In Depth: Chris Soules

Former Bachelor, Chris Soules, sits down with Ben and Ashley for his first In-Depth interview since the tragic events of 2017. "Farmer Chris", as he was known as the 19th Bachelor, became a fan favorite on Andi Dorfman's season of the Bachelorette. Our own Ashley Iaconetti was introduced to Bachelor Nation when she dreamed of winning the final rose on Chris' season of The Bachelor. Soules season introduced us to Becca Tilley, Kaitlyn Bristowe, Jade Roper Tolbert, and Carly Waddell Bass who all became significant and notable members of the Bachelor family.  

Chris shares stories and memories from his time on both shows and, for the first time, tells us what the future looks like for him.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is Ben and Ashley I almost famous in depth
born in Arlington, Iowa and as a fourth generation farmer,
has three older sisters. We know him best as the
bachelor on season nineteen of the Bachelor. He was also
an Andy Dorfman's season of The Bachelorette. He I would say, Ashley,

(00:23):
you can tell me if I'm wrong here if I
remember right. Andy Dorfman's season was one of the first
seasons of The Bachelor I've ever watched. And Chris Souls,
who is our guest on the in Depth episode this
week this month. I don't know how often we do this.
Whenever somebody cool comes in, we do this. It wasn't
a surprise choice maybe to be the Bachelor, but a

(00:44):
little bit shocking. Right you were on this season. What
was your reaction when Chris Souls was announced as the Bachelor? Totally? Um.
I think the two people that commanded so much attention
that season we're Josh and Nick, but we definitely they
were definitely weren't going to pick the divisive Nick to
be the Bachelor at that time, and then Josh had
obviously one. So I think that a lot of people

(01:05):
are questioning who would be the next Bachelor. I know
Ari was on the minds of the producers as being
a possible bachelor, and I think it came down to
him and Chris, and I was in the casting process, um,
I was in the top fifty, or maybe they had
asked me whether or not. Um, you know, I wanted
to be one of the thirty women. And I said,
I'm going to have to wait for the bachelor announcement

(01:26):
because I knew it was between the two of them,
and I thought, if it was Ari, I don't I
don't know if I'm down. So I waited until they
announced Chris um that morning on Good Morning America, and
then I sent in my application that not the application,
but like the final paperwork. It's uh. It was kind
of shocking because there's so many names thrown in UH,
and Chris Souls rises above the top. And he's also

(01:48):
sitting next to me right now, Chris, welcome to almost
famous in death. Thank you for having me. That was
flattered a new story to me. You never heard that?
Oh yeah, I feel like I've shared it here before.
But I definitely was like, I'm not gonna go on
if I'm going to have zero interest in the person

(02:08):
and I was like, Chris is cute. Yeah, well I
Uh My impression, uh, from the outside looking in was
that once the girls knew that I was going to
be the Bachelor, that they weren't going to show up.
I don't think that was the case. Was pretty much
what I thought. Literally, Uh, during the limo entrance, they stopped,
they stop the limos, and Chris is like, that's its

(02:33):
fifteen girls, that's it. I'm like, yeah, so you guys
remember on our season. On his season, we um had
fifteen limos that came in, and then they kind of
pretended like that was it and that it was gonna
be a weird season with only fifteen girls, and that
kind of got me nervous. It was like, oh, wow,
the attention is going to be on this relationship immediately.

(02:56):
And then they gave us about an hour hour and
a half to have time with you, and then they
introduced fifteen new girls on us and then let them
all roll in it. But it was still, you know,
the fifteen I was like so thankful for and I
actually that this is like I've dated three girls in
my life, and uh, you know, this is more attractive
women that I've been around you know, in my pretty

(03:17):
much my whole dating life. So uh yeah, the fifteen
I was more than flattered for. And then then they
bring in thirty at the end of the day, we
were very happy to see you standing there. I will
always remember pulling up in that limo and I think
we were all like, oh my god, like you just
looked great out of excitement, as in like I don't

(03:38):
I'm married now, so I don't want to go overboard
with how I felt in that moment, but um, we
were all very impressed by you in every way. Well,
you still have that effect on people, dat you, Chris.
You know that it's those days are over and getting old,
and thank you for you know, um bringing me along

(03:59):
on that journey with you and leading me to a
whole other crazy chapter of my life. Happily. Ever after that,
what's been really special. There's been so many girls have
had really great relationships as a result. Um, Jade's wife
or Jade's mom actually thanked me for for going on
the show and getting her to go on Granchildren. And
then you know when when I was at their wedding,

(04:19):
which was awkward, not awkward, but it was special and
originally like going and doing that was like an ex girlfriend.
You know, Tanner was not keen on the idea. I
didn't know that he was not. But then once you
were there, and obviously he was like, Okay, this guy's cool.
I get it. But we became buds. Yeah, now you're
bus Yeah what Chris, what was your first reaction of Actually,

(04:43):
do you remember that night? Um? I mean I thought
she was beautiful. I mean that was really you really
don't get much more than that. Um. The first night,
I just thought she was absolute smoke show. I remember
a scene and before passed. H this is great under
my favorite moments, and these are like my if you

(05:05):
ask my friends, uh, like they just named it the
later I never put my finger on it. I love
to be an instigator of awkwardness, like the fact that
I can sit amongst something so great that I love it.
It's fantastic. So I'm gonna ask you this. Um yeah,
this could be really fun for me. Um. We have

(05:26):
a lot to talk about obviously during this in depth episode. Chris,
you've people it's not a secret what your life has
looked like in the last two and a half years.
It's not a secret who you are and your career.
I mean, you were the prince farming. Uh, your life
is I don't know if it's felt like this, and
we're gonna get into this later, but your life is
very visible and transparent to the publican has been since

(05:47):
really you were the bachelor on the Bachelor at you know,
for us to have you here, um, it's not only
a big deal for us, because Ashley and I have
made it very clear we love you. You've been a
friend of mine since the moment I was announced of
the Bachelor. I remember you came up, um to the
car that I was driving up to the mansion, and

(06:08):
when we kind of filmed the pre stuff, and you
walked over the car and you just had this warmth
in this um, this kind of you looked into my
eyes and you're like you can do this thing kind
of feeling. And then I remember you saying that to
me because you're so nervous. And I remember somebody you
pulled up in a leather jacket. He is he's a
good looking dude, he has an aura about him and
he walks past my car and I'm like, you gotta

(06:29):
be like, this is who I'm coming after, Like this
is who I have to follow is Prince Farming. But
you do you. You you have us love ability and
comfort about you know, and I'm so thankful that I
know you. Chris, and I hope through the whole podcast
today our listeners will get to know you again. UM,

(06:52):
so let's start the beginning. Ashley and I have a
lot of bachelor stuff to talk about. We'll get into
your life today and over the last few years. I
want to start with this and then I'll throw it
to Ashley. Uh. There was a scene that is memorable
and Bachelor Nation where you and Ashley had your first kiss. Um.
You're sitting on I don't know if it's actually the
first kiss. We need to explain that. You arguing this

(07:15):
is on the rundown. No, no, no, here's the thing.
Here's the thing. So you're sitting on this like railing.
Do you guys remember that our first kiss kiss? I
was thinking then, and this is where this is all going.
At that point, I was like, this thing could work,
like this relationship could work. I remember watching the fancy
this game Corps. At what point did you realize that

(07:36):
actually needed to go home by really jumping in? Um?
At what point? I mean I thought, Yea, the whole time,
Ashley was fantastic. Um, I was so nervous, you just
you just kept crying. There's a lot of times where yeah, yeah,

(07:59):
there are a couple of times where it wasn't about
you and I just what kind of question your mental health?
And you know it's Ashley Christ and she met Jared
mar Jared. So in my head, I'm thinking, all right,

