Buckle up besties, because Maria Georgas just spilled all of the Bachelor tea on the May 1 episode of Call Her Daddy. Not only did she reveal her reasoning for turning down an opportunity to be the next Bachelorette, Georgas also addressed the rumors about her past with former Bachelor Nick Viall. But that’s wasn’t even the juiciest part.
In the interview, Georgas suggested that Viall might’ve played a part in her onscreen feud with Sydney Gordon, which took center stage during Joey Graziadei’s Bachelor season. But I’m getting way ahead of myself.
If you’re unfamiliar with Georgas or her Bachelor journey, allow me to catch you up to speed. Georgas quickly became a fan favorite during Graziadei’s Bachelor season as fans loved how opinionated and entertaining she was on the show. For a while, it seemed like Georgas was a top contender for Joey’s heart but after making it to hometowns, she was eliminated.
Following her elimination, many wanted Georgas to be the next Bachelorette, a role she was set to take but eventually turned down. During the Call Her Daddy episode, Georgas explained her reasoning for turning it down, saying that she just wasn’t ready to go on that journey.
“I was not in the right headspace for this,” Georgas said. “Because I know the extensive process it was to be on the show, right? So having a bunch of guys do the exact same thing and they’re there for me, I didn’t want to waste anyone’s time. It was hard for me to jump right back into it, honestly.”
Now let’s get back to Viall and Gordon.
During the podcast, Georgas revealed that she’d known Viall since 2017 and that they’ve been good friends ever since.
“Nothing has ever happened between Nick and I, but it’s always been a friendship,” she told Call Her Daddy host Alex Cooper. “He helped me through breakups. He was a good friend to me at points, and it was great. But I remember, and I never really understood it until actually being on the show, he had said to me, ‘I can see you being the villain.’ He’s like, ‘You’re going to go on. You’re going to be the villain,’ And I was like, why me?”
Although Georgas “never” went on The Bachelor with “the intention of becoming a villain,” her drama with Sydney became a hot topic during Joey’s season.
ICYMI, Gordon had accused Georgas of downplaying insecurities fellow contestant Madina Alam had about her. Though Georgas apologized, Gordon continued accusing her of bullying and creating tension among the women.
During CHD, Georgas revealed that Viall’s good friend Ashley Iaconetti (another Bachelor alum) is close with Gordon. Because of this connection, Georgas believes Viall had a hand in their feud.
“I remember someone sent me a photo of Nick and Sydney together. They were all friends because Sydney’s friends with Ashley, and Nick’s close with Ashley, and Ashley’s close with Sydney,” Georgas said. “Part of me was like, was this all planned? Because I knew I was innocent, hand to God. So, when this all started happening, and then imagine dealing with that in the house and then coming out and seeing that she’s friends with Nick, I was like, there’s something conspiring.”
Georgas went on to reveal that she and Gordon buried the hatchet before their huge onscreen fight, but that footage never aired.
“She hugged me before the group date and she was like, ‘Maria, I just want to say again, I’m sorry for taking something out of context.’ It wasn’t shown,” Georgas explained. “We hugged it out. We were good. Later on that night is when she was like, ‘I feel bullied by you.’ You hugged me earlier that day. It was crazy. But again, because I know she is a good person, deep down, I think that again, in this environment, it just brought out the worst.”
Despite their Season 28 drama, Georgas assured listeners that she has no ill feelings toward Gordon. She also said that things are still good between her and Viall.
“I just want everyone to know that there’s no animosity between us. I think we have always been friends,” she said. “[Nick has] always been great to me, and I respect his relationship. I respect where he is now. I’m happy to see him grow. But yeah, to say that we didn’t have a past, that would be a lie.”