Re: Brooks Forester - Bachelorette 9 - Fan Thread - Discussion #3

[atem]

Kaltie was that you that took a pic with Desiree? That's the pic I was talking about ...

[Kaltie]

Kaltie was that you that took a pic with Desiree?  That's the pic I was talking about ...

 No, I wish. I live in Sweden.. 

[atem]

Kaltie was that you that took a pic with Desiree?  That's the pic I was talking about ...

 No, I wish. I live in Sweden.. 

Oh, well thanks for posting that pic that I was talking about. I've never seen her so happy either than in that pic. It was something to see!

[Cecilia]

Well guys.. As you all know I was a big fan (still am though) of Bres so I'm really sad and disappointed. I couldn't even sleep yesterday because I thought of all the great memories they shared together and all the cute stuff Des said about Brooks. 

I mean who can beat Brooks and Des amazing first date? No one. I really thought that Brooks would come back for her and tell her that he loves her and that he did a mistake but when it was only 10 minutes left, I understood that Chris was the F1. I felt completely empty inside me when I saw that she accepted Chris proposal. 5 days before she couldn't stop crying because of Brooks and suddenly she says 'Yes!'. I'm so confused.. She doesn't even look happy. Seems more that she forces herself to be happy. It would be so much better for herself if she didn't end up with no one. She would look so lovely and great with an honest heart and as an independent woman. 

And Brooks.. Yeah, what about Brooks.. He looked good as usual. Lovely chemistry between Des and Brooks. She was so happy to see him. I really saw her real happy smile. I really thought for one minute that when Brooks said something about his nerves, he thought she ended up single. But when Des said she was engaged to Chris, he was like 'Oh yeah'. I really think that Brooks thought that Des ended up single because everybody was talking about them being engaged so.. Even if he says he wasn't surprised, I'm sure he WAS surprised. And one thing that I just can't get of my head is WHY the hell would you mourn so much if you're not in love? That's just weird if he wasn't. He cried his eyes out. He must have commitment issues or it's something else we don't know about. I don't have so much to say anymore, I just really hoped Brooks and Des would end up together.. They looked so perfect and are perfect for each other. Chris and Des.. Good luck to them. I hope she's happy and not fooling herself.

I've never seen her so happy.. 1st date with Brooks. :pinkcry: 

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I think from what he said today he just wasn't in love with her. Which is basically what he said when he broke up with her. I think the commitment issue stuff is CH BS.

[Kaltie]

Kaltie was that you that took a pic with Desiree?  That's the pic I was talking about ...

 No, I wish. I live in Sweden.. 

Oh, well thanks for posting that pic that I was talking about.  I've never seen her so happy either than in that pic.  It was something to see!

 You welcome! Yeah, I mean you can totally see the smile in her eyes too.. :pinkcry:

[atem]

Wow, no one has asked if he's dating yet? I'm shocked. Ha.

[Kaltie]

Well guys.. As you all know I was a big fan (still am though) of Bres so I'm really sad and disappointed. I couldn't even sleep yesterday because I thought of all the great memories they shared together and all the cute stuff Des said about Brooks. 

I mean who can beat Brooks and Des amazing first date? No one. I really thought that Brooks would come back for her and tell her that he loves her and that he did a mistake but when it was only 10 minutes left, I understood that Chris was the F1. I felt completely empty inside me when I saw that she accepted Chris proposal. 5 days before she couldn't stop crying because of Brooks and suddenly she says 'Yes!'. I'm so confused.. She doesn't even look happy. Seems more that she forces herself to be happy. It would be so much better for herself if she didn't end up with no one. She would look so lovely and great with an honest heart and as an independent woman. 

And Brooks.. Yeah, what about Brooks.. He looked good as usual. Lovely chemistry between Des and Brooks. She was so happy to see him. I really saw her real happy smile. I really thought for one minute that when Brooks said something about his nerves, he thought she ended up single. But when Des said she was engaged to Chris, he was like 'Oh yeah'. I really think that Brooks thought that Des ended up single because everybody was talking about them being engaged so.. Even if he says he wasn't surprised, I'm sure he WAS surprised. And one thing that I just can't get of my head is WHY the hell would you mourn so much if you're not in love? That's just weird if he wasn't. He cried his eyes out. He must have commitment issues or it's something else we don't know about. I don't have so much to say anymore, I just really hoped Brooks and Des would end up together.. They looked so perfect and are perfect for each other. Chris and Des.. Good luck to them. I hope she's happy and not fooling herself.

