Contrary to popular opinion, Nick Viall doesn't hate Madison Prewett.
Yes, he may have expressed some controversial opinions, but according to Nick himself, that doesn't mean he has anything against the former Bachelor contestant. Moreover, he said on his podcast Viall Files that he really didn't think that calling Madi a "liar" would "blow up" the way they did.
But first, for those who are confused, here's the back story: Nick called Peter Weber's runner-up a "liar" after she claimed that Pete tried to rekindle their romance in the days before he started dating Kelley Flanagan.
However, like Weber, Nick said this is total BS. "We also know Madison to be a little bit of a liar," he alleged.
That being said, Nick explained that his beliefs about her integrity aren't a reflection of his feelings toward her. He assured on Monday's podcast, "I still like her, but that's still how I felt about that. Listen, this is a podcast, we're going to give our opinions."
He added, "It's so funny, we live in this age, where if you criticize someone it must mean you hate them or something, where it's just like I don't but that's how I feel about that particular topic."
Nick and his guests also shared their perspectives on the drama surrounding Matt James and Bachelorette Clare Crawley. As fans of Bachelor Nation are aware, Matt James, a.k.a. Tyler Cameron's bestie, has been participating in Cameos and interviews ahead of his participation in Clare's season, which the bachelorette seemed none too pleased by since she tweeted, "Respect the opportunity you've been given. Respect the rules. Respect me. @BacheloretteABC."
This ended up backfiring as Matt was doing the appearances for his charity ABC Food Tours and he also has a healthy amount of fans in the community.
But the way Nick sees it, Matt "signed a contract" and should respect the rules. "At the end of the day, if you're going to go on The Bachelor or The Bachelorette like we talk about right reasons. From Claire's point of view, I'm simply saying as someone who's the lead, there's a genuine fear, now more than ever, that the people aren't really there to meet you," Nick pointed out.
Fair point!