Hope Higginbotham: Dating Robby Hayes Right Before The Bachelorette!

Last night on The Bachelorette, JoJo Fletcher expressed serious concerns about suitor Robby Hayes and his ex-girlfriend, Hope Higginbotham.

Well, now we have the real story …

Fans who watched the episode leading up to the hometown dates rose ceremony last night – it was filmed back in May – are all wondering:

What the hell was that all about?!

Robby Hayes and Hope Higginbotham‘s relationship took an oddly front-and-center role in the drama playing out on his date in Florida.

Specifically, when Robby had a conversation with his mother … who told him, in a serious tone, that Hope’s roommate was calling him out.

Publicly. For reasons unknown.

The accusation of the roommate, who Robby calls Alex, is that he abandoned his relationship with Hope to appear on The Bachelorette.

It was all very weird …

The Bachelorette Clip: Robby Hayes’ Ex Speaks Out!

To wit, the All-Knowing Oracle of The Bachelorette spoilers, Reality Steve, states that Bachelorette producers came up with this nonsense.

Why, you ask?

Steve claims the show had Robby’s mom blame it on Hope’s roommate when, in reality, his suspicious breakup was reported by … Steve.

He claims he will publish an email from Hope that proves the story Robby tells on TV is quite different from what really happened, too.

According to Robby, his relationship with Hope was “so bad” that it was over nine months before it was actually over. Yes, he said this.

It’s as shady and vague as that sounds, if not more so. He went to Italy with Hope in November 2015, then they clearly had a nice Christmas:

According to Robby, his relationship with Hope was “so bad” that he should have “ended it nine months earlier,” he told JoJo last night.

But he didn’t – rather, he went to Italy with Hope in November 2015, something quite well documented on both of their Instagram pages.

Quoth Reality Steve:

“Robby & Hope went 2 Italy together in Nov of last yr. But according 2 him, the relationship was so bad, he should’ve ended it 9 mos earlier.” 

“Then a month after Italy, on Xmas Day, they take this pic together,” he adds, sharing the above photo of the twosome from the holidays.

Pretty suspicious given his “nine months of misery” timeline and the fact that he left to film The Bachelorette this spring, wouldn’t you say?

According to one insider, Hope spent more time with Robby’s family “than she did with her own” and would she “loved him and his family.”

Others say that Robby is trying to get out in front of this story and trying to make it look like he’s “worked hard” to be honest with Fletcher.

As for H-squared?

Monday night, Steve promised his followers that he will share the contents of Hope Higginbotham’s email on his blog at some point today.

Stay tuned.

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The Bachelorette Recap: A Place Called Hope Higginbotham

On The Bachelorette Season 12 Episode 8, JoJo Fletcher went on hometown dates across the nation with her four remaining bachelors.

Who survived this week? Were The Bachelorette spoilers accurate?

Watch The Bachelorette Season 12 Episode 8 Online

We’ll get to the elimination shortly, but let’s start from the top:

Kicking off The Bachelorette Season 12 Episode 8, JoJo’s first of four hometown dates was with Chase McNary in beautiful Colorado.

That went well, although all eyes were on the next date.

In Chico, California, she met Jordan Rodgers’ family … after swooning over the controversial frontrunner all season long, of course.

As for the topic we’ve all been talking about – Jordan’s estranged relationship with Aaron Rodgers – JoJo carefully broached the subject.

And he carefully tried to shut it down.

“It won’t come up. It doesn’t need to be a topic,” he said, although the hilarious shot of two empty chairs at the dinner table said otherwise.

Jordan and Aaron Rodgers’ brother Luke didn’t say much, but did divulge, “It’s something we don’t really like to talk about a whole lot.”

“It pains both of us like, not to have that relationship [with Aaron] – we miss our brother. I trust that God brings things full circle,” he added.

Again, we have zero idea what’s going on.

One thing that is clear is that JoJo was still smitten. “[Jordan] is nobody’s brother,” she said. “He is a man that I am falling in love with.”

Goodness, this is going to end so badly.

Next up for JoJo was St. Augustine, Florida, for her hometown date with Robby Hayes and his never-ending supply of pink clothing.

We’re just saying, it’s a little bit unusual.

JoJo loves that Robby is in touch with his emotions, but when you awkwardly tell someone you love her 27 times, is that being emotional?

Or unstable and desperate? Just asking.

Anyway, things got weird, and dramatic, when she brought up her hesitations regarding Hayes’ infamous ex-girlfriend, Hope Higginbotham.

Yes, the one now dating Chad Johnson.

Robby and Hope dated for four years, we’re told, and he broke up with her just before going on the show; JoJo was rightfully concerned.

Strangely, we then saw this scene featuring Robby’s mom, who took him aside to inform him that his ex’s roommate was stirring up s–t:

The Bachelorette Clip: Robby Hayes’ Ex Speaks Out!

Naturally, Robby freaked that Hope’s roommate was planting such stories in the press, so he needed to talk to JoJo about this immediately.

Pressed about the timeline regarding his appearance on the show, and the end of his romance with Hope Higginbotham, he actually said:

“I will tell you right now that’s not true by any means. My relationship with Hope, who is my ex, was over nine months before it actually ended.”

Guy should go into politics with an answer like that.

He explained: “It’s something that I didn’t have the capacity to end it when it should have because I thought changes were going to be made.”

“And I tried to give her benefit of the doubt,” he added, but “I ended it at the end of December, we had a blowup fight and she slapped me.”

Hoooookay then. This sounds 100 percent normal.

Ultimately, despite the inordinate amount of time spent on Robby’s ex, and apparent emotional instability, this all ended rather smoothly.

JoJo’s falling in love with him, she says. Sigh.

Finally, JoJo traveled to Texas for her hometown date with Luke Pell, who seemed like the odd man out heading into the rose ceremony.

Was he, though? Or was a big twist yet to come?

The big elimination was set to go down in airport hangar, with a jet ready to whisk JoJo and the remaining guys on to the next date.

The stakes were high, but Fletcher was resolute.

“I think I need to say goodbye to Luke,” she revealed … until Luke interrupted the start of the ceremony and asked if they could step outside!

What a truly unprecedented, dramatic interlude.

That’s when he finally revealed that he’s in love with her! OMG! No doubt “this changes things,” said Fletcher to the camera, in tears.

TO BE CONTINUED … likely with Luke’s inevitable elimination anyway, within the opening minutes of next week’s episode, but hey.

The Bachelorette‘s contrived cliffhangers are so epic.

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