There will be no "til death do us part" for The Bachelor star Brad Womack and funeral director Shawntel Newton. Following her elimination, the Chico, Calif., resident, 25, spoke with reporters about taking Brad to meet the parents, the thrill of putting him on her embalming table and finding love – she swears! – on reality TV.
A majority of your hometown date took place at the funeral home. Weren't you worried you'd creep him out?
I thought I might as well lay my cards out on the table. This is my job. This is what I grew up around and if he wants to get down on his knee and propose, he should see what I do. It's the final test almost to see if he could handle it.
Your family took your willingness to move to Austin for Brad badly.
I always thought I would stay in Chico and take over the business so it's never been brought up. It was a shock to my family ... They were hesitant because everything came at them at once – me saying I'm in love, I might be leaving this lifestyle we have in Chico, moving out of state. But Brad's from Austin and wants his wife to be there. I was falling in love so I was willing to move.
Besides being concerned that he'd take you away from them, what did your family think of Brad?
My mom thought he was a doll. They really liked Brad and could tell I was in love and happy and I haven't been in a long time.
You said you were shocked to be let go. What went wrong?
He and I didn't have a lot of time at the end when I told him I was in love. It was like minutes [before] he left. I thought I'd have more time to explore what he thought about me moving, saying I love him, the funeral home. Unfortunately, he wasn't feeling the same. I have no regrets telling him I was in love. I put myself out there and am very comfortable telling people how I feel.
Did your dad's reaction to your possibly moving influence Brad's decision?
It had a big role. He saw my dad was having a hard time allowing this. He did give his blessing, but I think Brad felt uncomfortable.
Have you been able to move on or are you still pining for Brad?
I compare this to someone who has lost a loved one because we go through the same stages of denial. With losing Brad, I allowed myself to get angry, to start bargaining and wonder, "Gosh could I have done something different?" I allowed myself to go through the stages in a healthy way and I'm not in love with him anymore.
Having seen the other dates, do you feel better about his decision?
I thought Ashley H. was going home. I knew that she hadn't told him that she was falling in love, and I had. It was a shock that he'd let a girl go who was in love and willing to leave her life. But my personal opinion is that he is in love with Emily and has been for a while. Emily's everything he wants. He wants to be a father to her child. She wants to get married and have more kids.
You seem eager to fall in love. Is it hard to find the right guy because of your job?
Being a funeral director has challenged my love life a lot. When I go on a date with a guy and we start talking about what we do, it's a step back when I start talking about the funeral industry. It's like, "Okay, wow, that's different."
A majority of your hometown date took place at the funeral home. Weren't you worried you'd creep him out?
I thought I might as well lay my cards out on the table. This is my job. This is what I grew up around and if he wants to get down on his knee and propose, he should see what I do. It's the final test almost to see if he could handle it.
Your family took your willingness to move to Austin for Brad badly.
I always thought I would stay in Chico and take over the business so it's never been brought up. It was a shock to my family ... They were hesitant because everything came at them at once – me saying I'm in love, I might be leaving this lifestyle we have in Chico, moving out of state. But Brad's from Austin and wants his wife to be there. I was falling in love so I was willing to move.
Besides being concerned that he'd take you away from them, what did your family think of Brad?
My mom thought he was a doll. They really liked Brad and could tell I was in love and happy and I haven't been in a long time.
You said you were shocked to be let go. What went wrong?
He and I didn't have a lot of time at the end when I told him I was in love. It was like minutes [before] he left. I thought I'd have more time to explore what he thought about me moving, saying I love him, the funeral home. Unfortunately, he wasn't feeling the same. I have no regrets telling him I was in love. I put myself out there and am very comfortable telling people how I feel.
Did your dad's reaction to your possibly moving influence Brad's decision?
It had a big role. He saw my dad was having a hard time allowing this. He did give his blessing, but I think Brad felt uncomfortable.
Have you been able to move on or are you still pining for Brad?
I compare this to someone who has lost a loved one because we go through the same stages of denial. With losing Brad, I allowed myself to get angry, to start bargaining and wonder, "Gosh could I have done something different?" I allowed myself to go through the stages in a healthy way and I'm not in love with him anymore.
Having seen the other dates, do you feel better about his decision?
I thought Ashley H. was going home. I knew that she hadn't told him that she was falling in love, and I had. It was a shock that he'd let a girl go who was in love and willing to leave her life. But my personal opinion is that he is in love with Emily and has been for a while. Emily's everything he wants. He wants to be a father to her child. She wants to get married and have more kids.
You seem eager to fall in love. Is it hard to find the right guy because of your job?
Being a funeral director has challenged my love life a lot. When I go on a date with a guy and we start talking about what we do, it's a step back when I start talking about the funeral industry. It's like, "Okay, wow, that's different."
Entertainment Plaza - TV, Movies, Sports, Music
http://members.shaw.ca/almosthuman99
Babe Of The Month
http://members.shaw.ca/almosthuman99/babeofthemonth.html
Hunk Of The Month
http://members.shaw.ca/almosthuman99/babeofthemonthman.html
