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"Mainly it’s because of my faith" - The Bachelor’s Grant Ellis on his journey toward abstinence

The Bachelor star Grant Ellis shares his celibacy journey and abstention from physical relations while finding the right person to wait for in a podcast titled " When Reality Hits."
  • The Bachelor star Grant Ellis (Image via Getty)
    The Bachelor star Grant Ellis (Image via Getty)

    The Bachelor season 29 star Grant Ellis is a former professional basketball player. He first appeared in season 21 of The Bachelorette and became the second black The Bachelor lead in franchise history.

    He appeared on the When Reality Hits podcast on October 24, 2025, where he opened up on his celibacy journey, explaining that he has abstained from physical intimacy until he finds the right partner due to religious reasons. He said,

    Taking this vow of celibacy and trying to wait mainly is because of my faith. God knows the desires of your heart, and he knows what makes you happy. The same God who knows how to make you happy. He would know how to give you a partner without having to test drive things.


    The Bachelor star shares he is waiting for the right partner who's worth pursuing

    Grant Ellis was eliminated on The Bachelorette season 21 first and then named the lead star of The Bachelor season 29, where he got engaged to Juliana Pasquarosa in the March 2025 finale. However, the couple broke up three months later.

    Sharing about his relationships, he said:

    I’ve been in two [relationships] my whole life, so when I do, I put my all into it, and for me, like putting my all into it, something, and then being super intimate and physical with somebody, I want that to be meaningful, and I want it to last.

    Host Brittany Cartwright asked him about his recent Instagram post, in which he discussed his decision to be celibate, inquiring about what led to that choice and whether it had been made before or after The Bachelor. He responded that it had been since before the show.

    He further said,

    I wasn't hooking up with a well kiss, we were kissing before the bachelor, obviously, when you know I was in a relationship, obviously you know, but uh just for me when I'm in something I like, uh I don't get in a lot of relationships.

    Grant Ellis added to it, saying that,

    So, I'm choosing to like the best I can to try to withhold until I find my right person. But, you know, like I said, we're all we're human and it's like people make decisions. 

    Ellis is sticking to that, and he is doing his best, wanting his next relationship to be the one, adding:

    That's why, if it's not if you're not it, I'm just not going to.

    Ellis shared a reel on his Instagram profile on October 13, 2025, surprising everyone when he first revealed his calibacy journey and opening up on his decision to wait for s*xual elations.

    He mentioned in the video that, as the most recent bachelor, he felt he had some authority in the dating space.

    He clarified that since the show was about dating, and considering how challenging the dating market is nowadays, finding something serious and worth pursuing was particularly difficult, especially in cities like Los Angeles and New York, further adding,

    So basically, while I'm choosing to wait on God, and yeah, it's hard, like I'm not gonna lie. I'm a man, like, you know, I definitely have my urges, my desires.

    Grant Ellis explained that he was being fully transparent about his personal journey, acknowledging that he had made mistakes in the past. He said that his decision to take a vow of celibacy and to wait was primarily motivated by his faith.

    He felt that when he did things he believed he shouldn’t, he was letting down both God and himself, and that engaging in intimacy prematurely would mean settling for something not meant for him.

    Addressing a common misconception that waiting could lead to disappointment in marriage, he emphasizes that God knows the desires of one’s heart and what makes a person happy, stating,

    So the same God that knows what makes you happy, I think you he would know how to give you a partner without having to test drive things, and he knows what'll make you happy. So, a little bit about why I'm being celibate to sum it up.

    Ellis also mentioned launching a new dating series called Spin the Block, where he teaches men how to court women respectfully, dress well, and date with purpose without just sleeping around.


    Stay tuned for more updates.

    TOPICS: The Bachelor, ABC, Grant Ellis, Reality TV