For the last couple of weeks, promos have teased that Brendan Morais was hesitant about proposing on The Bachelorette. It's hard to blame him — the show puts everyone on an accelerated timeline, and Brendan has already had a marriage end. He didn't want to propose again only to have it not work out. So after a date of looking at engagement rings with Bachelorette Tayshia Adams, Brendan came to the realization that he wasn't ready to get down on one knee — and he ultimately decided to leave the show.
He explained to Tayshia during the evening portion of the date that he wasn't completely healed from his divorce. "There's a big part of me that's still broken [and] still needs time to heal, needs time to grow," he said. While Brendan wanted to give Tayshia his heart, he admitted, "My heart isn't whole." He added that what he wanted for Tayshia was for her to be with someone whose past wasn't still holding them back.
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Tayshia was pretty understanding for a person who was clearly very invested in their relationship. During their first one-on-one date, Tayshia bonded with Brendan over the fact that they'd both been divorced. "Maybe a younger version of me would have been really pissed off at you," Tayshia said after Brendan voiced his concerns. "[But] as much as, like, I would love to be with you at the end of all this, if you're not ready, that's not something I'm going to push you to do."
She was definitely upset that Brendan left, and she sobbed for a while after his limo drove away, but she was as mature about the situation as Brendan was by being honest with her. It's a marked difference from the few other times that a top contender has removed themselves from the show at this late stage. On Ali Fedotowsky's season, her frontrunner Frank Neuschaefer broke her heart by leaving during Fantasy Suite week because he had unresolved feelings for someone back home. And during Desiree Hartsock's season, she was left reeling when Brooks Forester unceremoniously dumped her just as she realized she was in love with him.
By contrast, Brendan leaving felt less like he was making things about himself and more like he truly wanted Tayshia to find the best person she could — but it just wasn't his approach that matters. Her grace in accepting his departure showed how much she understood where he was coming from. It was hard to watch, but it wasn't drawn out for drama's sake. The scene was actually just two adults making an informed decision based on their pasts and what they wanted for their future.
Both Brendan and Tayshia want their next engagements to be ones that stick. So while it may have offered lots of drama for promotional teasers, all Brendan really did was save them both from even bigger heartbreak.