(08:19):
my lifestyle is full of like kind of rough and
like stressful things. I worked like fifteen twenty hours a
day and during harvest and uh, you know whatever. So
I'm literally thinking, Okay, how's this gonna look in northeast Iowa.
If we're in Paradise, we are literally in a mansion

(08:41):
in you know, I know it's emotional. It's not because
it was a bad day. It was emotional or whatever
was going on. But that's that slowly started to click
in my head that probably isn't quite cut out for
the lifestyle that I'm you know, that's what he's that
in the bad Lands. He said like, I don't think

(09:02):
our lifestyles are compatible. And I was like, but you're
giving Britta chick to look at her party, but she
really now like probably she's a very calm life style,
and um, hello, she's pregnant. So Britt Nielsen is pregnant. Guys. Yeah,
so Ashley, did you agree with Chris? Yeah, I mean

(09:22):
not in that very moment, but like two days afterwards,
you know, yeah. Um, but I'll always remember on our
first group day, I had, like I won the tractor race,
so I had like an extra twenty minutes with him,
and he talked to me about harvest season for like
twenty minutes, and I was like, Wow, this guy loves
his job and I have no idea what he's talking about. Actually,

(09:47):
just there with a smile on belly chain. I was
wearing a bathing suit in a belly chain. Okay, you
know what though, I but I watched that as a
fan on TV before I even knew I was, and
I was like, oh, that's Aisle, Like Ashley, I can
she's the she represents style. Thanks. I mean, I had
some pretty dope outfit always looked spot on. Well thanks

(10:09):
for clarifying that. I really have always wondered. Uh, you know,
I met actually as a friend first. So when when
we started this podcast, we really met each other and
I met actually his friend and as a friend. I
was like, I love this person. We can get along.
And it's been two and a half years. I wondered, though,
from your perspective as somebody from mine, when you met
Ashley for the first time, what that reaction was, because

(10:29):
I remember watching on TV. I was a fan of
both of you for I mean still in but like
just a fan from as a viewer standpoint. You forget
that I came in after you, So I watched you
both in my home. I remember the scenes that you're
in and now look at me here, I'm just sitting
in the middle of some some blushing and awkwardness. Sometimes
I do that too with Nick, because I watched you know,

(10:50):
Andy season, and I was so obsessed with Andy season,
and I think about like all the feelings I had
about Nick being like, you know, a villain and stuff,
and now to for him to like give a speech
at our wedding, it's like that guy I watched on
TV be like such a well, you know when we
had had when we were at Jaden Tanner's wedding, meeting

(11:13):
you as a friend afterwards, Yeah, that was fun. It
was so much fun. And you know, for you know,
our meeting first was physical attractive attraction for me. You
know that was you know, you really don't get that
much time to get to know each other to a
certain extent, but yeah, and then going to just getting
to know you as a friend, and yeah, she is
really cool. And didn't really have that opportunity because emotions

(11:36):
were so intense, especially for you. I mean it was
intense for me obviously, but for everyone. I shouldn't even
say just for you, but he cried a lot. Yeah,
I get it. You wore your heart on your sleeve,
and I was just made it uh, really challenging. But
I was difficult, far difficult, more difficult than I thought

(11:57):
I was. You know that. I came home from taping
that season and I was like, you, guys, I did
such a good job. I wasn't gonna be so cool.
It's like I could be my best self. And I'm like,
I watched I thought I was, Um, I wanted to
add one more thing, but yeah, at the wedding was
definitely when I first started like talking to Chris as
a friend and I'm like, this guy is awesome. Like

(12:19):
I feel like I got to know you more in
that day than I did, like on the entire season. Yeah. Um,
all right, yeah, so that's that's I guess that's all
I have to say about my time with Chris off
The Bachelor. Um, this has been great for me. Um,
I really enjoy these moments. But we're gonna take a break.

(12:40):
When we come back, Ashley, Chris is gonna just grill
you on everything, Batch, their World, Dance with the Stars,
your friends from the show. You're gonna have to really
pull back some memories. Let's let's get nostalgic, um, and
I'll take over leading you up today. So hey, let's
take a break. We'll be back with Chrys souls. As

(13:02):
most of you know, I'm hosting The Bachelor Live on
Stage with Becca Koufan, kicking off in Mesa on February.
This is gonna be an awesome evening for Bachelor Nation,
and we're heading all over the country. Seriously, We're not
just going to the big cities. We're going everywhere. If
you're in the audience, it is gonna be so much
fun to experience what you love from the TV show

(13:25):
in such an intimate and live format. Plus, you're gonna
have a say in the Rose ceremonies for the first
time ever, and if you're looking for love. One local
bachelor in each city will have the chance to meet
ten sensational women on stage for the beginning of a
new journey the potentially hey find some love. How does

(13:46):
this happen? Well, Beck and I will guide the bachelor
and help him find the woman he's most compatible with
through three different group dates and challenges that allowed women
to showcase their personalities. There's gonna be the first Impression Game,
a hometown scenario where the ladies reveal what life would
be like beyond the final rows and yes, even the
fantasy suites. Now is the time to get your tickets

(14:11):
to come see Becca and myself live on stage and
here us share our stories from our experiences on what
life is really like at the mansion and behind the
scenes perspective on the whole show. So go visit Bachelor
Live on Stage dot com and get your tickets now.
This is the perfect night to grab your Bachelor Monday

(14:32):
watch party crew and go have a blast in your hometown.
I really hope to see you there. So now, I've
been reflecting on this and I got so annoyed when
they put that I was from Wayne, New Jersey on
your season because I just grew up in Northern Virginia.

(14:55):
I was like, I lived in New Jersey for like
a year before Latch. I was like, put northern Virginia.
But now I see why they did that, because like
it was the perfect opposite to your Iowa farm guy
was like the Jersey girl with the big eyelashes. All right,
let's talk about some of my friends on that On
that season, you had a season where so many girls

(15:19):
came out with marriages, Me, Carly, Jade, Um Caitlin had
a very long term engagement and Um, is there anybody
you know that Julia is marrying and she's engaged to
Evans brother, So in some way they wouldn't have met
if it weren't for you too, Whitney Whitney. Whitney obviously

(15:43):
got engaged to you, and subsequently, do you think that
she would have not been with her husband today? If
oh I didn't say that, I guess I wasn't referring
to that. But I mean, there's just a lot of
girls that have actually gone on to have successful relationships.
And I don't know if has that anything to do
with me, per se, but but we want to thank
you again. Well, you're welcome. Thank you for joining me

(16:06):
on adventure. How do you look back on that season,
that season of TV, but also that season of your life,
your six months engaged to Whitney Bishop. Um, it was
an incredible experience. I mean getting to meet so many
great people. I mean a bunch of great women, all
of you. Um, and then you know, producers and people

(16:28):
that I have lifelong relationships with. Then you know, it's
changed my life quite frankly, Um, I look at the
the experience was overwhelming, and you know, nothing I ever
felt like I would ever experience in my life. You know,
going on the Batch Wherette was in itself something I
never really thought would happen. I can. I can still
remember the day that the producers called me after my

(16:50):
sister had submitted me and thought, well, there's no way
they're getting considered me to go on this show, but
I'll go through the gasting process. This is These are
true thoughts, I mean, are the perfect like thought for
like a bachelor, a bachelor producer. They're gonna be like
farm handsome farm guy from Iowa, come on now perfect.
That was not my head space. I was thinking, who's

(17:11):
going the you know it's supposed to be these guys
in the city that have cool careers. I don't know what.
I never really watched the show, so I didn't really
know what they're after. But I know my challenge and
challenges and dating were always a result of like being
a farmer. You know. I always felt like, go to
the bar and meet a girl, She's like, what do
you do my farm? And then it's like, well, I

(17:35):
live an hour from here. When I'm gonna see you again,
I don't know, be could be never. Uh, So that
was always a challenge in my life. And and meeting
people was was a big you know, it was it
was very challenging because I was living in the middle
of nowhere and and so having the opportunity to to
just be around such really cool people and and uh

(17:55):
meeting all these great women and who was overwhelming, and uh,
every day it was like a gift, you know. Waking up,
I was like pumped, you know, I was. I think
I read an article by Chris Harrison that said I
was the hardest working farm or hardest working bachelor that
he's ever had, because I was just pumped for the
opportunity and and uh, and it was just exciting, you

(18:19):
know it was not work for me. It was like,
it's a lot of hours then you can relate and uh,
just and being able to meet such incredible women that
that you don't have the opportunity to meet on a
daily basis in what in the career path that I
am involved in. So, yeah, it was it was great.

