Who is the Beekeeper? ‘Love Is Blind’ star Rob Feeley reacts to ex-fiancée’s surprise romance
'Love Is Blind' Season 11 brought an unexpected name into the spotlight at its reunion: Matt Waldrip, better known as the Beekeeper. His connection with Michaella Giorgio became a major talking point after she revealed they dated after her broken engagement to Rob Feeley. Now, Rob has shared his reaction to their relationship and explained why he nearly avoided the reunion altogether.
Matt earned the Beekeeper nickname because of his work with bees. He was one of Michaella's connections in the pods, but she ultimately chose Rob. After their engagement ended, however, Michaella reconnected with Matt away from the cameras. Their brief romance became a central topic at the reunion, particularly because the two had different accounts of what happened. Matt said he had fallen in love, while Michaella described his account as an exaggeration.
Speaking to Variety, Rob admitted that learning about their relationship was not entirely easy. “To be completely honest, it stung a little bit. No pun intended,” he said. He added that Michaella was free to date whoever she wanted, even someone from the cast. His initial response, he recalled, was, “I hope they're happy.”
Rob's appearance at the reunion came after a difficult period following his on-screen breakup with Michaella. He admitted that facing the cast and viewers again was not something he was looking forward to. “But who wants to go in front of America and be a punching bag?” he said. Ultimately, he decided to attend because he felt Michaella deserved an explanation for his behavior during the season. “Out of respect for Michaella, I owed it to her to come and talk,” Rob explained. He also said he did not want to leave her to face the reunion without him. The contestant acknowledged that his actions had hurt Michaella and said he had since sought professional help. Reflecting on their relationship, he described her as “an incredible human being” and admitted that he was not prepared for the pressure of the experiment.
Rob said he learned that Michaella and Matt had started seeing each other around seven or eight months after filming. He did not contact either of them, explaining that it was not his place to interfere. He admitted he was surprised by how their confrontation unfolded. “I didn't know the Harry Potter stuff, the chicken cutlets,” he said. He added that Matt initially came across as complimentary before the exchange took a different turn. Despite their history, Rob said he still hopes to remain cordial with Michaella. “I want her to live the best life ever,” he said, adding that he would like them to be friends.
