Breakups, Fights & Betrayal
Nick Viall and Vanessa Grimaldi fought constantly and secretly broke up several times
The timing was odd. Just days before The Bachelor’s March 13 finale, Nick Viall posted an Instagram story of him driving past LA’S Museum of Broken Relationships, which he visited this season on a group date. Nick zoomed in on the museum’s sign before flipping the camera around and exposing a smirk on his face.
He was dropping a huge clue about where things stand with Vanessa Grimaldi. The moment Nick, 36, got down on one knee and asked the special-needs teacher, 29, to be his wife, the pair had serious issues. “They had a very rocky road since filming ended in November. One minute they were fine, and the next they were fighting like crazy,” a source tells In Touch, adding that the former software salesman and the Canadian beauty broke up on multiple occasions. “Some couples are so in love when they leave the show, but that wasn’t the case this time,” adds the source. “The truth is that Nick and Vanessa were miserable. This really was the engagement from hell.”
Nick’s to blame. “Once the show stopped filming, Vanessa started to realize that Nick was not the one for her and that he wasn’t ready to be a husband,” says an insider. Those feelings were confirmed after learning that Nick had hooked up with runner-up Raven Gates,
25, in the Fantasy Suite. “Vanessa felt totally betrayed,” adds the insider. “She tried to look past it, but she felt Nick’s actions were truly inexcusable.”
He didn’t even make an effort to fix things. “Vanessa would beg Nick to fly to Montreal to see her, but he always refused,” says the insider. He also made it clear that he would never move to Canada to be with her. “The battle over where to live was one of their biggest problems,” says the source. “Vanessa loves her job and her family, and didn’t want to leave them behind. But Nick always claims he has to be near LA for work. It led to so many bitter fights and breakups. They’re both so stubborn.”
Nick’s got a backup plan. “He’s announced to friends that he’s thought about crashing Rachel [Lindsay’s] upcoming season of The Bachelorette,” says a friend of Nick’s, adding that Nick has no intention of marrying Vanessa. “It’s sad because Vanessa is the kindest person and really thought Nick was going to be her soul mate,” says the insider. “She’s heartbroken that Nick proved her wrong.” ◼