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Courtney Robertson claims she wasn't prepared for the way life on the set of The Bachelor wouldn't mirror what was true in the real world. She fell hard for Ben Flajnik on the show in 2011, but now that they've split, she realizes how fake their relationship actually was.
"In many ways, I felt brainwashed," she tells Us Weekly. "You're so closed off!"
In one particular instance, Robertson, 29, remembers Flajnik, 30, bringing her popcorn -- her favorite snack -- on a date in Switzerland.
"But I realize it wasn't him. It was the producer," she says now.
Their relationship became strained after the show ended, even though the couple stayed engaged for almost a year. Flajnik reportedly said he was "all picnicked out" and was even was caught kissing other women back in February. The couple finally called it quits last month, and Robertson is still recovering from it.
"I've never experienced heartache like this. We had baby names picked out!" she says. "I put up with more than I should."
Of course, Robertson hasn't taken very long to move on from this "heartache." She's been recently spotted with hunky racecar driver and Bachelorette finalist Arie Luyendyk Jr., 31, whom she describes as "a cool guy."
Of course, Robertson's speedy leap into the arms of another quasi-famous guy has Flajnik questioning his ex and her motives. "I see certain things in the media and I wonder, did I ever really know her?," he tells People.
The "certain things" he's probably referring to are photos of Robertson and Luyendyk stealing kisses during a date in Phoenix almost a month ago. "I look at these staged photos of the two of them and I'm like: 'Why is she doing this?'," he says. "The girl that I loved never wanted to be famous and I look at these set-ups and I think I got out at the right time." Ouch, Ben!
Well, things aren't exactly official between Courtney and Arie -- as she says, "I'm just trying to figure out the next step" -- but we're fairly certain that she and Ben are officially done...for good.
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