The golden bachelorette Joan Vassos at surprising episode 7 Exit

Note: The following story contains spoilers from Episode 7 of “The Golden Bachelorette.”

If “The Golden Bachelorette” Joan Vassos was getting closer to a possible engagement, but this week’s late-night dates led to a surprise exit, which the leading lady says was going in the right direction.

“We had been going back and forth… he had put up his walls (and) he said they are coming down,” Vassos told TheWrap of Pascal Ibgui, who had introduced his family to Vassos during dates in his hometown a week earlier . “He was going in the right direction.”

Despite this progress, Vassos noted that Ibgui was left “scared” by their fantasy suites date, which involved a Tahitian bonding ceremony in which the pair shared their greatest fears before setting them free. In the episode, Ibgui admitted that he “freaked out” about the date and had hoped for something more casual, and Ibgui eventually broke up with Vassos during the evening portion of their date.

“He obviously wasn’t in the right head space yet – he was trying to get there,” Vassos said. ‘I know he’s a nice person. He didn’t want to hurt me and he tried to get there, but he just couldn’t… I can’t blame him for that, and I would never want anyone to try to talk themselves into it. You either feel it or you don’t.”

Despite admitting the breakup was “hurtful,” Vassos applauded Ibgui for “doing the right thing,” saying, “He shouldn’t want me to be happy and sacrifice his own (happiness)… he should take care of himself .’

Even before the breakup with Ibgui, Vassos entered fantasy suites with a mindset that differed from the former leads of “The Bachelor” franchise, when the leading lady told her suitors beforehand that she was uncomfortable experiencing physical intimacy with someone other than her future. husband, whose identity she could not yet guarantee.

“I couldn’t imagine having a physical relationship with more than one person, so I took that off the table — it would only be about emotional intimacy,” Vassos said. “And I feel like I got exactly what I needed.”

Vassos added that her overnight appointments were filled with “a lot of hours” of “just talking,” noting that the off-camera time was crucial to “protect your own privacy and your family’s privacy.” “It was exactly what you need,” Vassos said. “I can’t imagine taking this trip without having done that.”

Despite Ibgui’s early departure, Vassos had two successful overnight dates with her last two suitors, Chock Chapple and Guy Gansert.

“We had to talk about what life together would be like and even the hard things — how to get to know children and grandchildren and parents and all that stuff,” Vassos said. “You talk about finances, you talk about family life… it’s when you dive deep – really – and see if this could really work, because this is your time. Fantasy suites lead to the final rose.

“The Golden Bachelorette” airs Wednesdays at 8 PM ET/PT on ABC and streams the next day on Hulu.