Maria Georgas, Natalie Joy. Disney/Richard Middlesworth; Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images
Maria Georgas set the record straight after Nick Viall’s wife, Natalie Joy, called her “delusional.”
“To each their own,” Maria, 29, said on the Tuesday, May 14, episode of Kaitlyn Bristowe’s “Off the Vine” podcast in response to Natalie’s comment. “I had said on the podcast a little conspiracy theory that I had. I was saying it in such a joking matter.”
During Maria’s appearance on Alex Cooper’s “Call Her Daddy” podcast earlier this month, she speculated that Nick’s friendship with fellow Bachelor alum Ashley Iaconetti may have contributed to her edit on the series. (Ashley, 36, is close pals with Sydney Gordon, whom Maria had a feud with on The Bachelor.)
Maria noted on Tuesday that Nick, 43, “decided to run” with the theory and think it’s a “serious thing that I actually felt and thought” —- which “shocked” her.
From breakups to makeups and everything in between, Bachelor Nation has seen it all — and it hasn’t always been pretty. Loyal fans of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette often put in the work to uncover secrets from contestants’ pasts as they search for love on the ABC reality franchise. During Matt James‘ historic season, […]
“I thought he would kind of laugh that off, but also appreciate that I was being supportive and giving kind words,” Maria told Kaitlyn, 38, adding that she was just “putting rumors to rest.”
Maria also clarified that she and Nick began talking years ago via social media and were “building a friendship.”
“But had you ever met in person?” Kaitlyn asked, to which Maria replied, “Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, yeah. I know people were wondering. … No, of course we have.”
Maria noted that Nick went on to be the Bachelor, but the pair “always found our way back to communicating,” adding it “was always friendly.”
After Maria’s appearance on Tuesday, she seemingly addressed the drama surrounding her and Nick via her Instagram Story, writing, “Now things are put to rest. Time to move forward and talk about anything else. Love you guys.”
Earlier this month, when Nick got wind of Maria’s idea that he could have played a role in the tension between her and Sydney, he shut down her “bizarre conspiracy” theory. He also admitted he did tell Maria she would become the “villain” if she joined the franchise. (Maria made the claim during the “Call Her Daddy” episode.)
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“That is true, long ago I did tell Maria — because Maria used to always ask me to get her on the show — and I did tell her that I could see her being the villain,” Nick said on his “The Viall Files” podcast. “And somehow that turned into Maria thinking that in my zero free time and not knowing that she was on the show that somehow I made it my mission to [take her down].”
Nick pointed out that Maria was a “fan favorite” of Bachelor Nation’s — and not a villain — during her stint on Bachelor Joey Graziadei’s season 28.
“It’s just giving delusional, honestly, at the end of the day,” Natalie, 25, said.
Maria appeared to slam the remark in a since-deleted Instagram Story earlier this month, resharing a TikTok that read, “You’re so delusional. … My honest reaction,” alongside a video of Drake dancing unbothered.