(18:40):
I don't know, that's what else I can say. Actually,
I've talked about a lot, and I wonder if I think,
out of anybody, you would be the one to answer this,
because actually I've kind of bounced back and forth and
we've talked about it and discussed it. But the question
really comes down to me when I'm hearing you talk
and when actually and I've talked about it, did you
realize that you had so much to offer a partner

(19:01):
like that you were desirable not only because you're a
good looking guy, but you do have a great job.
You you you can't support a family, um, you are considerate,
like you do have these things to offer. But before
the Bachelor, did you realize that you had those things?
Or was this kind of a new wave in your
life where you realized for the first time only cow
like I'm desirable, you know, I always felt like I

(19:26):
had a lot to offer to a certain extent, but
I always felt like there was like that baggage. I
always felt like I had a like I was had,
you know, like I had the level of baggage of
being in in the middle of nowhere, Iowa. And you know,
I made it very vocal and that the show made
it very up front that that was always a huge

(19:46):
concern of mine and having having that as a you
know something that you know, whatever I had to offer
was was discounted because I had all this had something
that that nobody really wanted, was being in you know,
in a small town where there's nothing to do to
speak of, and um, I find, you know, love the place.
I love everything about it, but I do, you know,

(20:06):
find it tough to be single and and uh young
in that area. So it was, you know, whatever I
thought I had to offer, which is nominal, but I
I thought at all you always always I was insecure.
Actually yeah, I was gonna say that, very insecure about that.
Um so it sounds like you're insecure about you know,
dating there. But you did have three relationships, like you

(20:29):
mentioned earlier. Can you tell us about those relationships briefly?
About how you met those girls in Arlington. They in Arlington, Iowa. Yeah. Actually,
when I say three, I'm probably including Whitney and that.
But um so they two before the show, I had.
I dated a girl for seven years. We started dating
at the University of Iowa State where I finished up

(20:52):
my my last two years of college. Um and when
I got there and like, I gotta finding a girlfriend.
I got to marry this girl and lock it down
because otherwise I'm screwed. When I get back to Arlington,
there's nobody there. Um So I we we tried to
do that, and uh we dated for through college and

(21:13):
then once we graduated, she got a job and it
ended up taking her to California. Of course, kind of
by choice, kind of by like choice, my choice, because
she didn't want to be in Iowa because she maybe
didn't want to be with you forever. No, she wanted
to be with me, but she didn't want to be
an Iowa. Okay, yeah, so uh she she um excuse

(21:37):
me a little bit. Um So she took this job
out in Uh. If I'm the first one that burb done,
probably we've done some weird stuff. I'm not like laughing
at a judgment. I'm just laughing, like, good, we're comfortable.
Uh yeah, we'll get more comfortable as we oh here. Um.

(22:01):
But yeah, so she ended moving out to Monterey, California.
For three years, we did long distance, and finally she
the deal was she was going to come back and
I'd have to move away from the farm about forty
five minutes to a normal size city and uh and
buy a house and do with all that. So she
came back and yeah, so then we came back where

(22:26):
she came back to small town Waterloo but white, why
to be with you? Okay, So then what happened We
moved in together and then you'll do at that point,
we've been together for five years probably how old are
read at this point? Twenty four guess? And yeah, so

(22:47):
we dated and then uh it was sort of like,
now that she's back here, it's kind of like, well
it's just time to probably Yeah, and that we did
that and you did get engaged. I'm sure I knew
this at some point. Yeah. So anyway, that was all

(23:08):
maybe a little rushed and and uh didn't work out.
So there's about seven years of being together. Wow that
relationship ended? Um, and uh so a single for a
little while and then get into another six months relationship. Roughly,

(23:29):
Maybe that was more like I don't remember where'd you
meet her? Um, okay, but I mean like around Arlington. No,
so I was so I stayed in Waterloo after my
previous So Waterloo has a significantly higher population than Arlington's.

(23:50):
I'm only saying this because you have been talking about
how like there's truly no one to date in your
city or your town, and um, I think it's I think,
listening to all of this, I'm realizing all over again
because it was very evident in the moment, but I
haven't thought about it for years, how much you truly
wanted to find a white from this process, Like there
was no doubt that Crystals was there for the right reasons,

(24:12):
because all you wanted to do the right reason sort.
I always talked about how much behaved that phrase. But
all you wanted to do was come out, do the
show and then bring the perfect wife and start a
family in Arlington, Iowa. You had no other ambitions of
getting into Hollywood, absolutely none, absolutely none. It was it

(24:33):
was that was, you know, like after I got done
with a bachelorret um, he became sort of you know,
you start getting people on social media and all over
the place sending letters, and I mean, I've got letters
stacked a foot high of people that wanted to meet me.

(24:54):
I'm like, Dad's like, well, what do you need to
go on the Bachelor for? You got all these girls
that are reaching out to you. I'm like, I'm overwhelmed.
How am I supposed to How am I supposed to
fly all over the country and meet you know, random
letters writers that you know I can't do that. So
I think this is a good way to facilitate that process.

(25:16):
And because he was scared because I was leaving during harvest,
and so I was scared because I was leaving during harvest,
and and uh, that was my biggest concern with the
whole thing, was leaving harvest. I remember That's what we
talked about it. You're like, I can't believe I'm not
here for this part of the year. Scared the hell
out of me. Scared the hell out of me. Um,

(25:37):
but it's been It was a good thing because I
end up hiring a my my cousin to full time
to take over. He was the only one who I
felt like he actually could help facilitate a very intense
time of the year. And uh, he did a great
job and he's been working for me ever since. So
uh but yeah, I feel like I'm got kind of
lost and in a conversation. But anyway, we like that here.

(26:02):
But I do want to just uh flag something. You know.
I talked about how you did it and you want
to go right back to Iowa, which seemed like something
that Whitney was totally down to do. But then you
decided to do Dancing with the Stars. So why did
you decide to like indulge in the Hollywood sparkle for
a little while. Is it because, like because it was

(26:22):
such a cool opportunity kind of like the Bachelor, and
there's a lot of money in it if you get
far um and then you know, something to tell the
kids on someday. Right. Yeah, for me, it was I
mean being paid was important. That was important to you know,
to offset like my time actually back at the farm. Um.

(26:42):
And uh, but I really loved the idea of the
opportunity just kind of like my competitive spirit. You know,
I grew up being an athlete. I've always been uh,
you know, some something I've always been passionate about and uh, Yeah.
It was just an exciting opportunity to put yourself out
there in a weird way. And I think going on
the batch Herb gave me like a little little uh insight.

