Carly Tells All

After watching After Paradise, I felt like I didn’t really see Carly and Kirk resolve anything. I felt like she still had questions and I was so curious if she ever got the answers she deserves. Why was Kirk talking about an old girlfriend on After Paradise but never explaining why he brought her up? I knew Carly could answer that question. So I reached out and asked her what really happened with her and Kirk. Here is what she said:

Me: Did you and Kirk talk more after After Paradise?

Carly: We have talked a few times after paradise. Kirk actually had an ex at home that he couldn’t get out of his head…so he went back to pursue what he had left at home. He said the more the weeks went on…the more he felt like he was stepping backwards to her…instead of forwards with me. It hurt hearing that, but gave me a giant sense of closure. And I knew that he was at least listening to his heart…and that’s what we should all strive to do. I didn’t bring this up on After Paradise because I didn’t want to make it about a 3rd party member, and I wanted him to bring it up first and foremost…which he didn’t. I’m not sure about the status of that relationship.
It breaks my heart to see all the hate he is getting. He doesn’t deserve ANY of that.

CARLY’S DRESS IN NAVY

Me: Do you forgive him?

Carly: Yes. I do. I loved him. That’s what you do when you love someone. He will forever be in my heart.

Me: What is life like after Bachelor in Paradise? Are you dating? What are you looking for in a guy?

Carly: I have gone on a few dates in Nashville (where I’m living now) but I haven’t felt that spark yet. But I KNOW he is out there and I will NEVER give up on love. EVER.

ME: You and Jade are close. How happy are you for her and Tanner?

CARLY: Jade is GLOWING. She is so in love it’s ridiculous. Whenever she gets in a funk (mostly because she couldn’t be with Tanner until after the show…) I would say “Jade, go call Tanner…he will cheer you up” and within a second of hearing his voice, she was giggling and smiling . He is her perfect counterpart. He makes her laugh…lifts her spirits….cherishes her. He loves to tell her “happy wife, happy life”. They are the real deal. And I couldn’t be more proud to call them both friends.

After I asked her these questions I sent her the following email:

“I like Kirk and I won’t hate on him but the girlfriend thing make me SO MAD! I don’t know if you watched my season of the Bachelorette but Frank (who might have been my choice in the end) did the SAME thing to me. He stayed until the final 3 and then left me in Bora Bora because he couldn’t stop thinking about a girl he just started talking to back home. I was devastated. But lucky for me, it didn’t work out with him because I met Kevin 🙂 And we just got engaged last week! So think of this as a blessing! Kirk left for a reason so you will find the right guy for you 🙂

What’s even more funny about this scenario being similar to mine is Frank was my final 3 guy and Kirk was my final 4 guy (But we were just fiends FYI). Something about the guys on my season! Ha!

Can’t wait to see what lucky guy gets to end up with you!!! xoxo”

I really do wish Carly so much LOVE! She is the total package and will find a great guy who appreciates that! I adore that she forgives and has so much love for Kirk despite everything. What do you guys think? Are you surprised about the girlfriend thing? Isn’t it fun to hear Carly talk about Jade and Tanner?! Let’s discuss in the comments below!

Follow Carly on Twitter and Instagram!

Oh and I FINALLY found Jade’s After Paradise dress! Get it HERE!

1) JADES DRESS   2) CARLY’S DRESS IN NAVY

24 Thoughts

24 thoughts on “Carly Tells All

  1. It’s unfortunate all of the hate getting thrown Kirk’s way. If you look at the first couple of episodes, all along Kirk seemed really taken by surprise by Carly. I think he showed up at BiP thinking he’d have a good time on the beach for a couple of weeks but instead had this great connection with Carly. Unfortunately, his heart was elsewhere but I hope both him and Carly find what their looking for. What I did like seeing was that they both seem to have handled this break up maturely and aren’t name calling or acting out. They are just seeing it for what it was, a great connection that didn’t work out and no ones fault.

    Keep blogging Ali! I’ve been a fan of yours since Jake’s season!

  2. Awww this is sweet. I am happy that she forgives him because he did really look torn up about the way things went down. I do hope she finds a great guy! Hmmmm – I know someone in Nashville that is single…..

