“Nancy from ‘Love Is Blind’ Reflects on the Unexpected Turn of Events with Bartise and Shares Their Current Status”

In an exclusive conversation with PEOPLE, Nancy Rodriguez shares her viewpoint on the present state of her friendship with ex-fiancé Bartise Bowden and highlights her uncertainty regarding its advantages.

In the season 3 finale of Love Is Blind, Nancy Rodriguez had no idea the amount of drama that would unfold on her wedding day with Bartise Bowden. As viewers witnessed, Nancy, 33, happily said “yes” to Bartise at the altar, only for him, 27, to reveal that he couldn’t reciprocate those feelings and declined to marry her. The heartbreak was evident as Nancy stormed out of the room, with Bartise chasing after her in an attempt to have a private conversation. Unfortunately, their moment was disrupted by Nancy’s angry mother, leading to a tense confrontation. Nancy’s mother and brother returned to confront Bartise, resulting in a heated exchange.

Despite experiencing such intense emotions and having her heartbroken, Nancy shares exclusively with PEOPLE that she has moved on from Bartise and they now maintain a “respectful” relationship. After the wedding, they took some time apart to process their feelings. Nancy explains that at the time, she needed to protect herself and her emotions, as she was completely blindsided by Bartise’s rejection. Upon rewatching the episode, Nancy gained clarity on the situation and understands how it unfolded. She hopes that one day she and Bartise can be friends, perhaps when he reaches his thirties, but currently, she doesn’t see any benefit in being friends with him.

During their eventful wedding ceremony, Nancy’s mother continuously interrupted Nancy and Bartise’s conversation. She even went as far as to tell Nancy that Bartise was not ready for her, stating that he couldn’t handle who she really was because she was too much for him. Nancy’s mother didn’t hold back and called Bartise “stupid,” causing Nancy’s younger brother, who was initially skeptical about their relationship, to break down in distress and confess, “I knew this would happen!”
When Nancy and Bartise finally managed to steal a moment alone, Nancy expressed her shock to Bartise, exclaiming, “I never thought you would say no… you completely deceived me.” In response, Bartise defended himself by stating, “I didn’t have a clear answer coming into today… If I’m uncertain, that’s my answer.” He later suggested giving their romance a second chance, but Nancy swiftly rejected the idea.
“You didn’t choose me, but I chose you… It’s a straightforward matter. I won’t backtrack,” Nancy retorted, while also revealing to the camera, “My heart is shattered, completely broken. He took me by surprise… There’s no point in loving someone who doesn’t love me.”
When asked about her family’s reaction by PEOPLE, Nancy disclosed, “My brother understood Bartise because they are around the same age. When [Bartise] said no, I had to suppress my emotions and I even reassured Bartise, saying ‘It’s okay.’ Those were my first words once we stepped outside. So my mother and brother fought the battle that I couldn’t fight in that moment.”

When asked about any regrets from their experience on Love Is Blind, Nancy states that she has no regrets for the most part. She believes that the person she went through the experience with was the right person for her, and she wouldn’t change that. However, if given the chance to do it again, she wouldn’t choose a 25-year-old partner. On the other hand, Bartise expresses that he has no regrets about his time on the show and sees it as a valuable learning experience. He admits feeling embarrassed and ashamed while watching himself on the show, but he appreciates the opportunity to learn and grow from it. Regarding Nancy’s family’s reaction, Bartise understands their anger and emotions, as he would feel the same way if he were in their shoes. However, he was frustrated that they prevented him from having a conversation with Nancy to explain his thoughts and reasons behind his decisions. He acknowledges that their feelings were warranted because they were protective of their loved one. Despite facing criticism for moving on quickly after the wedding, Bartise shares that he and Nancy are currently acquaintances rather than in a romantic relationship. Their relationship on the show had its ups and downs but didn’t continue as a romantic connection. They have gone from friends to acquaintances to no communication to disliking each other, back to friends, and now they are simply acquaintances.