Bachelorette: Jason Alabaster Praises Gabby Windey After Exit

Jason Alabaster left The Bachelorette after he revealed that he was not yet ready to get engaged to Gabby Windey, but he sang her praises in an Instagram post a week after the episode aired. Jason, a 30-year-old investment banker from Memphis, Tennessee, was slower to open up to Gabby than some of the other men. However, during their first one-on-one date, they both shared their mental health struggles and bonded over their experiences with therapy. Gabby and Jason were able to have fun together, but also connect on a much deeper level. He seemed to be a front runner for getting engaged to her.

However, during The Bachelorette hometown dates week, Jason admitted to his mother that he could not see himself proposing to Gabby after just a couple of months together. The following week, before the Fantasy Suite, Jason finally expressed this concern to Gabby, and said that he would like to continue their relationship in the real world, but not get engaged. He said that he needed more time to really get to know her before he got down on one knee. Gabby was very torn about her feelings because, although she felt a strong connection with Jason, she wanted an engagement. They decided to take the off-camera time in the Fantasy Suite to try to work out their issues, but it proved to be too much of an obstacle for them. So Gabby and Jason decided to go their separate ways.

In an Instagram post shared a week after his and Gabby’s The Bachelorette breakup aired, Jason reflected on his journey on the show, and praised Gabby for how she handled the experience. He began the post by saying, “This has been an especially painful time, and watching back those final moments we shared was absolutely heart wrenching.” Jason went on to say that he learned so much about himself through this process, but “mostly I have learned that Gabby is one of the strongest women I’ve ever met. Her ability to keep her heart open and be vulnerable while navigating an impossibly complex and delicate situation is testament to that, and I have nothing but admiration and respect for her.” Viewers saw Gabby’s open-mindedness and vulnerability as she and Jason tried to work through their issues.

Jason also referred to Bachelorette villain Hayden Markowitz’s comment about Gabby being “rough around the edges,” but put a positive spin on the words that hurt her so much. He wrote, “If Gabby is rough around the edges, then she’s the type of rough that everyone should aspire to be—the kind of person who has learned to embrace life and its uncertainties, who is warm, loving, and accepting of other’s imperfections.” Jason added that Gabby has the “kind of innate confidence” that can only come “from a lifetime of challenges overcome, love lost, and love gained…the incredible level of self awareness that allows her to confidently be exactly who she is while also lifting up those around her.” He is most likely referring to Gabby’s difficult relationship with her mother, whom she told Jason about during their date. Gabby felt that her mother did not have the ability to love her, and this has affected all of her relationships ever since childhood. Jason concluded his post by stating, “Our stars may not have aligned in the end, but I will be forever grateful that our paths crossed.”

Jason, who is a man of few words, poured his heart out in his post. It is sad that the nature of The Bachelorette puts pressure on couples to consider engagement so quickly, when they are still getting to know one another. Although Gabby is happy with her final choice, Erich Schwer, who is the only man left at this point in her Bachelorette journey, perhaps she and Jason could have made their relationship work under different circumstances.

The Bachelorette airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. EDT on ABC.

Source: Jason Alabaster/Instagram