I've never seen her so happy.. 1st date with Brooks. :pinkcry: 

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I think from what he said today he just wasn't in love with her.  Which is basically what he said when he broke up with her.  I think the commitment issue stuff is CH BS.

 If he didn't love her or had any feelings for her, why would he cry so much?? He asked her what he should do and why she didn't say she loved him earlier??? He was either in love or a very very very very very sensitive man.

[ElonM]

Brooks Forester: I didn't regret leaving 'The Bachelorette' star Desiree Hartsock, coming back was never an option
Read more at [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
Reality TV World: There was a recent report that you regretted leaving Desiree immediately after taking off. Was that actually the case, and if so, when did you stop feeling regret? And was there any point in between that time frame when you ever considered coming back?

Brooks Forester: No, that was never an option and never in my feelings after making that decision. I felt like I made the right decision going into that. I didn't have a moment where I felt I should go back and rehash my doubt with Desiree.

Were there immediate things that I missed about her, and was I sad to see that relationship come to a close? Yes. But I think after the conversation and my interview with the producers, I was sad and I was sad to see that relationship end. So that's the only place I could think it came from.

Reality TV World: Spoilers had circulated all season, claiming you were the last man standing and got engaged to Desiree. How was it dealing with that all season, and when you talked to Desiree last night, it came across like you actually hadn't known she ended up with Chris. So is that really what happened? Because a lot of viewers are surprised you didn't know how it ended.

Brooks Forester: Yeah, I honestly did not know how it ended. I still haven't seen the show. I still haven't seen what happened, and I was sequestered yesterday while the show aired. So no, I didn't know the ending.

The last two months have been difficult. Everybody assumed that we were together and had conversations with me, and I don't like alluding to anything. I had to play a very fine line and say, "Oh, just watch the season! And I hope for the best for Des and myself and everyone involved." That's just not a comfortable line to follow, so I'm glad that that's over and I'm really glad to see this season come to an end.

Reality TV World: Desiree obviously insisted she was in love with you, but do you think she was really in love with you or just thought she was if she was able to truly fall in love and get engaged to Chris only a couple of days later?

Brooks Forester: Yeah, I think there's some possibility that she, as well, might have felt some pressure to express exactly how she felt about me. And maybe after the situation, she realized that those feelings were there, but that doesn't take away from the relationship that she was developing with Chris.

And she was able to see that a little bit more clear after having put that away, saying, "Okay, I've come to the conclusion that that's not going to happen."

That would be tough. That'd be a tough decision and a tough thing to move on from so quickly, because I was cautious in using those words, "I love you," because I knew what that meant. And I think those are some very heavy words for someone who, if you don't know if they reciprocate those feelings, that can be a heavy three words for the receiver of those words.

So I just wanted to make sure when I, you know, vocalize those three words that they were going to be received well and that she would be comfortable with hearing that. I don't know if that answers your question. I realize I babble sometimes.

Reality TV World: Based upon your breakup conversation with Des, some people -- including Chris Harrison -- have said you did a poor job of articulating your feelings to the point where they're wondering if that's a personality trait of yours rather than just a conversation you simply struggled with because of the circumstances on the show. What's your response to that? Would you say your struggle to express yourself on the show isn't representative of how you talk through personal issues in your everyday life?

Brooks Forester: I think emotions are difficult to articulate, period. And I need to say what I feel, and I don't think that that's always the case. I think at times people say what it is that they think people want them to say or say what sounds good, and yeah, it can be difficult gauging your emotion and then putting that into words all the time.

So yeah, if that is the rumor about Brooks Forester, that I have a hard time articulating my emotions, then sure. And I'm okay with that. Had my conversation with Desiree on the beach been mapped out and articulated and presented like a politician, I don't think it would be taken as sincere. So, I guess that just eliminates all the other options for process of elimination. I guess it must be a characteristic of mine.

Below are some additional highlights from Brooks' call with reporters.

Are you still confident in your decision to leave Desiree, especially after meeting with her during After the Final Rose last night?

Brooks Forester: Yeah, I know I made the right decision and that was about being honest with Desiree and with myself, and that conversation and the breakup [was what it] was, and as bad as it hurt, I just don't know how I can regret being honest. So, I look back and I say, "I know that's the right decision." And I knew that was the right decision going into that conversation with her.

If you had known how into you Desiree was, would it have changed your decision?

