With the nation reeling from the bombshell of newly minted Bachelor couple Jordan Mauger and Fleur Verhoeven’s breakup, fans of the reality dating series have taken to social media to voice their frustration – with much of it directed at Jordan.
Several of the Bachelor star’s friends have since come forward to throw their support behind him, with actor Will Hall revealing he was disappointed at the reaction of the Kiwi public.
“I can’t and I am not speaking for Jordan, but from my seat on the couch – and after knowing the guy for years as a down-to-earth bloke with good family values – I’m a tad surprised at how he’s being vilified on social media,” he told the Herald.
“My interpretation is that now the fairytale show is over, the soundtrack has stopped and the fancy dates and exotic locations have finished, Jordan genuinely didn’t see a future with Fleur. Surely we all agree you can’t force love?”
Fleur accepted a Michael Hill sparkler from Jordan in the finale of The Bachelor NZ.
Meanwhile, Christchurch city councillor Jamie Gough – another friend of Jordan’s – told Stuff that the show wasn’t a true reflection of the Jordan he knew.
“I’m not sure if The Bachelor TV show necessarily painted him in the way that his friends or people that would know him outside of reality TV life necessarily think of him,” he revealed.
“At the end of the day he was still just a normal guy that went about his life, and yes he’d had some on-screen experience and done a lot of stuff both in front of and behind the camera, but by the looks of things it’s probably been a bit of a whirlwind journey for him – his head will be spinning.”
In his official statement about the breakup, which came to light just two days after the finale of the show aired, Jordan said Fleur deserved someone who could “give her the best and give her the commitment and love she deserves”.
Watch: Fleur reveals how Jordan dumped her – story continues below
Pointing to the distance, media intrusion and secrecy as some of the factors behind the split, Jordan said he had difficulty translating his feeling from the show into real life.
“I know Fleur will go on to do great things. Her talents and caring nature will put her in a great position for anything she decides to do. She will always have my full support and I care for her greatly.”
Meanwhile, after an intense few days, Fleur told NZH Focus that she was taking everything “a minute at a time”.
As for Jordan, the blonde beauty said she respected his honesty and wished him “all the best”.
