JoJo Fletcher is setting the record straight about her relationship with Jordan Rodgers.
The Bachelor Nation alum met Rodgers—a former NFL player and sports commenter who is the brother of Green Bay Packers quarterback—and Shailene Woodley's new fiancé Aaron Rodgers—on season 12 of The Bachelorette in 2016. Though Rodgers popped the question at the end of the show, three years later, the two announced they had gotten re-engaged.
"I love @joelle_fletcher with all my heart!!" Rodgers captioned an August 2019 Instagram pic of Fletcher showing off her new diamond ring. "I always wanted to re-propose, with no cameras, no producers, no drama...just us. Our first engagement was so real, and meant so much to us both, but as we start to actually plan our wedding for next year I wanted to do it all over again, OUR WAY!"
In a new interview with Us Weekly, however, the former Bachelorette admitted that she and Rodgers weren't always sure they wanted to stay engaged in the first place.
"I think that was one of the reasons why we stayed together in the beginning. There were so many reasons why we thought we should not be together," she shared with the outlet. "I think, subconsciously for me, and for him, there was this pressure, not only from people that watch the show but, like, our family and our friends."
Yet, Fletcher took issue with Us Weekly's framing of the interview as evidence that the couple "stayed together to please fans." In the comments section of the magazine's Instagram post promoting the article, Fletcher wrote, "Lol love you guys but a little misleading! We felt the pressure early on when we faced challenges but it was not the reason we stayed together."
Fletcher and Rodgers have long been open about the hurdles they faced in the beginning of their relationship. In June of last year, the couple appeared on The Bachelor: The Greatest Seasons — Ever! to discuss how they almost split up.
Rodgers explained on the show, "We sat down together and we were like, 'We love each other, but is that enough right now?' It was a fork in the road and we chose to stay together and we're better for it, but it was not easy."
Now, all is well with the couple, who are busy planning their wedding after having to postpone their June 2020 nuptials due to the coronavirus pandemic.
"Happy 'What would have been Wedding Day' to us!," Fletcher wrote on Instagram last summer. "As you guys know, we have spent the last 11 months planning the wedding of our dreams but given the circumstances of 2020, we had to make the difficult decision to postpone our special day. Even though I don't get to marry you todayyyyy @jrodgers11, I know it will be all more worth the wait. 2021, we really can't wait for you."