Photo: Instagram
She found love just not on Bachelor Nation.
By Rebecca Jane Stokes — Written on May 09, 2019
When it comes to the Bachelor and the Bachelorette, contestants choose to participate for different reasons. For some, the reasons are all about finding a way into the world of Hollywood. Sure, it's a reality show, but it will definitely boost the profile of aspiring actors and actresses. But some people genuinely go on the show in the hopes of finding true love. Jillian Harris was one of those people. She was on the hunt, and she knew she'd make someone the perfect life partner. But when neither of her TV romances survived long after the cameras stopped rolling, she had to look elsewhere for love. Here's how she found it and everything to know about her fiancé. Who is Jillian Harris' fiancé?
1. Making A Match
After making the final three on Jason Mesnick's season of The Bachelor, Jillian Harris wasn't ready to give up on love, even if she found herself without a ring at the end of the season. This, of course, made her the perfect choice for Season 5 of The Bachelorette, where the relationship success odds are much more in participants' favor (make of that what you will). By the end of the season, Jillian was engaged to Ed Swiderski. Success! Or so it seemed...However, the couple wound up calling off their engagement in 2010, leaving Jillian in single once again. For a woman who was so open about her passion for starting a family of her own and finding her one true love, it must have been devastating. Thankfully, the pain didn't last for long. She soon met Justin Pasutto, who would go on to become her baby daddy AND her fiancé!
2. Baby Joy
Jillian and Justin fell for each other fast and hard, but interestingly, getting engaged wasn't their top priority. After four years of courtship, the plucky duo shared that they would be having a baby! In August of 2016, Leo, their son, was born and by Christmas of that year Justin finally proposed and the couple was on their way to the altar. Of course, they wouldn't be able to get there in a hurry. That's right, there was another delay that stymied the lovebirds, but it wasn't exactly one that left them feeling too bummed out. In fact, they were overjoyed: the couple had their second child, a daughter named Annie, not long thereafter and the family of three became a happy family of four.
3. A Canadian Athlete
Longtime fans of Jillian couldn't have been happier for her newfound family! But they still had questions. For a woman who played out several courtships while audiences watched and weighed in, Jillian was being very private now about her love life. People wanted to know more about Justin! To accomplish that goal, she gave him access to her blog where he really opened up. “I grew up in Calgary, born and raised. I went to the Nation Sport School in high school! I was playing national level rugby and racing boardercross during this time (I was actually on Team Canada until I was 16!), in the summer I was traveling for rugby and in the winter I was traveling for snowboarding, it didn’t take long before things got hectic and I had to ditch one of them. I chose to pursue snowboarding because it was my dream to make it to the Olympics," he revealed.
4. The Injury
Justin took pursuing his athletic dreams very seriously. In fact, he even went so far as to compete on the National level as one of the country's best snowboarders. However, all of his dreams went up in smoke during a total freak accident in Argentina. “I was creamed by a skier, his ski actually cut right through my gear and my skin. I took a little trip down the hill in a sled to a little cabin where about five doctors worked to stitch me up," he revealed. The experience was a truly horrifying one, particularly for a man who had serious ambitions to make it as a professional in the sport. The accident busted three of his ribs and it earned him one heck of a concussion, too. Unfortunately, it was his sixth concussion in less than half a decade. After getting this news, Justin made the wise but difficult decision to leave the sport behind. Begging the question, what comes next?
5. Switching Careers
For many people, being forced to switch careers when your entire life has been preparing to stick to one track can be a tremendous struggle. While things certainly weren't a walk in the park for Justin, he lucked out and had tremendous support. He was able to work part-time for his dad in real estate. In the process, he discovered he had a knack for it. After attending business school, Justin returned to the real estate business full time, and while he loves his job, he's definitely not one of those guys who puts work before family. There's nothing he loves more than hanging out with Jillian and the little ones. He also loves staying active, doing stuff like golfing and even snowboarding, but now just for fun.
Rebecca Jane Stokes is a writer living in Brooklyn, New York with her cats, Batman and Margot. She's an experienced generalist with a passion for lifestyle, geek news, pop culture, and true crime. For more of her work, check out her Tumblr.