‘The Bachelor’s Maria Georgas On Love For Joey Graziadei And Dad’s Response To Breakup: “Joey Has A Hit Out On Him Currently. He Should Probably Sleep With One Eye Open.”

The Bachelor Season 28’s “Women Tell All” special aired on Monday, March 18, and though members of Bachelor Nation were eager to see the resolution of Joey Graziadei’s Fantasy Suite Week cliffhanger, the main draw — judging by all the signs in the audience and a standing ovation — was Maria Georgas.

From the moment the 29-year-old executive assistant from Kleinburg, Ontario, first stepped foot out of the limo Night 1 to the second she cleared that airplane hangar after her Hometown Week elimination, she captivated, charmed, and entertained viewers. Bachelor Nation also fell in love with Maria’s dad, Nick Georgas, during their Hometown visit. And as promised, Daddy Georgas wasn’t too happy to learn that Joey broke his daughter’s heart.

“Joey has a hit out on him currently. He should probably sleep with one eye open,” Maria told franchise host Jesse Palmer during the “Women Tell All” episode.

Maria clarified she was just joking, but Bachelor Nation may have witnessed one too many Godfather jokes about the Georgas family to believe her.

After watching a montage of her relationships with Joey, Maria emotionally explained, “I think it’s undeniable how our connection was…it’s sad to look at, but I think everything happens for a reason, and it’s beautiful that I get to rewatch it for myself and my family gets to see how happy I was.”

Maria described Joey as “a friend that you want to make out with” and said she felt like she’s known him for much longer than she has. “Him seeing me through everything else that I’ve had to overcome with the women and all that stuff, and him believing in me and trusting me… when I saw he did that for me, I was like, ‘Hey. I’m all in,” she said, recalling the moment she fell for him on their one-on-one date in Montreal.

Though her feelings for Joey were positive from the start, much of Maria’s “Women Tell All” time was dedicated to setting the record straight on the negativity that surrounded her on the show — yes, we mean the ridiculous feud between her and Sydney Gordon (which at times involved Madina Alam, Lea Cayanan, and Jess Edwards).

“When I came back from my one-on-one, I walked into the most silent room I’ve ever walked into. No one was happy for me. No one had a smile on their face…” Maria recalled while calling out fellow contestants’ hateful behavior. Sydney claimed that her “truest intention” throughout the battle was to stick up for her friend, but Edwina Dorbor chimed in to shut that damage control down, saying, “Sydney never liked Maria from the start. I saw it. I was in the house. I observed everything that went on in the house.”

When asked why she felt Sydney disliked her so much, Maria told Jesse, “I really didn’t understand, and I don’t understand… I just get heated when I feel like I’m under attack or I feel like my character is under attack, and I will always stand up for my character, especially when I know I’m not in the wrong and when I was up against the wall I had to protect myself.”

Sydney admitted, “I was annoying. I watched it back. I was annoying. I was so cringey. So I hear you. I said things I don’t mean. We all said things we didn’t mean in the heat of the moment, so I don’t blame you for any of it and I just think that moving forward I should have been more resolution oriented instead of pointing the finger at you.”

Maria appreciated the apology and said, “The hate that you have been getting on social media has crossed the line and it is something I do not condone or respect at all. Lea, you as well. I don’t want you guys to get hate. That’s not what I wanted out of this, I wanted us to be good.”

Lea apologized to Maria as well, and the three hugged it out in front of Bachelor Nation, bringing a satisfying conclusion to Season 28’s most confusing drama. Here’s hoping we haven’t seen the last of Maria. She was born to be on the screen and The Bachelorette is calling her name.