Rachel Recchia loves spending time with Blake Moynes — as friends.
Over the weekend, The Bachelorette star was spotted supporting Moynes, 34, at the 17th annual Oceana Seachange Summer Party with Nautica in Laguna Beach, California. Despite walking the red carpet together, Recchia, 28, made it clear that nothing romantic is going on with her and Moynes.
“We went to an event together. Everyone wants us to be a couple so bad,” she said on the Monday, August 19, episode of iHeartRadio’s “The Ben & Ashley I Almost Famous Podcast.”
She added: “I feel like we always address the rumor over and over again. We’re still not a couple. We’re friends.”
Although host Ashley Iaconetti Haibon thought the two “look really cute together,” Recchia (who wore a Meshki dress for the evening) said they haven’t kissed or made out once.
“He’s my most solid guy friend. I go to him for everything,” she explained. “Who would I go to then if we had that weird kiss, and then things got awkward?”
Moynes and Recchia appeared on season 9 of Bachelor in Paradise in 2023. They both chose to exit the show in week four without finding a serious romantic connection.
Since then, the pair have stayed in touch and even went on a conservation trip together after filming wrapped.
“We went to Paradise together. We’ve been friends and have done trips for over a year,” Recchia explained of her relationship with the wildlife manager. “If it was meant to be, I think it would have happened.”
During her latest podcast appearance, Recchia also expressed her support for Moynes becoming ABC’s next Bachelor. Earlier this month, the network announced Grant Ellis would lead the way for season 29.
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When announcing their latest pick on August 12, the network said Grant “is eager to embark on a journey filled with romance, adventure and genuine connections. He hopes to find a partner who shares his values of loyalty, humor and a deep appreciation for life’s simple pleasures.”
From Recchia’s perspective, she “actually was surprised” Moynes wasn’t chosen as the lead.
“There’s always speculation, and I think they talk to so many people,” she said. “I think he would be such a good Bachelor. I want to watch wildlife dates.”
Before meeting Recchia on Paradise, Moynes appeared on two seasons of The Bachelorette with Tayshia Adams and Katie Thurston. Although he got engaged to Thurston, 33, during the August 2021 finale, they broke up months later.
The Bachelor will likely premiere in January 2025.
