John Paul Jones, 25, and Tayshia Adams, 30, had an emotional break-up last year — but the Bachelor In Paradise alum is still cheering her on as The Bachelorette! “I have [been watching]. Here and there,” The Bathtub Chronicles actor confessed in an EXCLUSIVE new interview with HollywoodLife — admitting the experience felt “uncomfortable” at times. The exes met on Bachelor In Paradise, sadly confirming their long-distance relationship came to an end in Oct. 2019.
“I felt like it would be a pretty good personal experience [to watch] and from what I’ve learned, it’s kind of like taking an ice bath,” John said of watching the new season, which Tayshia joined after Clare Crawley, 39, decided to exit the show early after choosing now-fiancé Dale Moss, 32. “At first it was really cold and uncomfortable watching your ex girlfriend flirt and kiss a bunch of guys but then you get used to it after a while. I suppose it was a pretty good thing for [my] own personal development. You develop another sense of comfortability with yourself,” he added.
Although John and Tayshia aren’t in touch anymore, the Maryland native wishes nothing but the best for his ex on her search for love — and has a positive attitude about it all. “We just kind of decided to go our own way. Our breakup was amicable — it was pretty rough on me, I wish her the best,” John — who also competed for Hannah Brown‘s heart and made the top 15 — reflected. “I think it was a constructive thing for both of us to go our own ways,” he told us.
Since leaving the reality TV world, John has turned his attention to his true passion: acting. He caught the drama bug while taking theatre classes at the Catholic University of America, stepping into his first role as Philip in Rebecca Ruhm‘s The Bathtub Chronicles. “I’ve always had an interest in film and acting, which developed in high school and in college…. I really didn’t get a chance to deploy the skills that I had developed in college until I went on reality TV and subsequently was exposed to a lot of auditioning and Rebecca’s movie — so I felt pretty comfortable in my craft when the role presented itself,” he explained.
In the Amazon Prime Video film, John plays the on-screen boyfriend to character Robby, who is overcoming a traumatic rape by an ex. “Philip kind of fosters the whole theme of self discovery in the film,” John — who just won the Best Supporting Actor award at the Vegas Movie Awards — said of the role. “The film is really about resilience and finding a way to deal with the trauma that we experience in life. And Phil helps the protagonist to develop coping mechanism for the trauma that she’s experienced,” he added. The movie, which is set to run at the Cannes Film Festival, is a powerful ally against rape culture as it explores Robby’s intensive healing journey.
John has his sights set on more acting roles in the future, but the former reality star would “never say never” to another Bachelor Nation show! “I think it’s entirely possible but I don’t think it’s likely,” he spilled. “I really enjoy the thrill of getting an audition and working on a character. I think it just supersedes anything I’ve experienced with reality TV. With acting, you adhere to the world that’s presented in front of you. On reality TV, you’re kind of trying to make sense of this chaotic environment. I just prefer the environment of the acting environment. It’s just a lot more stimulating,” he also told us. The Bathtub Chronicles is streaming now on Amazon Prime Video.