Bachelor no more! The Bachelor alum Ben Higgins found love with fiancée Jessica Clarke. The Nashville native is the former leading man’s first public relationship since breaking off his engagement with Lauren Bushnell in May 2017, and they are getting ready to walk down the aisle in November 2021. So, what makes this lady so special? We have all the deets below!
How Did Ben and Jessica Meet?
Ben shared their love story while announcing his new romance on Instagram in February 2019. “I’ve been selfishly keeping this girl to myself for too long!” he wrote beside a cuddly pic. “Hey friends meet @jessclarke_! I successfully slid into her DMs a few months ago. I took a risk and I am glad I did. She is someone special, and I look forward to where life is going to take us. Stay tuned for the journey.”
He proposed to her in March 2020. They took another big step by buying a house together in Colorado in 2020, but Jess has been waiting to move in until after their wedding.
Why Did Ben Keep Jessica a Secret?
Ben was just trying to protect his budding relationship. “I’m not going to say much about it right now, just for my own … I am dating but it’s mostly … I’m not saying much just because I want to try to keep this as normal as possible for as long as possible,” he said on his “Almost Famous” podcast in January 2019. Fair enough!
They’re in It for the Long Haul
Ben exclusively dished to Life & Style he and the SweatNET founder will “definitely” plan to do “couples counseling” to keep their relationship strong. “I just think it’s helpful, it’s healthy,” he added. “It’s going to be [a] good practice for us.”
They Share Their Faith
The restaurateur and his lady pray together often and are bonded by their religious values.
“A lot of our conversations on our walks, our ways of prayers, our ways of worship, our ways of having a day off of work, now more than ever, but being able to rest is all a part of our faith,” the Indiana native noted. “And our view of God and who God is, and that’s been really great to be able to dive into that more and have our daily walk and our daily breath be more intertwined with each other in addition to our faith.”
Taking a Stance on Sex
Fans were a bit surprised when Ben told Nick Viall he and Jessica are waiting until marriage before becoming intimate.
“I didn’t try to go out of my way to share it because it is personal, but I get that people are intrigued and interested and want to follow up and ask questions,” he said of his comments on “The Viall Files” in April 2020. “And everybody out there has been a part of my dating past for years now, so it makes sense on why they continue to be intrigued by the ins and outs of my relationship.”
Ben Is Absolutely Smitten
Their engagement was one of the best days of Ben’s life. “Where I’m at in life and where life has brought me, it feels like everything has led me to Jessica. And so, my proposal to Jessica felt like a beautiful addition to the story that’s been going on in my life now for 31 years,” the Bachelor Nation stud gushed. “It was special, it was unique, it was exciting, it’s memorable, it’s emotional.”
What Is Jessica’s Job?
Ben is six years older than Jessica, but she’s a strong woman with a killer career. She graduated from the University of Mississippi with a Bachelor’s degree in Integrated Marketing and Communications, and started her own fitness company, SweatNET, in Denver, Colorado, and Nashville, Tennessee.
We can’t wait to see what’s next for this adorable couple.