entertainment / Sunday, 24-Aug-2025

The Bachelor Season 29’s Dina Lupancu Reveals Shocking Reason She "Forgot" She Was Dating Grant Ellis Amid Signs He Shouldn’t Have Been Cast

The Bachelor season 29 contestant Dina Lupancu revealed that she "forgot" that she was dating Grant Ellis ahead of her hometown date, amid signs that he wasn't the right choice to be the Bachelor because of his indecisiveness. Dina, a 31-year-old attorney from Chicago, Illinois, and Grant, a 30-year-old day trader from Newark, New Jersey, had a connection ahead of her hometown date. However, her family refused to participate in the date, and he ended up saying goodbye to her ahead of his overnight Fantasy Suite dates during TheBachelor season 29.

Dina joked that when Grant came to meet her in Chicago for her hometown date, she "forgot" that they were dating because they hadn't seen or talked to each other for so long.

In an interview with Us Weekly, Dina joked that when Grant came to Chicago for her hometown date, she "forgot" that they were dating because they hadn't talked to each other for so long. She said that she realized that she wasn't the one for him "during hometowns. Something that was hard for me, and I didn’t realize until I lived it, was that when you are waiting for your hometown — and mine was last, there is, like, 7 days [of waiting]. Before that was a travel day and then the date in Scotland, we barely got to talk."

Dina explained that not only were she and Grant separated physically, but they had no phones to keep in touch. She said, "So you are talking [about] nine days when we didn’t see each other, we didn’t talk, we don’t have our phones, so you don’t have anything to continue to foster that connection." Dina then joked that when Grant came to Chicago, she "forgot we are dating."

At that point, Dina began to wonder if she and Grant really had a future together. She said, "I thought, 'Could our relationship take the test of time?…Our connection isn’t as strong as I thought it was.' That was the first time where I was like, 'It may not be me.'"

In addition, Dina confessed that it didn't take much time for her to get over Grant. She said, "It is such a time warp coming home from the show, so it is all a blur. It’s hard to think about it." When asked for a specific timeframe of how long it took her to get over Grant, she answered, "I think, like, a few weeks…Is that bad?"

When it comes to Bachelor In Paradise season 10, Dina is undecided about searching for love on TV again. She shared, "Genuinely, I am not sure. Obviously, being in the experience again [at the Women Tell All taping] and seeing the girls, it made me miss it, but I don’t know. I also haven’t stalked any of the guys, so I have to do that."

What Dina Realizing Grant Ellis Wasn’t "The One" Means For The Bachelor

The Bachelor Formula Needs An Overhaul

Dina's revelation that she nearly forgot that she was dating Grant while she waited for her hometown date indicates that The Bachelor needs an overhaul. It's bizarre that the lead meets the families of four women when that wouldn't normally happen in real life. It's no wonder that Dina had so many doubts and that it didn't take that long for her to get over Grant since they barely knew each other.

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It's also unnatural that people who are dating wouldn't speak for nine days. While some say that absence makes the heart grow fonder, at the beginnings of relationships, couples need time together to get to know each other. Not speaking for that amount of time would drive a wedge between two people, especially when one of them is off going on dates with, and meeting the families of, three additional women.

Our Take On Dina Lupancu’s Lack Of A Connection With Grant Ellis

Dina & Grant Weren't Meant To Bemontage of The Bachelor Season 29 lead Grant Ellis with rose petals behind him

It's clear from her comments that Dina and Grant weren't meant to be, but it was also painfully obvious on The Bachelor as well. While they had a sweet one-on-one date together, and they clearly enjoyed spending time with each other, they didn't have the same spark that he has with his remaining three women: Juliana Pasquarosa, Litia Garr, and Zoe McGrady. In fact, it was surprising that Grant even chose Dina for a hometown date at all based on their interactions.

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Dina's honest comments about her lack of a connection with Grant and how little time it took for her to get over him make sense because of the way that The Bachelor functions. She simply didn't know him well enough to have strong feelings for him. They didn't have enough time together. Perhaps under different circumstances, Dina and Grant could've fallen in love with each other, but the formula of The Bachelor didn't allow for that. Hopefully, they'll both find the love that they're searching for, and Dina will join Bachelor In Paradise season 10.

The Bachelor airs Mondays at 8 p.m. EST on ABC.

Source: Us Weekly

the bachelor 2024

Your Rating

The Bachelor
104
6.2/10
Release Date
March 25, 2002
Network
Channel 5, BBC Three
Writers
Mike Fleiss
Franchise(s)
The Bachelor

Cast

See All
  • Cast Placeholder Image
    Hugo Speer
    Uncredited

The series centers on a single bachelor selecting a romantic partner from a group of contestants, with episodes featuring various challenges and eliminations.

Creator(s)
Mike Fleiss
Main Genre
Reality
Seasons
29

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