Bachelor Ben Higgins will hand out his final rose on the March 14 season finale. After making a painful decision to send Caila Quinn home, Ben presents the girl who “took his breath away” with a stunning Neil Lane engagement ring, one that may rival rings from past seasons of the Bachelor .
[Warning: spoilers ahead]
If the ring Ben is holding in his hand in ABC’s season finale preview is indeed the one he picked for the future Mrs. Higgins, he made a great choice, one that didn’t come easy considering he fell in love with both JoJo Fletcher and Lauren Bushnell.
In the photo above, an enlarged screen grab taken from the season finale preview shows what Glamour states is a “princess-cut center stone” — possibly radiant-cut — surrounded by a halo of diamonds. Whether or not this is actually the ring Ben proposes with has yet to be confirmed, but fans will find out soon enough — the finale is less than two weeks away.
If Reality Steve’s spoilers are correct, the engagement ring Ben brings to the final rose ceremony is for contestant Lauren Bushnell. However, picking out the ring wasn’t an easy task considering he fell in love with both Lauren and JoJo. It’s possible that he was still unsure who he was choosing the ring for when he met with Neil Lane.
#TheBachelor pic.twitter.com/vDa7CIfkRF
— The Bachelor (@BachelorABC) March 1, 2016
According to Hollywood Life , a recent article in the print edition of Us Weekly states that Ben was “completely torn and upset” when he was presented with a selection of rings. The whole process made him “extremely emotional about everything in that moment.”
Making a decision about the ring meant that he also had to pick one two girls he fell in love with. There is no doubt that when the finale airs, viewers will see exactly what host Chris Harrison has hinted at — “a 3/4 Mesnick.”
“Ben does pull at least a 3/4 Mesnick. He is that emotional… He knows that he’s going to hurt somebody and he knows that he’s going to lose somebody he cares about, so it is really moving.”
Bachelor fans will recall former Bachelor Jason Mesnick’s painful decision to send Molly Malaney home at the final rose ceremony (Season 13), a choice that he later regretted. Mesnick proposed to Melissa Rycroft but broke off their engagement weeks later and is now married to Molly.
During the overnight dates episode that aired on February 29, Ben admitted that he was “in a state of shock” when he realized he was in love with JoJo and Lauren. Short of starring in a Sister Wives spinoff, Ben had to make the same gut-wrenching decision that Jason Mesnick did seven years ago.
However, the choice Ben makes turns out to be a solid one. According to Reality Steve , he sends a broken-hearted JoJo Fletcher home and gives his final rose — and a dazzling engagement ring — to Lauren Bushnell. Although he struggled with his choice, Steve states that the couple is still engaged two months after the finale was filmed.
On March 14, viewers will find out for sure if the spoilers are correct about Ben’s final pick. After what will be a tissue-worthy proposal, the live After the Final Rose special will air on ABC. Host Chris Harrison will sit down with Ben and Lauren to get the details about their engagement, and Ben will also face JoJo for the first time since their breakup in Jamaica.
Harrison is also expected to introduce the next Bachelorette during the ATFR special — is it possible that JoJo will be completely over Ben and named ABC’s next leading lady? The buzz online points to Caila Quinn getting the gig , but fans won’t know for sure until Chris makes the big announcement.
Watch the Bachelor Women Tell All on March 7, followed by the season finale and After the Final Rose special on March 14 at 8 p.m. ET.
[Image via ABC Television Network]