Grant Ellis Said He and Juliana Pasquarosa Were Taking Engagement ‘Day by Day’ Weeks Before Split (Exclusive)

Former Bachelor Grant Ellis spoke candidly about his relationship with Juliana Pasquarosa just four weeks before they called off their engagement.

“We’ve been taking our relationship just day by day, honestly,” Grant, 31, exclusively told Us Weekly on May 21 at the Bringing the Beach to Beverly Hills to Rebuild Malibu event. “She is a person [who] has a lot of support with family and friends.”

Grant, who was supposedly moving to Boston to be with Juliana, added, “She’s spending a lot of time with them and with me. We’re just now getting into taking things slow, moving together now.”

Grant and Juliana, 28, got engaged on the season finale of The Bachelor, which aired in March. Less than three months later, they announced their breakup.

“This is one of the harder things I’ve had to write, but I want to share it honestly. Juliana and I have decided to end our relationship,” Grant wrote via his Instagram Stories on Friday, June 13. “We both gave this our best and poured a lot of love into each other, but after a lot of deep conversations, we’ve come to the understanding that we’re simply not the right fit long term.”

Juliana, for her part, acknowledged in a separate statement that “marriage is a commitment” and they both still believe in “deeply.”

“After a lot of honest conversations and reflection, we’ve come to the decision that this chapter of our lives is meant to continue on separate paths,” she said on Friday. “We shared something meaningful, navigating a unique journey side by side [and] learning, growing and showing up for each other the best we knew how. While this isn’t the ending we once imagined, it’s one filled with mutual respect, care and hope for what’s ahead.

“We’re going to do something for Jules and be in Italy,” Grant told Us, referring to Juliana’s heritage. “We’ve been through a lot with the show and the public opinion, so I think the people that know us and love us, we’re going to have a nice, close wedding. It’s definitely going to be extravagant, but it’s going to be just family and friends, people that know us and love us.”

Grant received backlash on his season after telling both Juliana and runner-up Litia Garr that he was in love with them before making his final decision to propose to the Boston native. Even after Grant and Juliana finished the show, they still received online criticism.

“Whatever people have to say, they’re always going to talk. So just lead with love,” Grant told Us of the “tough” commentary. “That’s what me and Jules do really well. So whatever people say, they don’t really know like that.”