Getty A close-up of an engagement ring at an event.
Quite a few successful couples have come out of “Bachelor in Paradise” since “The Bachelor” spinoff debuted in 2014, and some pairings have been quite surprising. Perhaps one of the most unlikely success stories involves Dean Unglert and Caelynn Miller-Keyes, who connected during season 6. As Us Weekly detailed, Unglert broke up with Miller-Keyes on her birthday during filming, but he later returned and asked for another chance. They have been together since then, and they have talked openly about getting both engaged and married. However, Unglert frequently says things about his relationship with Miller-Keyes that later need clarification, and that was the case when he recently discussed engagement rings. She joined Unglert and Jared Haibon for the June 26 episode of their podcast, “Help! I Suck at Dating,” and she had a lot she wanted to say about this and their relationship as a whole.
Here’s what you need to know:
Miller-Keyes Was Sick of the Feedback She’s Received
Miller-Keyes said, “The main reason I wanted to come on here is because Dean keeps saying ridiculous things about our relationship.” Unglert was taken aback by her statement, and she was quick to clarify. “Well, maybe not ridiculous, but the headlines are ridiculous and I’m getting sick of the trolls coming into my DMs telling me that Dean is a bad boyfriend, so I just wanted to set the record straight.” The “Bachelor in Paradise” star insisted as a couple they are strong, and she cautioned others, “Don’t tell me there’s red flags because there’s not a single red flag” in Unglert.
She admitted she had not expected Unglert to talk about their pending engagement on the podcast, though she backed up her beau. Miller-Keyes said she thinks “buying an engagement ring for a woman and the man being fully responsible is ridiculous.” She noted the couple discussed the ring expectations thoroughly and insists he did not demand she buy him a truck in exchange for an expensive ring. Ultimately, she thinks what they landed on is “a good compromise.”
Unglert Doesn’t Want Them to ‘Need’ One Another
Unglert admitted it’s tough for him to “buy into” something he doesn’t “necessarily agree with or believe in,” referring to engagement rings and weddings. He clarified it isn’t the “concept of forever” he resists, but it’s the commercial side of it all. Getting married at all is a big compromise in his mind. “I don’t need to get married. Do I wanna get married? I don’t know. But the fact that Caelynn wants to get married is enough reason for me to want to get married to Caelynn,” he explained.
He also explained that “I don’t want us to need each other.” Unglert shared, “I want us to want each other, I want us to love each other,” but he balks at the idea they would become co-dependent on one another. He explained he didn’t want “to feel guilty about going skydiving or going to Pakistan for three weeks,” and he’s been “trying to drive that home to the best of my ability.”
A Dual Proposal Is Coming
Despite what he said in the previous podcast, Unglert has bought an engagement ring for Miller-Keyes. In fact, he bought it right after that previous discussion. He admitted at the time he was “venting maybe too honestly and candidly” about the ring issue, and they both plan to propose to each other. Miller-Keyes is having a ring for Unglert made right now, and it sounds as if an official engagement is coming sooner rather than later.
The “Bachelor in Paradise” pair acknowledged there have been a lot of compromises incorporated to make their relationship work. Miller-Keyes said she believes she got “the better end of the stick” and that her “compromises haven’t been as hard as his.” Unglert also feels he’s needed to compromise more than his partner, and he noted this relationship is “uncharted territory” for him as it’s the longest he’s been with anyone. Miller-Keyes admitted some of what Unglert said previously embarrassed her, but she readily stepped up to defend him against the critics and “trolls.”