forth, she asked if he was “done.”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying. It was never about a rose for me this week. I was never asking you to confess your love to me. All I was asking for was Katie,” Greg said.
“I’m losing you. I’m losing my mind here,” she said while crying on the floor. “This whole thing feels like for nothing if you leave.”
After the episode aired, some fans accused the contestant of “gaslighting” Katie. The Washington native even shared a graphic on her Instagram Story about gaslighting hours after their drama. However, others thought that Katie was too stoic during the conversation.
Bachelorette host Kaitlyn Bristowe weighed in on the situation since she was the one who comforted Katie after Greg’s exit.
“Could Katie have, like, been a little more reactive to him saying these things? Of course. But the way he responded back to that I thought was bulls—t … I felt bad for Greg until I watched it back,” she said during an appearance on the “Click Bait” podcast on August 5.
The “Off the Vine” podcast host continued, “That’s The Bachelorette. She can’t really fully reciprocate it if she can’t validate him until the end. And I think he just wanted to quit before he got fired. I think his ego was so hurt in that moment that he was like, ‘I’m gonna just flip this s—t and get out of here.’”