(27:05):
You know, there's a little bit of adrenaline involved to
you know, being involved in something different that you know.
At that point, I spent thirty two of years in
my life farming and being an egg real estate literally
nothing else. And my first time being in l A
was landing there on on a you know, the first

(27:28):
day casting, you know, so it never lived in another city.
I've never lived in another state, you know. So it's
like I kind of had my hallway passed too, you know,
roll with it a little bit, and uh, I thought
why not? You know. It was funny because when I
m I was talking to like I had some representatives

(27:49):
or like meet people that were helping me with like
media and all that stuff, some PR people and there
from Iowa, and and uh like I'm like, I got
an offer to do Dancing with the stars, and it
just went silent on the other end, and they're like
because they're thinking, you know, this guy just needs to
come back and farm, which is what I really wanted
to do. But then I'm like, it's gonna gonna get

(28:13):
paid this to do this. So the Stars is a
lot better money, you guys than the Bachelor. Just letting
you know, um, And then I have one more question
before I throw it over to Ben. Obviously, Dancing with
the Stars can't ruin single handedly of relationship. It did
not ruin Nick's relationship with Vanessa that was already not

(28:34):
going to work out, and like your relationship with Whitney
wouldn't have worked out whether you did Dancing with the
Stars or not. But do you think it accelerated the breakup? No?
I think it actually was gave us a better opportunity
to transition and actually be um, get to know each
other in real life. You know, we were able to
come She she came out and she lived there. She

(28:56):
lived here in l A And and uh it really
was uh a lot better than her coming up to
Iowa because it just would have been like really rough
for her to live in Iowa during the winter and
have been so cold, and she would have been uncomfortable,
and then she would have been like, oh wow, I
really want to get out of it. Yeah, it's hard

(29:16):
to put in perspective what what it's like where I'm from.
I mean, it's not it's a great place. I love
it and i've but it's uh, it's a great place
to raise a family. It's not necessarily a great place
to date. You know, there's not either. Rod and Cows
is a is a bar restaurant that serves really great
deep fried rotten cows. Okay, I was like rotting. I'm sorry,

(29:42):
I must not be Rod and Cows. But you know,
there's just not a lot of places to socialize. You know,
most everybody is older and married with kids, and not
that that's a bad thing, but there's just not a
lot of young people and things to do, period. So
it puts a strain on any relationship, I think, especially

(30:04):
a new one when you're used to living in Chicago
or you know. It's that's always been my concern always
and and uh so it puts a lot of pressure
on the relationship for it to be like I'm only
what I can be, you know. And so it's like
you can't like, if she wants to hang out with
her friends, it's gonna be tough to meet friends, you know,

(30:27):
in arling Den, Iowa. And she did have friends in
l a yeah, yeah, and she had friends in l
a and just friends in Chicago, and then we could
have kind of done long distance like back and forth,
but just committing to that that being she living in
the same apartment, she could have have things to do
during the day while I was dancing and doing what
I was doing, which is it's just a job at

(30:48):
that point, you know, So it's no different than normal life,
only you're actually having social things to do, and you
can not have that stress of being like Chris when
you're gonna come home because you're working and I have
nothing better to do than worry about how long you're
gonna be working. Have you dated anybody since Whitney? Nothing serious? No,

(31:09):
I've not really had a girlfriend. I've been on some dates,
but I've never had a serious girlfriend. I know, you
get nast all the time. Welcome back to the bachelor world, obviously,
you responded with Andy Dorfman. Um in New York City?
Is there anything there? She's been a great friend for
a long time. Actually, I mean we've we've hung out
a few times. We hung out after Charlene and Andy's wedding,

(31:30):
and um, yeah, just a great friendship. She's super cool. Um,
and and we can have cool conversations and and uh,
but no, I don't think there's anything like romantically there.
But it's a friendship. I mean, why do you think?
What do you think it is? That? And I mean

(31:51):
how many years has it been now? Since Whitney seventeen?
I think, Um, I mean really it's been what five years?
I think so five or six? Feeling yeah, what is it?
Why a you dated in five years? Well? Um, honestly,

(32:12):
I think you can relate to this, sound Ben, But
like that first couple of years of two three years
after the show, it's like, Okay, that didn't work out,
that relationship didn't work out. Now you have this whole
different world that's just thrown at you, like put right
up in your face, and then you have no time
to even think, you know. And I've rolled with it

(32:32):
to a certain extent and try to a certain extent
and try to make the most of all those opportunities,
whether it was charitable or financial. I did. I did
as much as I could to build on on those opportunities.
And uh, I felt like that was the right thing
to do, you know, And relationships weren't top of mind,

(32:54):
and you know, obviously there was. I feel like it
was the top of your heart. Though I feel like
it's still truly was your first number one priority. It was,
I mean it still is. It's just like it became
really complicated after after your life changes, really becomes complicated.
At that point, I really didn't even know really what

(33:15):
I was for a person that I wanted to be with. Right.
I spent my whole life knowing, I'm I want to
get from A to Z, you know, And then I
went from my life went from A too like some
other planet that I wouldn't recognize, right, And so now
I'm like regrouping, and like, what what what does my
career look like? Now? I don't know what I'm even

(33:36):
gonna be doing tomorrow or that in the next three years.
I knew I basically as soon as I was born.
I knew I wanted to be a farmer. I was
either going to be a farmer or play in the NFL.
And even if I was going to play in the NFL,
I was going to be a farmer outside, you know,
I would have money to be exactly. So I knew

(33:57):
I was always a very goal oriented person. And then
and and that's I felt like I had an established
lifestyle that I knew I could bring a wife into
and we would be able to go that direction, have
kids and all that stuff. But then throw the bastroom
there and it just changed everything, you know, and so
you're sort of regrouping and figuring out, you know what,

(34:19):
how do you even be somebody when you don't really
know what you're general life is going to look like
for the next ten years. In that time, did you
ever think that maybe it'll be best for me to
not live in Arlington and like to not live in Iowa,
to like really give a city city life a shot

(34:39):
for a while. I've always kind of thought it would
be nice to be able to have like dual citizenship,
you know, have a have a place where I can
afford to eventually afford to have like a home in
a city, and also have my farm and be able
to jump back and forth. So on your season, I
was like, it's okay, if we do end up together,

(35:01):
I'll just have to take monthly trips to New York.
That's aggression. That's what I told Andy. I told her.
I told her that, and she's like, well, I know,
we can do back and forth and we can do
long distance and this and that when did you tell
and this? I'm kidding it might have even been off camera,
but yeah on her season and uh she didn't buy

(35:23):
it clearly. But I mean, yeah, that's always sort of been.
As my life is evolved, I've realized that, um, you know,
the women that I'm attracted to aren't necessarily from you know,
small towns generally, And not that that's anything wrong with that,
but like want to live I just want to live
in small towns. I mean I want them to want

(35:44):
to live in small towns, but you know that the
I want somebody who wants to have you kind of
get out of the comfort zone a little bit and
then come back to a small town and then still
have that dynamic of wanting to be in a city
for a little And I like being in cities every
once in a while, you know, but I like having
still like having that the farm as well. So, um, Chris,

(36:10):
before we wrap up the whole um, you know, Bachelor saga,
I just wanted to know, like just straight up, why
didn't it work out between you and Whitney, because we
know that it wasn't because of Ganza with the Stars.
What it was it that you found out about each
other after you left the show, that you were just
too different. Yeah, you know, I've been asked that a

(36:32):
million times. What's that? No, it's it's fine. Uh. And
I don't know that there's really a single thing you
can put on that. I think that you go through
that whole process and it is a fairytale environment, you know,
and you don't necessarily get to learn, uh, you know,
what type of interaction you're going to have together in

(36:55):
real life. I think that as much as anything, like
just waken up and be like, Wow, this is real,
you know, and then uh, then you you take it
one day at a time and feel like if there's
that chemistry or if it's not there, it's not there,
and you move on. And I felt like, she's super
great girl. It's a ton of respect for him. I mean,

(37:15):
I'm glad I chose her. Honestly. I felt like that
was logistically and for me when you talk about even
having a chance to make it work at that time,
she was the person that was the one and uh,
and I think you know, you kind of get caught
up in all of all of the uh, the with
the cameras and that the pretty dates and all of that.

