DeAnna Pappas will never forget the night she found herself behind bars.
“Jail is not a good look for me,” Pappas, 43, exclusively shared with Us Weekly before launching iHeartRadio’s “Famously Available” podcast on Wednesday, August 27. “It’s just not. I’m a rule follower. I didn’t get my first speeding ticket until I was 40 years old — 40! So you can bet that that was probably one of the darkest nights of my entire life.”
Back in February, Pappas was arrested on a misdemeanor charge after engaging in an alleged argument with her estranged husband, Stephen Stagliano. She was released the same day on a $20,000 bond.
After a full investigation and review of video evidence, Pappas’ attorney said the assigned detective determined that the reality star was not the aggressor. No criminal charges were ever filed.
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“I would 100 percent say that the last four or five months of my life have been the most embarrassing, the scariest, shameful, guilt-ridden, angry,” Pappas told Us when asked about the headlines surrounding her arrest. “I harbor a lot of bitterness and resentment. I do, and I can’t help that.”
Although Pappas was a contestant on Brad Womack’s season of The Bachelor in 2007 before leading season 4 of The Bachelorette one year later, she assured fans that becoming famous was never her goal.
As a result, finding herself back in the headlines for a very private situation was difficult.
“I value my privacy. Not just my own, but I value my children’s privacy. Their desire to grow up in a community where they get to go to school and no one knows who they are,” Pappas — who shares two kids with Stagliano — explained.
“I had a lot of embarrassment and it was not some of my proudest moments, and I won’t dare sit here and take full responsibility for it,” she continued. “There is always, always two different truths, always.”
As Pappas continues to move forward after her January 2023 split from Stagliano, 41, with help from therapy and her faith, she’s finding herself more and more open to finding love again.
In iHeartRadio’s new “Famously Available” podcast, host Ben Higgins will highlight single women like Pappas as they navigate a path of self-discovery and the rollercoaster of modern dating.
In addition to Pappas, the weekly podcast will also spotlight Bachelor in Paradise star Mercedes Northup and some beloved “Goldens” from the ABC franchise.
“I feel like I’m destined for something really great in my life, and I feel like I’m destined for a really great relationship,” Pappas told Us. “The first few episodes were a lot of fun for me, because so much of it was just, like, a catch up. … Much of those first few conversations with Ben and I were about getting to know me again, understanding what it is that I am looking for and talking about dating.”
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Pappas assured Us — as well as old and new fans alike — that she’s very different than the 25-year-old girl who appeared as a contestant on The Bachelor.
“I’m almost 44, but I’m a different woman,” she said. “My desires are different. The things that I look for in a person are different. I’m really thankful for the opportunity to do the podcast, because I’m learning a lot about myself again.”
To hear more from Pappas, watch the exclusive video above and pick up the latest issue of Us Weekly — on newsstands now.