  3. Nothing is ever really over. Who knows? Maybe with space and time, things will resolve itself and Carli may find Kirk back in her life if she remains open to the possibility Maybe nothing will happen but that is why life hands us experiences. We learn from them..Love never dies. I think Kirk was broken hearted and feels bad about the way things played out. I don’t think that he’s a bad guy. I think Jade and Tanner are perfectly suited for each other. It’s always a good thing when love works out like theirs.

  4. Love Tanner & Jade! They seem to be so very in love & happy! I hope everything works out for them.
    Carli & Kirk makes me sad. The rose ceremony before the final dates he looked scared & confused afterwards. I don’t know why he didn’t tell her sooner. That’s what couples are supposed to do is communicate! I don’t blame Carli for not wanting to talk to him. I think the conversation could have been made "short & sweet" instead of drama & an attempt at a long winded explanation.

  5. Kinda’ sucks for Carli that he sucked all her time, and wasn’t vested. She could have tested the waters with other guys. I like her for Bachelorette. She’s sympathetic, which not all of them have been. I’d definitely root for her.

  6. I always wonder why as time goes on you change your story about your season. I always feel you pretend that Roberto never existed. You said you knew he was the one right away and now you say you could have chosen Frank. I think you need to get your story straight. I think you telling Carly that luckily Frank went home so you ended up with Kevin makes no sense. Where is Roberto in there? Yes I admit I watched only because I was a Roberto fan and had he not been there I would have tuned out. But I am just disappointed that the feeling I had from the beginning that you settled on Roberto seems true. He deserves so much better. I also feel like there is some real bitterness there. Oh well. Best of luck with Kevin. I hope you have truly found the man of your dreams.

  7. Everything work out the way it is suppose to….we don’t always understand why things happen the why it does…but when you do find the right person you get it….Ali i have always adored you from Jakes season untill now!!!Congrats on your engagement and may you and Kevin be blessed in your marriage and future together.My heart broke in a million pieces for Carli and i cried with her…she is a strong women to forgive Kirk and that show us what kind of person she is. Kirk’s loss and her soulmates blessing when he finds her hopefully soon…. Jade and Tanner are so made for each other….love them!!!! NOW I just pray that Tenley finds the man of her dreams after Kiptyn broke her heart…She is just an Angel!!! Please can Ben H be the one for Tenley… Have a good day and evening Ali…Lots of love from South Africa,Cindy and Mericke

  8. It’s unfortunate that Carly couldn’t muster the class and grace she showed in her conversation with you when she was sitting face to face with Kirk on national TV. She is partly responsible for the hate he is receiving, yet made only one less than sincere comment about him being a good guy on After Paradise. She came across as bitter and angry, an attitude which no doubt amplified the backlash on Kirk.

    I’m not sure it was her story, or yours for that matter, to tell publicly about his thoughts on another girl. It would have been better and had the same impact to graciously say she forgives him and he will always be in her heart and let the rest alone.

    Together or separately I really like Carly and Kirk and wish them the very best in life and love. No doubt they have both learned a lot from their time together and now apart.

    1. I agree with you 100% Debbie! Kirk tried to explain his feels to her that day on the beach, and apologized very humbly over and over again. She treated him so poorly. She didn’t allow his feelings and thoughts to be validated at all, and she has no right to tell Kirk that his feelings were wrong, when he gave it a fair shot. I agree with you that her answers in this interview should have been her answers and demeanor at after paradise. She was very rude and bitter.

  9. I’m really happy to hear all that about Tanner and Jade. Liked them both a lot on their seasons of Bachelorette/Bachelor. I definitely think they’ll get married.

  10. I am sad about this! I think him going home to another girl is just running away!! He should have just said he wanted to slow it down! I loved them together but think Carly deserves better…and will find it in no time!!

  11. Kirk definitely made some mistakes, but doesn’t deserve all the hate. I still like him a lot. (I have since your season). Carly is wonderful and will find someone special.

    After your first date with Frank I remember saying you should just send all the other men home then and there. You had found your match. I was so incredibly sad for you when he decided to leave and saw how deeply hurt you were.

    But after you announced your engagement I actually looked back and thought to myself that if it wasn’t for the heartbreak you had on the Bachelorette, your path might have been different and you may not have met Kevin. So its proof that everything that happens is indeed meant to be. So incredibly happy for you, Kevin and that gorgeous Owen.

