WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT JESSICA VESTAL FROM LOVE IS BLIND S6 AND PERFECT MATCH S2?
– Jessica has recently shared that she’s never been in a healthy relationship that didn’t end painfully.
– She entered the foster care system at just 4 years old and lived in over 15 different foster homes before being adopted at 16.
– Both of her parents were severe addicts. Her life was a constant cycle of being in the system, her mother getting clean and regaining custody, and then her mother relapsing, sending Jessica back into the system.
– Tragically, her father passed away when she was 7, and she never really had a bond with him.
– She has been in therapy her whole life.
– Currently, her relationship with her biological mother is almost nonexistent. She knows her mother is alive but has to keep her at arm’s length due to her mother’s ongoing addiction issues.
– Autumn, her daughter, is her #1 priority.
Love is Blind & Reality TV Experience– Jessica had been single for two years before going on Love is Blind.
– During those two years, she spent a lot of time reflecting on herself and her past relationships, realizing she often went for the wrong type of guys – the “I can fix him” or “he’ll change for me” kind.
– Initially, she was very hard on herself after watching both of her shows. Now, she sees her mistakes as opportunities for growth.
– Regarding online criticism, she says it’s nothing compared to her experiences growing up in the system.
– She felt a deep connection with Jimmy due to their shared past traumas, which wasn’t fully shown on Love is Blind.
– Despite their connection, she felt that Jimmy wasn’t on the same page about what they wanted from a relationship.
Perfect Match/Harry Jowsey– Jessica didn’t expect to meet anyone on Perfect Match. She thought it would be more about enjoying the summer and making friends.
– She knew about Harry before the show and was aware of his past.
– Their first date lasted over 3 hours, even though only 3 minutes of it were shown. The conversation got deep quickly.
– Harry asked if she knew him, and she played it off, even though she had watched his season of Too Hot to Handle.
– Her first impression of Harry was that he was different off-camera.
– Things were great with Harry during the show until they weren’t. She admits she should’ve walked away at the first sign of trouble but wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt.
– Despite online criticism, she stands by her relationship with Harry on Perfect Match. She believes the producers didn’t show their positive moments because it wouldn’t make for good TV.
– She doesn’t deny Harry’s bad behavior but hopes some of his actions were genuine.
– Jessica felt out of place during Perfect Match because her season of *Love is Blind* hadn’t aired yet, and Harry was her safe space amidst the chaos.
– She talked to Autumn every day while on Perfect Match. While others were making social media content, she was connecting with her daughter.
– Jessica and Harry set up many “dates” at the house.
– Ultimately, she doesn’t regret taking a chance on Harry.
Post Perfect Match– Two days after filming, while still in Mexico, Harry texted and messaged her, eventually dropping off a book she left behind with a sweet note and a long apology text.
– After reading the text, Jessica agreed to talk to him in person, and things slowly started back up between them.
– Their time together without cameras was wonderful, like a completely different experience.
– Once back in the States, Jessica visited Harry in LA, and everything went great.
– They decided to give their relationship another go but wanted to keep it private due to trust and contractual reasons.
– Shortly after, Harry was cast on Dancing with the Stars, which excited Jessica because she loves the show.
– They agreed to keep it respectful, and Jessica would meet his dance partner, Riley.
– However, just three weeks into the show, Jessica ended things with Harry due to his lack of follow-through on promises to tone it down with Riley.
– The intimate dancing wasn’t the issue; it was Harry’s behavior with Riley outside of the show that made Jessica uncomfortable.
– Despite her discomfort, Harry continued justifying his actions as work-related.
– Jessica never got to meet Riley, as plans always fell through.
– Harry never offered Jessica tickets to see him live on the show.
– It was hard for Jessica to watch the world believe Harry and Riley were dating while he seemingly didn’t care about her feelings.
– On the same day she broke up with him, Harry was seen holding hands with Riley.
– Jessica doesn’t blame Riley and would give her a hug if they met.
After Dancing with the Stars– After the breakup, Jessica and Harry agreed to remain cordial, but after seeing footage of what really went down between him and Melinda, she doubts they’ll ever speak again.
– She dislikes that Harry still posts content of them together despite her requests to stop.
– One recent post particularly upset her, as it led to online backlash, but Harry refused to take it down.
– Jessica feels she experienced so many versions of Harry that she’s unsure which one was real.
– She admits she was foolish to give Harry a second chance but says she tends to see the good in people.
– Despite everything, she forgives Harry and hopes he finds happiness and healing.
What’s Next for Jessica?– Jessica doesn’t consider herself an influencer and wants to use her platform for impactful work.
– She’s working on big projects she can’t share yet.
– She’s passionate about advocating for foster care and giving a voice to kids who don’t have one.
– She has many ideas and is pitching them to various organizations.
– One of her long-term goals is to start a nonprofit to benefit foster children.
– She doesn’t want to be the next Bachelorette and has no interest in dating on TV again but is open to other TV opportunities.
– She’d love to do Dancing with the Stars if given the chance.
– Jessica is open to fostering in the future but wants to discuss it with Autumn and wait until she’s married.
– More than half of her followers are from the Crohn’s disease community, and she wants to make a difference for them.
– Currently, she’s keeping her focus on Autumn and her passions rather than relationships. She believes she’ll make a great wife one day.
Good for Jess!