(37:38):
But after that, you really then you then you get
to figure out if there's chemistry there, and there was
to a certain extent, I think just as a friendship
sort of level. Um, and I think we were in
a friend zone for the most part. Interesting, Well, you
did just say logistically you felt like you had the
best chance. Did that mean that emotionally that you're possibly

(37:59):
with somebody else? Maybe Becca? Because I know a lot
of people watch that finale and they thought his mind
is with Whitney, She's the smart choice for his lifestyle,
and um, but it seems like Becca is the one
that is just not ready to jump into this, but
the one that he's ready to jump in with. And
that's uh, you know, that's a million dollar question. You know,

(38:22):
how do you even decipher? I mean, I cared deeply
for both of the girls, right so, and I think
that's them sitting here with the guy that said he
loved two girls all right now, this is to create
awkward situations for you too. So I mean I was,
I was. I mean, then those are those feelings are real?

(38:43):
I mean, those feelings are real. So, um, I made
the best decision I could with the information at hand.
You know, it's kind of that's life in general, and
uh uh you know, and then it's uh, you go
through the whirlwind of of the show and then you
wake up to the whirlwind that is life and it changes,
so you figure it out. And at that point, uh,

(39:08):
we did the best we could and and then it
wasn't there. Okay, Okay, real last question after you ended
things with what Ne, did you ever think, Oh, maybe
I can take it slow with Becca and dat her
in real life because you were both single at the time.
I can't say I didn't cross my mind. Okay, Yeah,
is that you're lying to yourself at um, you know,

(39:30):
there's a level of like kind of crossed that path
and we went down that road and and for some
reason it didn't happen and for whatever, life happens for reasons,
and and uh so I felt like, you know, she's
a fantastic person, super attracted to her and and uh,
I think a lot of her family and it was, yeah,

(39:50):
so many great things. You and her dad have a
nice little camaraderie. Yeah, her dad and brothers, and you know,
I'll still talk to talk to all of them, and
uh yeah, So it's but you know, I think there's
just everything happens for a reason and just keep moving forward.
And uh, yeah, that's the best best answer I can
give to that. You know, it was a lot here.

(40:11):
I want to touch on, um, Chris, because I mean,
you have I think some of the stuff that you say.
I don't know if the listeners know this or not,
but some of the stuff you've pointed to are the
things that you and I most shared in common. Is
my first time to l a for casting. Um, I
come from a super small Midwestern town, Like this was
overwhelming for me. Nobody got it, Like everybody's confused by it.

(40:34):
And then we end up here in our life seems
to kind of explode, take some turns, makes massive changes,
and for the most part their unexpected changes. And that's
what I want to talk next with you, is some
unexpected changes that have happened both of our lives that
have caused our past to no longer look like they
did five years ago. Before we get back with that stuff, though,
I want to take a break, uh, and we'll come

(40:54):
back with Cristuls. We've been catching up with Chris Souls
talking about his life on the Bachelor, his decision to
be the Bachelor, going to dance with the star, it's
his past relationships. Um, all these things, Chris, and tell
me if I'm crazy. But I've known you for years now.

(41:18):
You're a friend of mine. Um, we've spent in the
last couple of years time together. All of these things
that we talked about, these questions, are you right? Okay,
let me let me get let me speak to this clearly.
Here's what I found out. I want you to tell
me if I'm wrong. When we talked to you about
the Bachelor, we talked to you about your relationships, when

(41:38):
we talked to you about dancing with the stars, and
we talked about all these things, it doesn't we don't
get to know you as a human any better because
I feel like there is this level to you. It's like, yeah,
this has all been a blessing innocence and it's great,
but it's not me. This is not me. And so
we say these things, we talked about these things, and
I when I sit here and listen to it, but
this isn't the friend I know you're. You're just answering
these questions like I want to dance with stars to

(41:59):
get Hey, of course, you did, like, who wouldn't I
want on the Bachelor hopefully find a wife. It didn't
work out, but your life has so much more depth
behind that. And one of the things that it's consistently
marked you since I've known you is a level of
insecurity beyond what I can imagine you. You carry this
insecurity with you with it's where you're from, or that
you're just a farmer and and honestly, as a friend,

(42:23):
I've never been able to ask you this, but I
wrote it down as I was hearing these questions. Where
does that come from? Uh, you know, I think past
relationships quite honestly, just like uh, you know, yeah, I
think the past relationships. I've just always known that, um,
the hottest girl in the in the bar is not
going to be interested in the farmer and or or

(42:45):
going and visit. You know, they want the guy that's
got a loll street job. You know, that's my always
been my like, not that I've always been interested in
the hottest girl, but you know, kind of like the
one you're most attracted to, the one I most attracted to,
or the person that's that that's that has all those dynamics,
that's not you know that's got like eight is he
like everything you want and and she's driven and she's

(43:08):
has it. You know, she wants a career. You know,
those those kind of things are you know people. I
feel like every person wants to marry up right, and uh,
the perception of a farmer and marrying up I mean,
my sisters all married everything, but a farmer. My first
serious relationship, the one for seven years. She told herself

(43:32):
that she would never marry a farmer because her dad
was a farmer. So you know, and we had to
do long distance. We did all that she wants, you know.
So I think I think it's relationships. We kind of
created that. All my buddies moved away from the farm.
You know, all my best friends, they're in cities with
their happily married wives and great families, and you know,

(43:53):
so I've seen as as I've grown up, everybody wants
to get the hell away from the farm. I stuck
there because I love, I'm passionate about the business that
I'm involved in, which is farming. And uh, but I
work with you know, the guys that I work with
and on a daily basis or fifty plus years old,
generally speaking, I mean, they're starting to be some younger
guys that are getting in. But um, the women that

(44:16):
I run into are at the courthouse and and uh
the U. S d. A office, which is a government office,
and they're all, you know, generally speaking, in their fifty plus.
So you know a lot of people meet people in
life through work or whatever, or you know, going out
for dinner, going out to for a drink or whatever.
There's not really those places to go where I'm from.

(44:40):
And uh so it's just very tough. And I've got
all my sisters are are in cities, and you know,
I've had that experience and been been to you know,
at that point prior to my experience and the Bachelor
had just in a taste of it to know that
the girls that I want to date are more like
my sisters. You know, they don't exist where I'm in

(45:01):
the you know, vicinity of where I'm at. Right, So, um,
is this a narrative that you Is this a narrative
that was proven true to you at some point? Is
it just consistently like, Hey, in the back of your mind,
you're thinking at some point when I could say I'm
a farmer, this is your passion and you're a good farmer,
like you're you're you're a terrific farming You're in a

(45:22):
great operation for me. You know, It's interesting because what
you don't know is I sat in that card at
that day. And what I'm talking about is when we
pulled up to the Bachelor mansion the day before I
became the Bachelor, and we did this pre tape thing
where Chris comes in and gives me advice. I think
Shan Low and Mesnick was there as well. And I
sat there and I go, if I could only be

(45:43):
Chris souls And I'm not saying that, like, I meant
that because you had something tangible that you were good at.
You had a skill set you could talk about. You
had the swagger in the looks you pulled up in
that car, you got out in your leather jacket, and
I was like, I'm a software salesman and I'm not
even good at it, like and I know it and
and so it's interesting to me. And I want you

(46:06):
to break that down that I can sit from a
distance walking into the same place as America's bachelor. Right,
It's not true, but it's promoted as most desirable man.
That's single, you know, in the country, and I can
sit across the table from crystals and go, if only
I had what he had. I don't. I don't. I
shouldn't be sitting at this table and you're looking around,

