Bachelor Jake Pavelka is single again and looking for love — with a gal, not a guy. The reality star debunked unsubstantiated rumors that he is gay during a Wednesday appearance on The View.
The topic came up as he and The View's female panel chatted about ex Vienna Girardi's charges that they weren't "intimate" for months during their relationship.
"There was a lack of intimacy because our problems were so heavy," Pavelka, 32, explained. "I can't separate love and intimacy — and apparently that makes me gay."
But, when asked point blank whether he is gay, he said, "no, no," adding, "one of my best friends is gay. I can't see how someone can look at [Vienna] and find her not attractive."
The pilot said that he and Girardi "have not spoken" since their fiery TV reunion taped on June 24. He also defended his angry behavior during that interview. "What people don't understand is, that was 24 hours after my [publicist] called me on the set of Drop Dead Diva saying the relationship was over. [Vienna] didn't call me, it was a publicist," he charged.
"24 hours later, I'm sitting there and I wasn't ready," he said of the joint interview with Girardi, which aired during a July 5 episode of The Bachelorette. "You know when you're kids and you're trying to protect yourself? It was like that."
The heartbroken star said, "When I got down on one knee, I meant it. I still believe that you can find love on that show."
Pavelka passed on good wishes to just-engaged Bachelorette Ali Fedotowsky, a contender for his final rose on The Bachelor before she left for her job at Facebook. "I knew she would make a beautiful Bachelorette," he said. "I'll always have a special place in my heart for her."
Fedotowsky also slammed rumors that Pavelka is gay during a July appearance on Lopez Tonight. "Just because he wears really nice turtleneck sweaters does not mean he's gay!" she joked.
