Here's What Brandon's Up To After The Bachelorette

Warning: Bachelorette finale spoilers follow. After a whirlwind of a season, Michelle Young’s search for love as the Bachelorette has officially come to an end. Unfortunately, as with any reality show love quest, one person’s happy ending means heartbreak for others, and during the Dec. 21 episode, runner-up Brandon Jones learned that firsthand. While you might still be crying over the couple’s tearful goodbye, knowing what Brandon’s doing after Michelle’s Bachelorette season could help ease your own broken heart. Let’s do a deep dive into what everyone's favorite traveling nurse has been up to since parting ways with Michelle.

Heading into the Season 18 finale, it was clear Brandon was all in with Michelle. In fact, during a Nov. 23 1-on-1 date, Brandon actually asked Michelle’s parents for permission to propose, if he made it to the finale. And then during the couple's fantasy suite date in Week 8, Brandon told Michelle he was in love with her, and “until [his] last breath, [he] would put [her] first.”

While all of that could have been pointing toward a love match, viewers know it could have also been pointing toward something else. After the pair’s hometown date in Week 7 — when the world met/thirsted over Brandon’s brother, Noah — Michelle mentioned Brandon was becoming one of her closest friends.

This is sweet, of course, except after their fantasy suite date, she once again talked about how they had major BFF feels. Even though she *probably* meant it as a compliment, fans were afraid things were entering the friend zone. Heading into the Dec. 21 finale, it was clear Brandon was head-over-heels for Michelle. After once again visiting with her family, Brandon said he would be honored to join her fam, and both Michelle’s mother and father expressed the same sentiments back.

Later on their date, the couple finally shared officialy “I love yous,” and in a talking head interview, Brandon said he was going to marry Michelle — which was very cute, but also very sad, because of what happened when he tried to propose. At the final rose ceremony, Brandon told Michelle he would be “the luckiest man” to walk the earth with her, but Michelle said that despite her love for him, she was being pushed in a different direction. They shared final “I love yous” before he packed up his bags and broken heart and left the competition.

Even though it was an extremely emotional breakup, it seems like Brandon is managing. While Michelle’s season aired, Brandon continuously posted promo photos of himseld and Michelle, which means there hopefully aren’t any hard feelings between them. In fact, after pulling Michelle aside on the Dec. 14 episode to assure her of his support, Brandon posted to Instagram with a caption saying: “There is a bigger picture than just getting a rose, we are all people at the end of the day and in the end, we all need somebody there for us in these life-changing decisions,” Brandon wrote. “I wasn’t there for a rose at that point, I was there for my best friend.”

During the live “After the Final Rose” special on Dec. 21, Brandon said he “wasn’t OK” when he got eliminated, but he still thanked Michelle for teaching him how to be vulnerable in a relationship. And even though Brandon said he still loved Michelle, he said it was a respectful type of love and he wished her and Nayte the best in their relationship.

While his elimination was definitely devastating, it looks like Brandon and Michelle are still on good terms, as are he and the producers of The Bachelorette. On Dec. 15, Brandon posted about his friendship with producer Scott Marcin, saying Scott had become “one of his closest friends.” Considering how much the fans, the lead, and the producers love him, who knows? Perhaps Brandon will be going back to Mexico next year, this time to look for love on Paradise.