(46:26):
going if I only had what maybe I had Because
I was a software salesman in a big city. You know,
I'm super proud of what I do, and I love
what I do. Um, I think the insecurity is more
on a on a level of well, it's hard because
a lot of people don't understand what I do, and
it's hard for them to appreciate, you know, what it
what it is that I do. So a lot of

(46:47):
people get just lost in like the word farmer, and
they're like, well, you you why aren't you wearing uh
suspenders and and uh, you know, have a piece of
straw hanging out of your mouth. You know that That's
kind of what happens when people hear the word farmer,
and like, it's so much more than that super dynamic.
Our business is super technical and and it's it's but

(47:10):
it's hard to relay that message because it's like most people, unfortunately,
they're at like a first grade level on what farming is.
You know, and I feel like I'm talking to a
first grader when I'm explaining what we do. So it's
like and then by the time I you know, sort
of you know, like you I'm sitting here explaining to
you what harvest is and what it's all about. Actually

(47:32):
uh and uh, you know, it's like it doesn't nothing
really is clicking. And I'm like, actually just happy to
be there. You though, it's not just like out in
the field you run a big Yeah, it's it's full
on business. I mean, I I right now, I do
a lot of stuff from my cell phone in my
laptop and and have employees and we do. I feel

(47:53):
like I could farm all over the country without um
actually being there. So it's it is a business. I mean,
it's a super technical business, super opplicated. UM. But people
don't understand that it takes about it takes a while
to really fully gain that knowledge and and I'm I'm
very proud of what I do and and uh, but
it's it's uh, I think the insecurity is not is

(48:16):
you know, the people's lack of understanding. That's one thing.
After the show, I've really made a concerted, concerted effort
to just help educate people because they finally had a
platform to sort of educate people on what we actually
do and how how important it is to our culture
and how our country and and uh, because it's there's
a lot of we're three percent of the population as

(48:38):
farmers and uh, you know, when when the first country
was first founded, almost a hundred percent of the country
had was was actually doing their own farming. They were
sub subsistence farmers. And so we've gone from to three
percent a lot. It's still three out of every hundred
people are a farmer. Yes, I mean that's that's that

(49:01):
math adds up. I still feel like you don't run
into three people are not or in New Jersey you
got to go to those fly over states. Actually you
realize what I'm talking about. That's where the disconnect is.
And I would say that three percent is it is
probably inflated because there's a lot of people that are

(49:23):
sort of hobby farmers and don't necessarily do it for
a full time career. I got a garden. Would you
count me as a farmer? You know you you've seen it.
You see my garden, I've seen it. I'm gonna say no,
it's gardener. You're a gardener in security sits at both second. Um, Chris,

(49:44):
we're gonna switch gears here for a bit. It's not
a secret that we're going to talk about the incident
that happened on A seventeen. Um. We're gonna walk through
this really slow. UM, because Chris, one of the things
that that actually and I desire to do is for you, UM,
but not together, just have a conversation about what's going

(50:05):
on it I can imagine. Um, it's drastically changed your life. UM.
We've talked this whole podcast about all the things that
have happened to you in five years, the Bachelor, Um,
the Bachelor at Dancer with the Stars, I mean, your
your life exploded to an unforeseen place. How has April

(50:30):
affected you in your life from that point to today? Yeah,
it's been been been a tragedy, a tragedy that two
families were we're caught up in and uh in an
unavoidable situation that that uh, you know, the words can't

(50:55):
really describe how challenging it has been. I'm sure for
both my family and uh and uh the uh the
other people involved, UM and uh, the lows have been
really low and UH, but we're uh, we've we've stuck
together as a family, and in both families, I feel

(51:18):
like are are having an opportunity to heal and um
and as much as humanly possible from something that you, uh,
you really can't you really can't heal from. UM. And
I know that you know that. Uh, that first six

(51:39):
months was was probably one of the lowest points in
my life. UM and something that I'll i'll I'll never
forget and I still struggle to to move on from
UM something I think about forever ever every day and
we'll think about forever and uh and can't can't say

(52:03):
enough how how much I could take that evening back. UM.
I think both both parties involved wish wish that evening
hadn't occurred. UM. But life is about not what the
tragedies that you've been through. It's what you do afterwards

(52:25):
and how you move forward. And Uh, all you can
do is pray and work hard and focus on being
a better person. And I guess that's the the whole
focus on It's been my focus in the past two years.
And uh, well can you continue to do that and

(52:45):
UM and appreciate the little things in life and and
try to uh, try to get better. You know, it's
been two years since uh we've heard from you. Chris
and Ashley and I both I truly want to want
to say that we're thankful that that you're here today.

(53:11):
But I'm imagining that this is not a conversation in
a topic you expected to be having in your lifetime.
What has two years been like having this kind of
defined in a sense most of your life? Yeah, you know,
you always hear about fatal accidents, you know, and you

(53:33):
hear about that happening to somebody and think about how
how that could impact impact their lives and how it
is going to impact their lives for the rest of
their lives. And they've got to think about that, and
you think that will never happen to me, and You'll
never be involved in something like that, and and uh,
you know, let's I just you know, you feel horrible

(53:55):
for them, and you feel like, how are they gonna
live with that? How are they going to deal with that?
You know? And uh, you know, whether it's the family
that's dealing with the loss of a loved one or
the person that was actually involved in the accident that
that resulted in, uh in a fatality you know how
they're gonna mentally manage that, and uh, you know, how

(54:23):
how do you move on? And how do you? How
do you? How do you? How do you? How do you?
How do you even think? You know? That's that's how
I felt the last two years, and um, how do
you even how do you even know what to feel?
I mean, it's you gotta wake up every day. You
can't just stay in bed. I mean, I can honestly

(54:45):
say there was a period of my period of after
the accident that I didn't want to get out of bed.
Didn't want to there was no hope left in life
for me. I was I thought it was, you know
that severely so verily depressed and scared and you know,
just there was no there's nothing left to live for

(55:08):
you know, so you but you took one day at
a time. Luckily have a family that's super supportive and
um friends that that gave everything they could to keep,
you know, keep my head in a in a relatively
good space. And but I mean, there was I'm not

(55:33):
gonna lie it was obviously. There was not obviously, but
there was moments where you didn't think it was worth
worth waking up, and you thought you know, it's maybe
maybe you know the worst things that you never could
possibly think I've thought and uh, but that uh you know,

(55:54):
and and when you mentioned something that defines you, UM,
that's the horrible thought that you know this if I
let it, this could define me. And but I don't.
I don't want to let this define me. It's a
part of my life. It's this tragedy that happened. But

(56:15):
I'm I mean, I think the people that know me
the best know that it isn't what defines me. And
and those are the people that that I you know,
that that I that have been standing beside me throughout
throughout all this. So having the mental strength to not
let it defined you and and uh and hopefully as

(56:37):
time goes on, Uh, they'll be closure between myself and
uh the Moser family and that I feel like that
day will come and uh there's only one one guy
out there that can truly judge us and uh, and

(57:00):
I feel like that at the end of the day,
that's where my head has to be. The tough part
about podcasts are you know, you can listen to the
voices of the people talking all the time. UM, but
there's I sit here and I'll I don't know, I'll

(57:23):
try to paint a picture for the listeners. But um,
when there's a head chills, UM, when you said the word,
you said a couple of things there. One was fear
and when you it's very it's very few times in
life when you sit across from somebody that you can
tell has actually been scared about, like scared. And throughout

(57:50):
this podcast today, throughout this this conversation, I don't I
think Ashley and I are going to claim that we
can relate. Um, we're not gonna. I it's impossible for
us to early. I don't want to claim any really
anything except that, Um, it's been two years of hurt,

(58:14):
and we understand that for for you and for the
other families involved, and for your family and your friends
and for people near you, Like it's been two years
of this What would have life looked like a year
and a half ago for you? For me? You know,

(58:37):
it's hard to hard to actually paying a true picture. Um,
you know, just the will to the will to really
get out of bed. Um, just if you just feel
like there's no reason to be around. Um, you don't

(59:00):
have your stuck in limbo with constant legal interactions, Um
that you know, the thoughts of the accident still you
know that never go away. Um, you have have just
everything hanging over your head. Um, it feels like I

(59:22):
felt like a million million pounds on my shoulders, just
not not being able to focus on anything, and really
not having not feeling like you have any motivation to
be anybody or do anything. You know, it's uh, just

(59:46):
constant pain in your heart and your head and and
not being a good piece of person to be around.
Angry at myself, Angry at you know, feeling like I
have let everyone in my life down. Um, and uh,
you know, and caused a lot of pain for a

(01:00:11):
lot of people. You know why we angry at yourself?
I mean it's just it's how can you not feel
that inherently, you know, angry at myself because something bad
happened and it's caused a lot of pain, and I'm
the one left two I'm still here, you know, you know.

