JoJo Fletcher finally broke her silence on Bachelorette contestant Chad Johnson, and fans aren’t the only ones who think he’s a creeper.
Refinery29 reports that the Bachelorette star felt compelled to address Johnson’s actions during the latest episode. As fans will recall, Johnson angrily ripped another contestant’s shirt and then turned around and tried to charm Fletcher a moment later.
Although she admitted that Johnson was right to be angry, she also explained how his outburst actually scared her when she watched it unfold on television.
“When Chad stepped up there, he was angry,” she wrote to People . “And now, watching it back, I understand why. But that doesn’t excuse what happened when they left the stage. Watching it back now, it scares me. I had no idea what was happening backstage with the guys. I do know that violence is never the answer. Putting your hands on someone else is never the way to resolve conflict. And boy was that some conflict.”
Fletcher did attempt to settle things down with the two men after the incident. In the end, she decided to hand her rose to Alex, which only made Chad more upset.
“Handing the rose to Alex felt right. He and I had had a connection from the very first night,” Fletcher continued. “Alex is husband material. Chad, however, has a lot of work to do before he gets to that point. Hopefully, someday he’ll get there. I know he has it in him.”
That being said, Fletcher also admitted that Johnson might be a good person underneath all of his anger.
Unfortunately, fans will have to wait to see what happens once Johnson returns to the mansion and goes head to head with Alex.
“I hate to do this, but you’re going to have to wait an extra week to see just what happens when the guys open the door and Chad steps in,” Fletcher concluded. “I know, I know! But I promise it’s worth the wait!”
Meanwhile, many fans are still wondering why Fletcher kept Johnson around for so long. According to Celeb Dirty Laundry , JoJo Fletcher probably didn’t have much of a choice in the matter.
Considering how much drama Johnson brings to the table, producers likely urged Fletcher to keep him on board as long as possible. Not only would this bring fairly exciting drama to the show, but it also boosts ratings.
After all, what would become of The Bachelorette without its token villain?
Of course, Johnson isn’t the only guilty party. In fact, he has been antagonized by a few of the suitors on the show, especially Evan and Alex. Ever since the competition first started, some of the guys have been pushing his buttons in an effort to see him explode.
Now, that doesn’t excuse his actions over the past couple of weeks, but it does explain why Johnson has been such a tool.
At the same time, Johnson’s tirades could also be the result of clever editing on the part of producers. Either way, most fans were thrilled when Fletcher handed the rose to Alex instead of Johnson.
The biggest question moving forward is what happened between Johnson and the rest of the guys after his elimination. Although Johnson was finally given the boot, fans can expect to see more of him when all hell breaks loose in the next installment.
Despite Johnson’s demise, fans might get another chance to see him in action when Bachelor in Paradise returns to television this summer. Considering his behavior on The Bachelorette , fans are definitely in for a lot more drama.
Season 12 of The Bachelorette continues Monday nights on ABC.
Tell us! Do you agree with JoJo Fletcher? Do you think Chad Johnson’s behavior was “scary”? Let us know in the comments below.
[Image via ABC]