It’s the day after the “most dramatic and shocking and disturbing finale in Bachelor Pad history” aired. And we’re all wondering: Have Nick Peterson and Rachel Truehart patched things up since the finale taped on August 26? And what’s Nick going to do with all of his newfound CASH? We found this press interview that Nick had with the press today posted on Reality TV World, where reporters ask him to weigh in on all sorts of post-finale situations:
What’s the status of your relationship with Rachel now? Did you guys end up talking things out and becoming friends again or do you have no intention to fix things?
Nick Peterson: (Laughs) No, we haven’t talked at all. And would I like to? Yeah, absolutely, but I figured I’d let it settle down a little bit for awhile because I know, especially with the finale airing last night, that she’s going to be bombarded with a lot of questions. She’s going to stand up for herself I’m sure, you now?
I would assume she’s not going to say very nice things about me. (Laughs) So, I’m just going to let it settle down for a little while and then hopefully we can patch things up.
In Chris Harrison’s blog today, he said no matter what anybody thinks of your decision, you have to feel bad for Rachel. However, you just didn’t really seem to feel any guilt or remorse for not sharing the money with her during the finale. So could you talk about that a little? Did you purposely disconnect yourself emotionally from the situation because you knew you were kind of screwing her over or were you just convinced you didn’t owe Rachel anything?
Nick Peterson: Well, I honestly was going into it planning on sharing. My intentions were to share. We talked about it leading up to the finale, and then I saw the next two episodes before we filmed the finale.
So, we got to see them and I saw everything she said about me. She didn’t want to be my partner. She said she was backed into the partnership and she just wanted to be with Michael. She tried to get us voted off just so she could go see Michael.
And you know, I was just like, “What?” I had no idea any of that was going on. I was completely invested in it and she wanted nothing to do with me. So I was like, “You know what? I’ve already done all this myself; I’m going to finish it myself. I don’t owe her anything.” She didn’t want to be my partner, and then all of a sudden at the end, “Oh, now we need to be partners because money’s involved.”
Just to clarify, the finale made it look like you really pondered your decision in that private room where you had to decide to “share” or “keep” the money. So was that accurate or did you go into the finale with your mind made up already?
Nick Peterson: I had a very good idea that I wanted to keep it. Of course when the things are right in front of you, the “share” and “keep” signs, you start to think, “Well, maybe I should share it,” you know? And then you start playing mind games with yourself, “Uh oh, what’s she doing right now?!” (Laughs)
So I think my move, regardless, would’ve been to keep it. So, that’s what I went with, because if she chooses “keep” as well, neither of us would get it. But if I chose “share” and she chose “keep,” I’d get nothing. So is it better for me to get nothing or me to get it all?
When you gave your speech before revealing you had decided to “keep” the money, some viewers thought you came across a little bitter and resentful in that you chose to keep the money as kind of a slap to the faces’ of all the people who had no faith in your gameplay or didn’t accept you into an alliance. Would you say that’s true or did the reasoning behind your decision come from a more logical standpoint rather than an emotional one?
Nick Peterson: No, no, it wasn’t to slap anybody in the face. I was just trying to explain myself, because if I just went up there and made my move and chose “keep,” I was going to come across really bad. And so, I wanted everybody to see my side, because they didn’t see much of me during the season. I was the underdog and I was the quiet guy. And that was my gameplan!
I was very — I flew under the radar. I was in self-mode and I stayed out of all the petty drama, and I wanted everybody to see that and I wanted to explain myself. I wanted to explain the whole Rachel ordeal. Everybody saw the show, so I wanted to say, “Hey, you saw that she didn’t want to be my partner.” So I went on explaining why I’m about to do what I’m about to do. (Laughs)
So, I think a lot of people read the spoilers, and so I’ve been trashed a little bit. But a lot of people had a change of heart once they heard my speech and saw my side of it. So I’m glad I did it.
What do you plan to do with your winnings? Based upon your plans, will the extra $125,000 make a huge difference?
Nick Peterson: Who wouldn’t want an extra $125,000 right?! (Laughs) I’m going to be very smart with the money. I’m not buying a lamborghini this week or anything. I’m going to invest quite a bit of it. I am going to buy me a new car though and get me a nice Jeep Wrangler. (Laughs)