(01:00:37):
I mean it's there's nobody been I can probably if
there's anybody who's been in a fatal car accident, the
wishes they were not the one that died as a
result of it. I think they're a liar be a
lot easier, a lot easier. I can't. I mean just that,

(01:01:09):
And the worst is just having the It's I can
take it, right, I can, I could take it. I mean,
I'll take it ill I would. I don't have any
animosity towards all the bs that was said. But I
mean it's a fact that my nieces and nephews, my

(01:01:30):
family had and and their family, Moser family had to
you know, I just had to deal with so much
more than anybody should have ever had to deal with.
And thinking about all that is, yeah, that's that's that's

(01:01:53):
a heavy, heavy thing on ways on my heart and
my head and and uh, you know, knowing that I'm
I like to think I'm a good person and always
do the right things. And I still know in my
heart I did the right thing and all the right things,

(01:02:14):
and and a lot of people jumped to judgment and
we're quick to assume horrible things, and uh, and that
just weren't true. So that was it's a made a

(01:02:37):
bad situation a lot worse for for everyone. You've mentioned
a couple of times now, the support and the foundation
of the people around you have you felt and this
is a two side of question if you felt that's
their nation, not only um, the people involved in this world.
I know you've been now spent some time with Ashley

(01:02:57):
and Jared here recently, and um, we were able to
get to get there, but Bachelor Nation as a whole. Um.
And then also the reaction kind of from the masses.
Have you felt supported what or have you felt isolated?
I can say I felt a lot of support. I mean,
I think I felt way more support than I have
the alternative. I mean, there's been plenty of plenty of

(01:03:21):
people that that that jumped to the conclusions that that
weren't true, and um, but I spelt I felt way
more support than I have I have have not you know,
really there's a lot of people that stuck by me,
and and uh, you know, there was a lot of
misinformation that got out there right away, which was created

(01:03:42):
a narrative that was really tough to get past. And
I can I can only imagine, um, how I'd react
if you know, even one of my best friends, so
I've known my whole life, literally when they didn't He's like,
I didn't know what, Yeah, I know that's not chriss.
He would not do that. And uh, you know, he

(01:04:05):
didn't even know what to think, just based on the headlines.
And uh, imagine being a fan of somebody and then
seeing those seeing some of the headlines that we're out
there and um, so I'm I'm super grateful for the
sport that I those people that did stick in there
and and uh sort of waited to hear the rest
of the story. Um, and I have had overwhelming support.

(01:04:28):
Means a lot. One of the things that it just
confused me about the whole situation as a whole, and
really a new situation nowadays because actually, now I do
this show and headlines come through all the time and
read these headlines, be comment on the headlines. Headlines are
the worst and oftentimes, actually I find ourselves getting into
trouble because the truth of the story is not in

(01:04:49):
the headline, um, but the reaction in the story, the
narrative is created by that headline. Clickba. These days, as
you see these headlines roll through, I mean, I'm not
going to read them to you, but with a quick
Google search you can see even recently, like hey, you
know you since the accident, Crystal shows up on the

(01:05:10):
red carpet, Like even today, these are the headlines out
there and you've seen them. This isn't a secret to you, right,
What is your reaction, especially initially as you wake up
to seeing this across everything? Yeah, I mean I can't
even explain going back to that afterwards. Uh. It the

(01:05:33):
the headlines and the narrative that they were was being creative.
Was you know, I've never been one to read my
own clippings, whether it's good or bad, to speak yourself,
I wasn't. I mean, I just never never bought into
butt into the fame of the Bachelor, I honestly and

(01:05:55):
never brought into you know, I just always knew I
was I'm the same guy that went on the show
that that I am, you know, before and after so uh,
you know, then having that the horrible feeling of not
being able to turn on the television without seeing, uh,
some reenactment of something that wasn't even close to being true,

(01:06:17):
and and uh, you know, the headlines being everything but true,
and you know the people, you know, people you're that
were wanted to be your biggest fan when you were
on top, we're the first ones to jump and and
uh and just carry on a false narrative. And it
was pretty pretty sad, you know watching you know, watching

(01:06:41):
politics and all the stuff that happens today, and how
they you know, how they carry on the narratives with
certain things on either side is you know, it makes
going through what I've gone through, whether it's good or bad,
it's you lose a lot of faith and in uh,
in journalism today. I mean it's just just kind of sad.

(01:07:03):
Then people's attention spans are are that of which where
they all the headlines are there, and I feel like
what actually happened will never really truly be uh be
something that will be carried in people's memories as a
as a result, because it it's the initial report and
then the rest is like Chris, you know whatever, he's

(01:07:25):
that guy that got an accident and did that, and
you know, well, I think it has to lead us
to the question, then, this is your first time really
speaking in two years, one of the first times at
least if this is a narrative you see coming across
your screen, So this is narrative you're hearing. Why does
it take you two years to to tell your story

(01:07:46):
or tell the story? Well, uh, you know, we were
in litigation for two years, so it was there's lots
of things that go you know, yeah, specifically advised by
my attorneys that you know, I just got to get
through this and and hurt. How do you how do
you sit and how do you sit in this time?

(01:08:08):
And like you said, once a naratives created, narratives created, Um,
how do you sit for two years, no matter true
or false? In in silence? Well, you know, for me,
it's like the people that love me, no me, people
that love me, I'm able to tell they know that

(01:08:30):
they're they're able to read through. And the more you
read and if you pay attention to if you read
the full stories and read everything that happened and understand
if you followed the court case, if you understand everything
that was involved in the court case, you know exactly
what happened. And if if if the only thing you
care about is the headlines, and that's and you're gonna

(01:08:50):
judge me based on on just the headline, then I
guess maybe that's You're not that important to me in
my life. I mean, I've never been on a I've
only became a public figure because I was on a
dating show that I wanted to find a wife, you know,
and I want on I went on a dancing show
because I wanted to have fun and dance, and and uh,

(01:09:13):
it was there's some financial incentives to go along with it.
If you know, if if I end up not being able,
if certain people don't like me based on a few headlines,
at this point in my life, I'm I'm guess I'm
I'm I'm gonna stick with the ones that know me
best and are willing to take the time to understand
what really happened. I mean, two years a long time, buddy,

(01:09:38):
are you? I can't imagine two years of what you're
hoping for. Then, at the beginning of this, as soon
as the incident happened and you were advised, hey, like,
let's let's focus on litigation, let's focus on the process.
These things then stretches out for two years, just ending
here a few months ago. Was there any angst or

(01:10:01):
just was there anything inside? You're just starting to get
upset with how long this was being played out then,
because the longer last the the longer it becomes, i mean,
farther away becomes, and then the narrative is just continue
to be created. Right now, It's uh, it was, it
was painful just to you know, painful for I'm sure

(01:10:23):
both sides. Just how long it had to have been
dragged out. And really, my focus wasn't My focus wasn't
like I want to feed back in the spotlight and
have everybody think I'm thinking. You know, the narrative really
became less important to me. It was, you know, the
mental health of my family, the mental health of myself,

(01:10:46):
the mental health of their their family, and letting this
get put to bed and let's all understand what really
happened here and what's the just result, and let's move
on so we can all move on with our lives.
It's not to be like this is over. I want
to tell the world that you know that I'm that

(01:11:11):
this is just an accident. I uh, that's not my motivation. Um.
My motivation was to be able to get on with
my life and and work and and let everybody move
on emotionally, you know, UM speak to a little bit more.
I mean, what were you hoping for in the last
two years. I mean, I think to have reality put

(01:11:35):
back into place. I mean I think even local law
enforcement got caught up in the headlines instead of understanding
what really happened, you know, because they had to do
investigations to figure out what really happened, because uh, they
they read their own breast clippings a little too close.
And so it took a long time for that to happen.

