Inside The Bachelor’s Grant Ellis’ Relationship With His Parents

The Bachelor star Grant Ellis’ parents are his biggest supporters. During his run on Jenn Tran’s season of The Bachelorette, the New Jersey native got candid about his relationship with his father, which has changed over the years amid his dad’s struggle with addiction. Additionally, Grant revealed that his mom was responsible for kicking off his journey on The Bachelor franchise.

The Bachelor’s Grant Ellis Opened Up About His Dad’s Addiction

Grant got candid about his father’s struggle with addiction during The Bachelorette season 21 in 2024.

“My father has been an addict for, like, 30 years. Addiction is a hard thing because, you know, growing up, my pops was everything, like, he was my superhero,” he told Jenn, recalling how his dad would be intoxicated without Grant’s knowledge during outings when he was a kid.

His dad ultimately decided to enter rehab after a job loss.

“[He] checked into rehab, and ever since that, we had a talk and he was like, ‘Listen, son. This is the first time that you know the real me when I’m not intoxicated,’” Grant continued. “So I’m, like, really leaning into that. So now, he’s, like, a little under two months sober, so, you know, I hope he holds strong. And it’s his first time living, too.”

Grant concluded that his “mission in life is to be the man that my father wasn’t.”

Though it may have seemed on the show like his relationship with his father wasn’t in a good place, the day trader revealed that it was quite the opposite during an August 2024 appearance on “The Viall Files” podcast.

“Yeah, I love my father to death, man, and he did the best that he could,” Grant told host Nick Viall. “It’s his first time living too, and he has this trauma and he just took a certain route and I don’t want him to ever think that I’m, like, bashing him or putting him out there, but you know, this is, it’s my life story.”

Grant continued, “And my relationship with my father is great. I’m super proud of him for the progress he’s made, where he’s come from and what he’s doing now. Yeah, I just want him to know that he did a good job.”

Grant admitted that he “didn’t always” feel that way about his father.

“Growing up, sometimes you may harbor resentment, but then when you’re in the position where you’re letting somebody down, then you realize that you could be trying your hardest and sometimes you’re gonna make mistakes. So looking back at it, I can’t hold myself to a different standard than somebody that’s let me down,” he said.

Grant concluded, “So it’s like, I can’t really be mad at my pops for that, I gotta just kind of let that go and just roll with the punches and just try to help him along his journey.”

He continued to speak about his relationship with his father as season 29 of The Bachelor aired, and he reflected on his decision to mend their relationship during an interview with Us Weekly in February 2025.

“When you’re a kid, you think your parents could do no wrong. But then you grow up and you start to realize they’re human, they make mistakes, they need to learn and grow. I’m proud of my dad and where he’s at. Throughout the course of the season, you see my relationship with my father come into play,” he said. “[At the very end], he comes back and gives me some really solid advice — that’s something I’ve been looking for my whole life, and it’s something that helped me get over the edge to make my decision He’s able to come back in my life and help me when I need it the most.”

The Bachelor’s Grant Ellis Revealed His Mom Signed Him Up for ‘The Bachelorette’

The former basketball player has his mom to thank for his Bachelor journey. He revealed on “The Viall Files” that she was the one who signed him up for The Bachelorette, and his participation in the show ultimately led to him becoming the next Bachelor.

“I remember she literally called me, I’m in the middle of my trading routine in the morning and she called me, she’s like, ‘Oh by the way I signed you up for Bachelorette so if you get a call, you know, make sure you answer,” he recalled, explaining that she signed him up after she watched The Golden Bachelor.

“And I’m like, ‘Are you serious?’” he added. “So, they ended up calling me, and then, things just progressed. And here we are on ‘The Viall Files.’”

Grant also celebrated his lead casting on The Bachelor with his mom when he found out about the role.

“I’m just calling to let you know I was selected to be the next Bachelor,” he told his mother over the phone in an August 2024 promo video for The Bachelor.

His mom could barely contain her excitement on the other end of the call. “No way! Are you kidding me? Tell me you’re kidding. I’m so excited! I’m so happy for you!” she replied. “Congratulations, son.”

Grant added, “I hope grandma and everyone watches the season with you.”

The Bachelor’s Grant Ellis Revealed What His Mom Taught Him About Love

In February 2025, Grant continued to share insight into his relationship with his mother by revealing what she taught him about love. “What I learned from her relationship [with my dad, Robert] was that love is a choice, but you have to know when enough is enough,” he told Us Weekly. “Love has to be reciprocated.”