After self-eliminating from The Golden Bachelorette, Pascal Ibgui transformed himself into the season's ultimate villain, and may have damaged his reputation forever. Bachelor Nation fans initially liked the stylish Frenchman. At 69 years of age, Pascal was one of the season's oldest men, and the oldest of Joan's final three, but he seemed much younger. From the moment he stepped out of the limousine on night one, Joan was charmed by his French accent and his stylish looks. The energetic salon owner was playful, charming and witty, in addition to being stylish and in excellent shape.
Pascal seemed to have it all, including Joan. He received the second solo date of the season, and was whisked away to Las Vegas for a dream date night. Things seemed to be going well between Joan and Pascal, and it seemed like he'd walk away from The Golden Bachelorette season 1 with Joan's final rose, and her heart. After an exciting season of dates and drama, Pascal made it to Joan's final three men. They were both looking forward to their overnight date, but the evening ended in tears, and Pascal went home with his reputation in tatters.
Pascal Told Joan He Only Sees Her As A Friend
He Got Spooked
Joan and Pascals's relationship was going well, so it wasn't surprising when Pascal made it to the final three, along with 60-year-old Chock Chapple and 66-year-old Guy Gansert. During The Golden Bachelorette season 1's hometown episode, Joan visited Pascal's hometown of Chicago, Illinois, where she met his family and enjoyed a day at his luxurious salon. All seemed well between the couple. They headed into overnight dates in excited moods, but their hopes were soon dashed. Now, Pascal's reputation may be irrevocably damaged.
The overnight date started off well enough. Joan and Pascal hadn't seen each other for days, so they really wanted to get reacquainted. It all started to go south during a bonding ceremony. The ceremony was symbolic, but it still freaked Pascal out, because it made him question his true feelings for Joan. The bonding exercise made him realize that he didn't have romantic feelings for Joan, and that he saw her only as a friend. This came as a surprise because Pascal wasn't acting like Joan's platonic friend when he was kissing her or introducing her to his children.
The moment that Pascal sat Joan down and told her the truth was devastating and hard to watch.
In a scene posted to YouTube by Bachelor Nation, both Joan and Pascal were in tears. At the end of the conversation, Pascal angrily tries to shoo the cameras away, not wanting them to capture the painful moment on film. Afterward, Pascal sat down for an interview and cried about how he never wanted to hurt anyone, especially not Joan. Though it's clear that this wasn't the way Pascal wanted the story to end, it's not clear what he thought would happen after he told Joan he saw her as a friend.
Pascal Waited Until Overnights To Breakup With Her
Bad Timing
One reason that fans are angry with Pascal is that he waited until the overnight date to break up with Joan. It's disappointing that Pascal didn't realize that he didn't care for Joan until after she had met his family. If he had left sooner, someone who was more interested in Joan could have moved forward. Bachelor Nation fans are livid at Pascal for misleading Joan and wasting her time, but people have to understand that Pascal probably had the best of intentions. Relationships are difficult, and feelings are complicated. It's unfair to accuse him of being dishonest.
Pascal clearly liked Joan, until he realized that he didn't like her enough to sustain a lasting relationship.
Joan had the bed removed from the overnight suite, out of respect for the man she ends up with. Though there's some speculation that Pascal left because he couldn't hook up with Joan, this is highly unlikely. There's nothing to suggest that Pascal was in it for sex, and it's an entirely unfair accusation. Pascal clearly liked Joan, and genuinely tried to make the relationship work. It's not his fault that he didn't have strong enough feelings for Joan. Intentions matter, and fans would do well to remember that.
Regardless of the truth, there's no question that Pascal's reputation has taken a hit since the latest The Golden Bachelorette season 1 episode.
The way Pascal's reputation is being dragged through the mud is reminiscent of The Golden Bachelor season 1's Gerry Turner. The 72-year-old retired widower ended the season by giving his final rose to 70-year-old Theresa Nist. The septuagenarian couple got engaged and were married a few weeks later. When they announced their divorce after only three short months of matrimony, fans unfairly blamed Gerry for the split. Since then, he's been unfairly smeared and had his reputation damaged, and Pascal may soon find himself in the same place.
Was Pascal On The Show For Fame?
Maybe He Wanted To Boost His Business
After self-eliminating from The Golden Bachelorette season 1, Pascal has been accused of using the show for clout. Many Bachelor franchise contestants are able to parlay their participation into sometimes lucrative careers as social media influencers. A great recent example are The Bachelor season 28's Joey Graziadei and Kelsey Anderson, who got engaged on the show, and are now prominent social media lifestyle influencers. That being said, being a Bachelor villain may not be as lucrative, as proven by the aforementioned Gerry.
Unlike Joey and Kelsey, Gerry hasn't become an influencer, and, in fact, he posts to Instagram less often than he used to.
Many former Bachelor Nation stars end up being on other Bachelor franchise shows, and that could happen for Pascal. Since he has been painted as the villain of The Golden Bachelorette season 1, he will never be the next The Golden Bachelor, but if producers ever decide to make Golden Bachelor In Paradise, the charming Frenchman would make a great resort resident.