(01:11:57):
And it didn't help that it was having it be
such a high level, uh high level publicity wise situation
that it everybody had to be extra careful and to
handle it with a lot of a lot of detail.
And and uh, you know, a lot of people told me,
if this wasn't you, we've been We've it's been over

(01:12:20):
a long time ago, Chris, let's take a break here.
I think a lot of people out there listening I
probably have a lot of different thoughts, um, but I
think one common theme would be, um, Chris, it's been
too long, and we're glad that you're you're back, and
we want to hear your story. So you mentioned earlier

(01:12:50):
in the podcast about you know, you had to explain
farming two girls you were dating. You always felt like
it was something you had to like get over. Now
do you feel like you have another yet thing to
explain to people when you first meet them and hit
it off with them. Is that worry you Do you
feel insecure about that? You know it's funny. Uh. I

(01:13:11):
mean that's a great question. Actually, I feel like I
feel like a lot of people that UM are interested
in dating are understands what happened. Actually, I don't feel
like I've never really had that awkward judge moment where

(01:13:33):
they're like, what happened? I mean, I feel like if
people really want to know exactly what happened, that the
information is legitimately everywhere, UM, and it's it's super h
relatively transparent, UM, what happened? And so I've never had that, Honestly,

(01:13:53):
I don't. I think that, UM, whether they're afraid to ask,
or it's just uh, or they don't know about it.
I don't know. I've just not know. I've not had
that conversation and I have that's something I don't, you know,
like I don't bring up personally. UM. Ah, So no,
I have not had that be I mean someday it's

(01:14:18):
it's it's not something I'm afraid to talk about with
somebody that's special, right, UM, it's a it's a lot
easier and not not a lot easier conversation. But somebody
I care about or I'm interested in dating, I mean,
it's not a. It's not something a really exciting topic,
but um, of course I wanted to know what happened

(01:14:40):
and and not it's not fun to talk about, but
I'm absolutely transparent with what happened, and and uh, I
have nothing to be ashamed of. I feel like personally
just it's a horrible tragic thing that, um, I am.
I wish wouldn't have happened. You recently came out to

(01:15:02):
l A and you're living here for a little while,
right yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, So I've got a place
here right now, so um, just kind of I've got
this is my second not my second home for for
for here and there for the wintertime, part time to
be here. Um, You've made a couple of public appearances.

(01:15:23):
You went to jingle Ball. We talk you jingle Ball.
How how was it just kind of coming out and
like living your life out of Iowa for the first
time in two years. And how nervous were you? Were
you nervous? Yeah? I was super nervous. I really so
my publicist talked me into doing and I actually was.

(01:15:45):
I mean, of course I wanted to go to the concert.
I was really a concert. It sounded fun. Then She's
like and you got a red carpet, and I'll just
go to the concert. Good. I'm good without the red carpet.
I don't think that's a really good thing for me
at all. Um She's like, you are for sure going
down the red carpet. I'm like, well, okay, I'll give

(01:16:09):
this a shot. Like, I don't think anybody's gonna want
to take pictures of me anyway, so I'll just walk
right down. And that wasn't the case. So uh yeah,
I was super nervous. You know. I used to it
was like old hat to me. I would like, red carpet,
whatever the big deal. I can just snack that out
of the park. But it was a really weird, out
of body experience to go back down and do that again.

(01:16:32):
Um uh, you know, it was kind of it felt good,
it felt weird, but um it wasn't. But it was.
It was scary a little bit. You know. We walked
a couple of minutes after you, and from the vibe
that I got, it seemed like everybody was happy to
see you. Yeah, I mean I was. I'm happy. It

(01:16:53):
was happy to see all a lot of people that
I haven't seen in a long time. And um, I
used to enjoy that, you know, just enjoy those just talking,
you know, and it was it was easy. It came easy,
and and it sort of came easy again. It's like
riding a bike, I guess, but uh, yeah it was.
It felt kind of good. Um. And somebody's asking me like, well,

(01:17:18):
when did you decide to come back out in the spotlight.
I'm like, I really just wanted to go to a concert. Um,
but I guess you know now I'm talking to you,
so this is considered a spotlight. I don't know what
that the defining a spot of a spotlight, I don't
really know, but uh, it was nice. It was refreshing.
It made me feel like maybe I didn't have to
hide hide in the closet again. You know, Chris, we

(01:17:42):
end at every in depth episode, Um, but the same thing,
no matter where you come from, no matter where you've been,
where are you going to? We do the same thing
to any of our guests, because each one of our
guests we believe has a story to tell. Um. So
we leave it with you to close. I could imagine
there's I don't know how many people out there listening.

(01:18:03):
One person, I bet your mom will listen to this,
she's a very supportive mother. UM, two a million people,
it's been two years since they've heard from you. UM,
send them off and then uh we always close it
the same thing that we do in every podcast. But
this is your this is your stage to tell any

(01:18:25):
of the listeners, UM what you want as we say
good bout you. Wow, this is a big stage. I
didn't wasn't ready for this. Man kind of throwing me
off my game to create awkward moment people's stages when
they're not prepared. Oh gosh. I mean, the obvious is

(01:18:46):
it's been two years, and uh I have gotten uh
an immens amount of support uh from a lot of
Bachelor fans. I mean I've I've it's been a really
tough Now. I'll be the first one to admit that
I can honestly say that that's I've been through a tough,
tough situation where I don't know you know, I I

(01:19:08):
don't know how you actually would have supported me after,
you know, for a certain period of time with the
headlines that were out there, but people stuck by me.
And I've gotten countless letters and uh countless prayers, Uh,
whether it's through direct message or UM or or actual
written letters. Uh. Just and I feel the support from

(01:19:31):
from many people and bastination and and and the people
fans from Dancing with Stars, you name it, and then
just just personal friends and people that surround me and
care about me. And uh and I can't thank thank
everyone enough for all of their support. UM. I don't
know if it's always deserved to a certain extent. I'm

(01:19:53):
I'm I'm just, I'm I'm completely um humbled. But you know,
throughout my whole experience that the fans that came out
to support me because I'm a farmer or whatever, and
then going through one of the the absolute worst periods
of my life. UM, to have people stick behind me

(01:20:15):
has been humbling and really really grateful and uh and
hope to hope to be able to be supported in
the future and and do do some things to help
help everyone in this Uh that that that has supported me. Uh,
I don't know, learn more about agriculture or something like that.

(01:20:38):
We'll see, but he loves farming. Chris, weind like this
follow our lead. UM. This has been the almost famous
podcast in depth with Chris Souls. I've been been and
I'm Chris kind of I've been Chris's Bowing, The Bennett

(01:21:02):
Ashley I Almost Famous podcasts on I Heart Radio or
subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.