How Former Bachelor Grant Ellis Navigates Comments About Juliana Pasquarosa Relationship (Exclusive)

For former Bachelor Grant Ellis, navigating online comments about his relationship with fiancé Juliana Pasquarosa can be “tough.”

“Whatever people have to say, they’re always going to talk. So just lead with love,” Grant, 31, exclusively told Us Weekly at the Wednesday, May 21, Bringing the Beach to Beverly Hills to Rebuild Malibu event. “That’s what me and Jules do really well. So whatever people say, they don’t really know like that.”

Grant gushed that he’s been enjoying “really settling in” the relationship with Juliana, who he got engaged to in the season 29 finale of The Bachelor. The pair are eyeing a destination wedding in Italy, where Juliana has family roots.

“We were in DR on my season, so we’re going to do something for Jules and be in Italy,” he said, noting that their special day will include “really close” friends and family. “We’ve been through a lot with the show and the public opinion, so I think the people that know us and love us, we’re going to have a nice close wedding. It’s definitely going to be extravagant, but it’s going to be just family and friends, people that know us and love us.”

While Grant popped the question, the pair have plans to redo the proposal closer to their wedding day. As for when that wedding could actually be, Grant did not have an answer for Us.

“We’ve been taking our relationship just day by day, honestly. She is a person that has a lot of support with family and friends. She’s spending a lot of time with them and with me,” he explained. “We’re just now getting into taking things slow, moving together now.”

As he gears up for wedding planning with Juliana, Grant showed up to support the Los Angeles community and pal JD Slajchert — who he also noted as someone who leads with love — at the Bringing the Beach to Beverly Hills to Rebuild Malibu event.

“I think showing support for LA and showing support for the community is big, and to have somebody spearhead an event like this and kind of show me what LA is about,” he noted. “I’m from Houston. So it is been really important to do that and to give back. And that’s what this is all about and that’s what JD is all about. So it’s a really big thing for me.”

Grant explained that the couple have plans to team up with JD to raise awareness about addiction, which is something near and dear to their heart.

“We’ve both been through that and with JD’s help and his philanthropy, we’re going to do a lot,” he said. “So this is the first of many endeavors that we’re going to go on. Look forward to it.”