Why did Tino Franco call The Bachelorette "mean"? Bachelor Nation star opens up about cheating allegations and break-up with Rachel Recchia

Tino Franco got engaged to Rachel Recchia during The Bachelorette season 19 but Rachel broke up with the 28-year-old general contractor after he confessed that he had cheated on Rachel with another girl in front of the cameras. During the After the Final Rose episode, the two almost fought each other when host Jesse Palmer decided to invite Aven, who was a part of Rachel’s final two men, onto the stage.

Aven asked Rachel to leave the show's shoot and hangout with him. She left the stage with Aven, leaving Tino alone. He opened up about the episode on Nick Viall's podcast The Viall Files.

Tino said,

"That was mean, it wasn't very nice. The show, I would’ve thought with them knowing how much I’d been struggling, wouldn’t go there or do something like that."

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The Bachelorette showmakers knew that Tino was struggling after his break-up with Rachel Recchia

Tino Franco was not upset with Rachel Recchia but was frustrated with The Bachelorette showmakers. He further added that the cast knew that he had locked himself in the bathroom one day before shooting After The Final Rose episode.

Revealing that he had cried the whole day in the trailer before the shooting, Tino said that Rachel and Aven could have had a cute moment with each other alone. He could not understand why he was still on stage after Aven asked out Rachel.

He did not want to shoot any B-roll and cried in the bathroom of his trailer because he was overwhelmed.

When Aven asked Rachel out on the show to catch up with each other, Tino thought,

"Why am I still out here? They could have a cute moment, like, why am I here? At that point, we’d been broken up for a month. I was at war with myself for even going to AFR. The pressure was on to go, but it also is like, I feel really bad… There’s no way AFR is going to be a nice look for me."

He revealed that Aven reached out to him after the shooting and apologized for the awkward situation. He further added that he wasn't sure if Aven knew Tino would be on stage when the former came to cheer up Rachel.

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Tino Franco on his break up with Rachel Recchia

Tino Franco revealed some big truths on The Viall Files podcast on October 20 about his relationship with ex-fiancé Rachel Recchia. He said that he did not stand by his actions and that him being with another girl while he was engaged was not fair to Rachel. He revealed that he was at rock bottom and stated,

"It haunts me daily, still. It’s something I’m ashamed of. And certainly, like, wish I could have done it differently, like, a million times over."

He said they were not on a break at the time but had hit a rough patch in the summer. That was when he went out with some friends and led on another woman. The identity of the other girl is not known, but Tino felt that he was not even considerate of her feelings at the time.

Tino Franco also confessed that he did not reveal the truth to Rachel Recchia right away. He went to therapy after the incident and things got better for the couple. Trying to avoid any other situation like that, he said,

"I avoided situations that could have put me in the same shoes — drinking, hanging out with [that] friend group in those situations."

He felt guilty one day when Rachel texted him "I Love You" in the middle of the day when the couple was at their "all-time high" and told her the truth. After confessing, Tino went to many psychologists and said that he was almost 15-years overdue to take the step.

Tino Franco and Rachel Recchia broke up a month before the finale of The Bachelorette aired.