  12. DITTO to Debbie "It’s unfortunate that Carly couldn’t muster the class and grace she showed in her conversation with you when she was sitting face to face with Kirk on national TV. She is partly responsible for the hate he is receiving, yet made only one less than sincere comment about him being a good guy on After Paradise. She came across as bitter and angry, an attitude which no doubt amplified the backlash on Kirk."

    I couldn’t have said it better myself!

    My words ….LOVE JADE AND TANNER! The cutest!!

    1. I hear what you’re saying but you also have to take into account this we watched edited footage. The powers that be will always cut and splice things for dramatic flare. Also, cut her some slack… she was heartbroken! We are not ourselves when we’re in pain. Often times we lash out and say inappropriate things. It’s called being human. 😉

  13. I don’t believe in a ‘sliding doors’ version of love where you only get one chance and if you’re in the wrong place or time you lose out on love. Being with Kirk for (3 wks?) BIP didn’t hurt Carly’s chances for love so it’s good she’s forgiven him and moved on. Carly will meet the perfect match – just be patient! I love my husband 6 yrs later like he is my first love, and we never argue or had the drama I see on BIP – not even one time. True love is easy love. If he is trouble then run, Carly! Nothing wrong with running from trouble. You are smart to do it.

  14. You were the first bachelor/ette season I watched – you have a very lovable charm. As for the Carly thing – never settle for someone that’s not incredibly crazy for you (I wish younger me had taken that advice!). And thank your lucky stars you found out sooner rather than later. Good luck to both of you!!

  15. I loved Carly on Chris Soules season and it hurt to see what happened with Kirk. The funny thing is that I didn’t realize that her brother was the Zak who I also loved on the batchelorette. He found his soulmate and I hope Carly does too! Ali F. has hands down been my favourite batchelorette ever!! So happy to hear of her recent engagement to Kevin .

  16. I hate the whole hate on Kirk thing that is going on. Would you rather the guy run at the first sign of a doubt? Then, you all would be hating him for that. He had doubts but was probably trying to figure out if he was in his head about it or if the feelings were going to be real enough break it off. People do this all the time. It isn’t as if he led her on for years. It was 3 weeks people. Tons of people have summer flings. As for the girl back home, how many of you have broken up only to hear "in order to get over the last you need to move on to the next?" Well, that is what he was trying to do….Move on. So it didn’t work for him and he was still in love with his ex. We’ve all been there. Moving on to the next isn’t that easy when you’ve been in love. This is no different than what Tinely did yet she’s an angel. Why? It’s ok to say, I don’t see a future with you. It hurts, yes, but it’s ok. In fact, it’s more than ok, it’s the fairest thing a person can do. Not lead you on. I’m a woman but dang, sometimes, women just infuriate me with their double standard, man hating stuff. I am glad Carly moved on and forgave. She should have. I understand her being sad and angry…I totally get it but, there is no need to drag him through the dirt when he really did the right thing for both of them in the long run. All women should hope to find a guy who will be that fair and honest when they aren’t feeling it long term.

  17. Hi Ali, I like reading your bachelor commentaries but please please please spell check and grammar check your work before you post it. Read it out loud, that really helps. Thanks so much.

  18. I love Carly! She didn’t deserve what Kirk did. I’m glad that she was able to forgive him. I cried so much when he told her that he wasn’t interested anymore. It broke my heart. They made such a cute couple! Things don’t always work out, but that’s because there’s something better waiting sometimes. 🙂 Stay strong Carly! ?❤️?

  19. I’ll never forget the night Kirk broke up with Carly. I got sick to my stomach was gagging and almost lost my supper. I always liked Carly since Chris’ season. She is real and plain spoken. She is just so reslistic about things and doesn’t ask for more than she herself is willing to give.
    Please don’t laugh…I’m 59 yrs old but enjoy young love or at least an attempt at love. I really admire Carly and know she will find someone who can be just for her. Although it hurt – Kirk did the right thing to let her go since he was not able to commit his love to her due to an old flickering flame. I wish I could just sit down and chat with Carly. I’d want to hug her and comfort her.

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