Getty Jade Roper
Jade Roper opened up about why she didn’t go to Ben Higgins’ wedding. The former “Bachelor” star wed longtime love, Jessica Clarke, last weekend at The Estate at Cherokee Dock just outside of Nashville, according to Entertainment Tonight.
In a post on her Instagram story, Jade shared a message with fans to reveal why she made the difficult decision to change her plans to travel to Tennessee to attend the reality-star studded wedding. Jade noted that she and her husband Tanner Tolbert didn’t end up making it to Nashville “for many reasons,” but she explained that the main reason was due to a death in her family.
“The main reason was my grandpa passing away,” Jade wrote to fans. “I have been surprised how hard my grief has been for me. I’m still really struggling right now.”
Jade added that following her grandfather’s death, she just felt that she need to stay home to be close with her kids. Jade and Tanner share three young children, daughter Emerson “Emmy” Avery, and sons Brooks Easton and Reed Harrison, per Us Weekly.
Jade also admitted she didn’t want to put a damper on the couple’s nuptials.
“I also didn’t want to be the sad person crying at the wedding,” she said. “I’m so disappointed we missed Ben and Jess’s wedding, but I needed to do the right thing for myself. I know I made the right decision.”
Jade Paid Tribute to Her Grandfather on Instagram
Jade was close with her grandfather. Following his death, she posted a slideshow on her Instagram page that featured photos of him through the years, including one of him holding her when she was a baby. She also included a more recent pic with her grandparents. In the caption to the post, the “Bachelor in Paradise” alum admitted that it didn’t feel “real” that her grandfather was gone. She thanked fans for their support.
Jade also revealed that her grandfather was a big influence in her life.
“He was an amazing man and helped shape me into the person I am today,” Jade wrote. “From a very early age, he fostered my love for horses, nature, and writing. He was funny, kind, and loved to teach morals and lessons through story telling. As a kid, I thought he was invincible.”
Jade also revealed that her grandfather risked his own life to save others and that she looked at him as her “hero.”
Several Bachelor Nation Stars Attended Ben & Jessica’s Wedding
While Jade and Tanner were was unable to make the Higgins wedding, several other Bachelor Nation stars did travel to Tennessee for the event.
According to People, franchise leads Nick Viall and Becca Kufrin showed up for the wedding, with the latter star bringing her new “Bachelor in Paradise” boyfriend Thomas Jacobs as her plus one. In addition, fan-favorite couples Jared Haibon and Ashley Iaconnetti and Dean Unglert and Caelynn-Miller Keyes also attended the ceremony/ “Bachelor in Paradise” bartender Wells Adam brought his fiancee Sarah Hyland to the wedding, and he also served as a groomsman during the ceremony.