Gabby Windey and Erich Schwer got engaged in Mexico while filming The Bachelorette in May, but a lot can happen in four months! The pair appeared live on After The Final Rose on Sept. 20 to discuss where things stand between them today. The appearance came following some public drama for Erich, including a resurfaced blackface photo from his high school yearbook and allegations from an ex that he only broke up with her to go on the show to further his career.
At After the Final Rose, Gabby and Erich appeared live together for the first time as an engaged couple, and couldn’t have been happier. However, they still addressed the things that had come out about Erich. Jesse Palmer flat-out asked Erich about the text messages he sent his ex before the show, where he said that The Bachelorette “wasn’t real” and that he was only going on to further his career.
“I was taking the cowardly way out [with my ex],” Erich explained. “I led this girl on and used the show as an excuse to not confront her about our relationship. I didn’t see a future, but we were having fun, and it was easy to have fun instead of making the hard decision to tell her it wasn’t long term. I think this is all a testament to me being the last person ever expected to be on this show. I came into this just hoping to make it past night one and see what happens. I’d watched one episode before I came on and was just figuring it out as I got there.”
Erich said that everything changed when he met Gabby and started getting to know her. “I wanted to just spend more time with this person and see where it goes,” he continued. “It’s crazy to watch the progress from [me] being like, ‘Whatever’, to falling in love and end up the happiest ending possible. I wouldn’t change anything. If I could do it a million times over, I would. The one thing I’m sorry for is the beginning of it. I do want to own that. But I love this girl with all my heart. It’s 100 percent real. I never expected it and I want this forever.”
Gabby supported her fiance, although she admitted that things were “hard” at points in their relationship. She confirmed that Erich told her about the text messages long before they were made public. “He wasn’t just thinking about himself and hoping he could skate by,” Gabby said. “He was thinking about me. I think, along the way, it’s been hard, but our communication has just gotten better and he’s gracious and honest. I do believe what he says. Not saying [he] was right in [his] actions — [he] was kind of an a**hole to her, and I’ve said that to him before. But his honesty and willingness to take accountability is all I can ask for and something I want in a partner. When you say yes to spending the rest of your life with someone, it’s not going to be easy, so we’re just trying the best we can to make it work.”