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“The Bachelorette” alum Rachel Lindsay is sharing some regrets about not having a prenuptial agreement with her ex, Bryan Abasolo, whom she married in 2019 after they met on the reality dating show.
During an appearance on Thursday’s episode of the podcast “Hidden Gems With Natasha Parker,” Lindsay opened up about her “unnecessarily messy” split from Abasolo, who filed for divorce in January.
Lindsay, a lawyer, said that she believed the reason she didn’t move forward with a prenup was because she was in a “totally different” financial situation when they got married.
“We were more level,” she said. Abasolo, a chiropractor, was Lindsay’s pick in Season 13 of “The Bachelorette,” filmed in 2017.
“It was just a different time,” she added.
The “Bachelorette” star, who was the first Black lead of the TV franchise, then suggested that they weren’t initially on the “same page” with prenups.
“I just didn’t want it to be a bigger issue, so we didn’t have one. Hindsight is 20/20; I would’ve done it,” she said, noting that she “always” wanted to have a prenup.
“I could have never predicted that in 2024 I would be getting a divorce,” she said. “You just never know what life’s going to throw at you, what’s going to happen.”
Lindsay encouraged marriage-bound listeners to get prenups, saying it’s “just smart.”
She also said that she and Abasolo are still living together and that it’s “not easy.”
“The person you marry is not the same person you divorce,” she said. “And I’m talking about myself, too. I’m not the same that I was when I got married… and that’s why a prenup is necessary. You’re dealing with dissolving a marriage, and you’re two different people.”
“My mistake is expecting that the people will be able to handle it in the same way, and they just don’t.”
A representative for Abasolo did not immediately return a request for comment.
Emma McIntyre via Getty Images
Abasolo filed to end the marriage on Jan. 2, citing irreconcilable differences. The date of separation was listed as Dec. 31, according to court records obtained by The Associated Press.
The filing did not indicate a prenuptial agreement, and records showed that Abasolo sought spousal support and asked that Lindsay pay his legal fees, AP reported.
Abasolo spoke about the divorce on Instagram on the day he filed, writing in a statement that being a husband was the “proudest role” in his life.
“My parents have been married forever and I’m a family man, but sometimes loving yourself and your partner means you must let go,” he wrote.
Abasolo and Lindsay got engaged on the show in 2017, before tying the knot in Cancun two years later. They didn’t have children together.
Lindsay had first publicly addressed her split in a January episode of her podcast with Van Lathan, “Higher Learning.” She fought back tears as she thanked those who had reached out to offer their support.
“Obviously it’s a difficult time,” she said on the podcast, adding that showing up to work was the “best” distraction.
“I need to distract myself from myself, and the best way to do that is to do something that I love, and I love ‘Higher Learning,’” she said.