Brooks Forester: I thought about that, and at the time -- the first time I knew that she loved me was when she told me on the dock. That's the first time I heard her, and the viewers were able to see that she had those feelings prior to myself. So in the moment, I had asked her, "Why didn't you tell me that sooner?"

And that was a comment referring back to a conversation that we had where I had promised Desiree that I would wear my heart on my sleeve and to put her first before everything, including the show, and should I say something that the producers and editors don't enjoy or feel is too revealing, then they can cut that out.

I'll allow them to do their job as editors and producers and I will do everything I can to make this as real and as genuine as possible and try to communicate as well as possible.

So I, in a long roundabout way of answering this, no. It was about my emotional process and me figuring out how I feel. I know that Desiree deserves to be in love with someone that is deeply in love with her, so if she was at that point, great -- now I need to get there. And I just wasn't there yet.

When did you definitely decide to leave? Had you decided before you went to speak to your mother and sister or was it after speaking to them that gave you clarity?

Brooks Forester: My family acted like a sounding board in Salt Lake when we had our first date, and I think they had asked me some of the hard questions I wasn't asking myself at that point. It gave me some time to kind of identify what I was already feeling. So going up to Boise and talking to my sister and my mother, it was just a way for me to be more confident in the decision that I had made.

I made the decision to go and talk to Desiree, and I didn't want to regret it later on. So since my family was such a good sounding board the first time, I figured, "Hey, I'm going to talk to them again and see their thoughts on this decision." But it was really just a confidence boost that I was preparing to do the right thing and I worked out my emotions and was looking at things with a healthy perspective.
Read more at [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

[atem]

Kaltie I think you need to learn about American TV. I think Brooks was falling in love, but just didn't trust this process to think that he could propose to a stranger.

I think he was crying over a lot of things. He cared deeply for her and probably felt a loss of the dream he had coming into this.

[atem]

Brooks Forester: I didn't regret leaving 'The Bachelorette' star Desiree Hartsock, coming back was never an option
Read more at [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
Reality TV World: There was a recent report that you regretted leaving Desiree immediately after taking off. Was that actually the case, and if so, when did you stop feeling regret? And was there any point in between that time frame when you ever considered coming back?

Brooks Forester: No, that was never an option and never in my feelings after making that decision. I felt like I made the right decision going into that. I didn't have a moment where I felt I should go back and rehash my doubt with Desiree.

Were there immediate things that I missed about her, and was I sad to see that relationship come to a close? Yes. But I think after the conversation and my interview with the producers, I was sad and I was sad to see that relationship end. So that's the only place I could think it came from.

Reality TV World: Spoilers had circulated all season, claiming you were the last man standing and got engaged to Desiree. How was it dealing with that all season, and when you talked to Desiree last night, it came across like you actually hadn't known she ended up with Chris. So is that really what happened? Because a lot of viewers are surprised you didn't know how it ended.

Brooks Forester: Yeah, I honestly did not know how it ended. I still haven't seen the show. I still haven't seen what happened, and I was sequestered yesterday while the show aired. So no, I didn't know the ending.

The last two months have been difficult. Everybody assumed that we were together and had conversations with me, and I don't like alluding to anything. I had to play a very fine line and say, "Oh, just watch the season! And I hope for the best for Des and myself and everyone involved." That's just not a comfortable line to follow, so I'm glad that that's over and I'm really glad to see this season come to an end.  

Reality TV World: Desiree obviously insisted she was in love with you, but do you think she was really in love with you or just thought she was if she was able to truly fall in love and get engaged to Chris only a couple of days later?

Brooks Forester: Yeah, I think there's some possibility that she, as well, might have felt some pressure to express exactly how she felt about me. And maybe after the situation, she realized that those feelings were there, but that doesn't take away from the relationship that she was developing with Chris.

And she was able to see that a little bit more clear after having put that away, saying, "Okay, I've come to the conclusion that that's not going to happen."

That would be tough. That'd be a tough decision and a tough thing to move on from so quickly, because I was cautious in using those words, "I love you," because I knew what that meant. And I think those are some very heavy words for someone who, if you don't know if they reciprocate those feelings, that can be a heavy three words for the receiver of those words.

So I just wanted to make sure when I, you know, vocalize those three words that they were going to be received well and that she would be comfortable with hearing that. I don't know if that answers your question. I realize I babble sometimes.

