No hard feelings! Chris Harrison spoke out about Clare Crawley’s unprecedented departure from The Bachelorette after getting engaged to Dale Moss.
Crawley, 39, found love four episodes into season 16 of the ABC series — and two weeks into filming her season — which resulted in Moss, 32, getting down on one knee during the Thursday, November 5, episode of The Bachelorette.
“I know without the shadow of a doubt that you would go to the end of the world for me and I’ve never had that. I’m so grateful for that,” Moss said before popping the question.
Despite Crawley’s sudden exit, Harrison, 49, revealed that no one associated with the show is upset that she left and bet on love.
“Clearly her head was not there anymore,” the Bachelor Nation host said on the Friday, November 6, episode of the “The Ben and Ashley I. Almost Famous” podcast. “And clearly, she was not even remotely giving anyone else a chance, which is not bad.”
Although the hairstylist shook things up by leaving so early into the season, the former Who Wants to Be a Millionaire host is happy she followed her heart.
“Again, I’m not mad at Clare. No one is mad at Clare, at least on the show side, the producers. We embraced it,” he explained. “And I sat down with her and said, ‘Clare, my only issue is this isn’t fair anymore. Let’s just figure out what’s going on with you and Dale. Let’s stop the show.’”
Harrison added: “I just want to clear it up: At no point, was I disappointed in Clare [at] no point where any of us were disappointed. In fact, it was the contrary. ‘We love you, we’re here for you.’”
The former Miss America host said that Crawley had full “control” over how her season played out, noting that the producers “stopped the show and gave her a bizarre, kinda overnight fantasy suite in the middle of the show.”
The Texas native explained that production “had to move mountains… then there was an engagement,” adding that fans will be able to “keep up with them as the show moves along.”
Throughout her season, the Sacramento, California, native has received backlash for some her actions with the contestants, in which she appeared to favor Moss from day one. Harrison had a message for viewers who have come at the Bachelorette and her fiancé.
“There is nothing that Clare has done that deserves anger and for her to be vilified,” he said. “Why are you mad that this woman found the love of her life and got engaged? I just want to ask everybody to have a little bit of grace and understanding.”
Shortly after the proposal episode aired, the couple took to social media to defend their whirlwind romance.
“The amount of hate, you guys, is insane,” Crawley said during an Instagram Live video on Thursday. “People are just crazy, but we wanted to come on here for the people who are amazing and the people who understand.”
She added that she’s the “happiest [she’s] ever been.”
The former football player, for his part, gushed about his fiancée on Instagram, writing, “Never a point I won’t show up for you @clarecrawley.”
Crawley shared her own message, writing, “It’s official! Love wins!”
Us Weekly previously reported in August that the Bachelor in Paradise alum fell hard for Moss two weeks into filming and decided to walk away from shooting. As a result, Tayshia Adams stepped in to find her happily ever after.
The Bachelorette airs on ABC Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET.
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