Erich Schwer, Amanda Kaylor and Gabby Windey. ABC; Courtesy of Amanda Kaylor/Instagram; ABC
Bachelorette bombshell. Season 19 finalist Erich Schwer is no stranger to controversy — and he once again found himself in hot water when texts between him and ex-girlfriend Amanda Kaylor were leaked last week.
In the purported text exchange, which was published online Thursday, September 15, the reality star — who is Gabby Windey’s final suitor — chose to appear on the show while he was still in a relationship with Amanda.
“I know this isn’t ideal, I wanted to do this to see if there was something else I could do with my life. I really like you Amanda,” he allegedly told the mother of one in a series of text messages that were leaked on Thursday, September 15. “I didn’t think it would be a big deal but I understand how you feel, I’m sorry and I understand if you don’t want to see me anymore.”
Amanda was stunned at Erich’s audacity. “You just expected me to continue dating you while you go on a reality show to ‘find love,’” she reportedly questioned her then-boyfriend, whom she dated from January to March.
“I am sorry I really didn’t think this all through. … I didn’t realize the implications,” Erich allegedly responded. I am sorry I thought we could get on the same page about this. I really didn’t mean for this to hurt you.”
The aspect she was most shocked by, however, was Erich’s “lack of honesty,” Amanda exclusively told Us Weekly ahead of the Tuesday, September 20, Bachelorette finale.
“I feel like it was something that he maybe had in his mind longer than … obviously I found out right before [he began filming] and just the fact that he was continuously seeing me, staying at my house,” she explained. “He let me introduce him to [my son] the week leading up to that. … In my head that’s kind of messed up to do knowing that that’s a potential option.”
Amanda Kaylor Amanda Kaylor/Instagram
Amanda added that she also doesn’t believe Erich’s claims about when he found out that he was selected for the show on March 10. “I was just blind-sided and hurt,” she told Us.
The pair’s relationship was “very intense,” Amanda revealed, despite the fact that it was “short-lived” and the two never put a label on it. “We were obsessed with each other,” she shared, claiming that “every single day that month he was texting me, ‘I need to be with you, I need to see you.’”
Despite the heartache, Amanda, who told Us she will not be watching Tuesday night’s finale, ultimately wishes Erich nothing but happiness — as long as he’s genuine in his romance with Gabby.
“If him and Gabby are for real, and he moved on and found someone, then I’m happy for him. I just hope that this isn’t just part of his plan to gain something from this because I mean, he really had me fooled,” she told Us, adding that if she were the Bachelorette co-lead, she “would be questioning [the relationship],” and asserted that Erich went on the reality show with “bad intentions.”
While she doesn’t know what — if anything — her ex told Gabby about their relationship, as long as “she knows the full truth and still wants to be with him and they’re happy then I wish them all the best.”
The Bachelorette season 19 finale airs on Tuesday, September 20 on ABC at 8 p.m. ET.
With reporting by Diana Cooper