Reality TV World: Based upon your breakup conversation with Des, some people -- including Chris Harrison -- have said you did a poor job of articulating your feelings to the point where they're wondering if that's a personality trait of yours rather than just a conversation you simply struggled with because of the circumstances on the show. What's your response to that? Would you say your struggle to express yourself on the show isn't representative of how you talk through personal issues in your everyday life?

Brooks Forester: I think emotions are difficult to articulate, period. And I need to say what I feel, and I don't think that that's always the case. I think at times people say what it is that they think people want them to say or say what sounds good, and yeah, it can be difficult gauging your emotion and then putting that into words all the time.

So yeah, if that is the rumor about Brooks Forester, that I have a hard time articulating my emotions, then sure. And I'm okay with that. Had my conversation with Desiree on the beach been mapped out and articulated and presented like a politician, I don't think it would be taken as sincere. So, I guess that just eliminates all the other options for process of elimination. I guess it must be a characteristic of mine.

Below are some additional highlights from Brooks' call with reporters.

Are you still confident in your decision to leave Desiree, especially after meeting with her during After the Final Rose last night?

Brooks Forester: Yeah, I know I made the right decision and that was about being honest with Desiree and with myself, and that conversation and the breakup [was what it] was, and as bad as it hurt, I just don't know how I can regret being honest. So, I look back and I say, "I know that's the right decision." And I knew that was the right decision going into that conversation with her.

If you had known how into you Desiree was, would it have changed your decision?

Brooks Forester: I thought about that, and at the time -- the first time I knew that she loved me was when she told me on the dock. That's the first time I heard her, and the viewers were able to see that she had those feelings prior to myself. So in the moment, I had asked her, "Why didn't you tell me that sooner?"

And that was a comment referring back to a conversation that we had where I had promised Desiree that I would wear my heart on my sleeve and to put her first before everything, including the show, and should I say something that the producers and editors don't enjoy or feel is too revealing, then they can cut that out.

I'll allow them to do their job as editors and producers and I will do everything I can to make this as real and as genuine as possible and try to communicate as well as possible.

So I, in a long roundabout way of answering this, no. It was about my emotional process and me figuring out how I feel. I know that Desiree deserves to be in love with someone that is deeply in love with her, so if she was at that point, great -- now I need to get there. And I just wasn't there yet.

When did you definitely decide to leave? Had you decided before you went to speak to your mother and sister or was it after speaking to them that gave you clarity?

Brooks Forester: My family acted like a sounding board in Salt Lake when we had our first date, and I think they had asked me some of the hard questions I wasn't asking myself at that point. It gave me some time to kind of identify what I was already feeling. So going up to Boise and talking to my sister and my mother, it was just a way for me to be more confident in the decision that I had made.

I made the decision to go and talk to Desiree, and I didn't want to regret it later on. So since my family was such a good sounding board the first time, I figured, "Hey, I'm going to talk to them again and see their thoughts on this decision." But it was really just a confidence boost that I was preparing to do the right thing and I worked out my emotions and was looking at things with a healthy perspective.
Read more at [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Interesting what another interview with more of the answer put in gives in perspective... no?

[jlccaz]

That seems like a very sincere interview on Brooks' part. I'm happy for him he can move past the show. The decision to promote him as Spoiled F1 must have been brutal for him. What a relief to move on. The Cruise makes so much sense now. And hanging out with Michael G.... whose tweets about Juan Pablo have been hilarious all day.

[Guest]

From Hollywood Life:

So, how does Brooks feel about Des and Chris being together? He told us:

I am happy for her. They came looking for love and they found that. Both are amazing individuals, and the fact that they found that and they are comfortable with each other, and comfortable with the decisions that they have made, and feel like they can back up the words ‘I Love You’ to each other and commit to that relationship is something to be celebrated and I am extremely happy for them. The fact that they found love is awesome.

What a sweetheart.  I personally love that he puts a lot of thought into what he says.  The term wishy washy does not apply to Brooks at all.  He is a real thinker.  I wasn't on the Brooks train when he was spoiled F1, but when he took himself out of the running, my respect for him grew by leaps and bounds.  I felt he was being very honest and true to himself, so good on him.  He'll make a wonderful husband when the right woman comes along.

I agree. He will make a good husband when the right girl comes along. I hope that it's soon for him. He is a good guy. I've always seen that. You could always tell he is a thinker. They put that wishy-washy label on him just so they could use him as a teaser for this last episode, which was really unfair of them, but I think he did enough for himself to counteract anything they said. People, generally, seem to have very high opinions of him. I'm just very glad he continued to do himself a service to the end.

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