Love Is Blind star Jessica Batten is engaged to surgeon boyfriend Benjamin McGrath
JESSICA Batten has announced her engagement to Benjamin McGrath after dating for a year and a half.
The Love Is Blind star faced fan backlash for turning down her fiancé Mark Cuevas at the altar after a tumultuous engagement.
Jessica, 34, has officially announced her engagement to surgeon Benjamin McGrath after he proposed at Akash Winery in Temecula, California.
The couple was surrounded by family and friends as the foot and ankle surgeon got down on one knee.
The reality star spoke to People about the big moment, claiming that she has been “floating on cloud nine” since the proposal.
“I don’t think it has quite sunk in, but I’m definitely floating somewhere on cloud nine. It’s been really, really exciting!” she gushed.
VINEYARD PROPOSAL
Jessica recounted Benjamin’s “sneaky” method of keeping the occasion a surprise, saying: “We’d been planning on my dad being in town that weekend for the Bears-Rams football game, but then my dad made a change to his itinerary at the last minute.
“I thought that was a little strange, but then he said he would plan dinner for all of us on Friday night. I didn’t think too much about it. Then Friday came and Ben said, ‘Hey, I ran late in surgery and hit traffic, can you just meet me at this winery? We’re having dinner there.'”
After hopping in the car with her parents, the TV personality said she could tell her dad was “prolonging things.”
“I think Ben was still setting up. But anyway, we make it out to the winery, and it was just a gorgeous night,” she remembered.
“I walk out and this woman meets me and takes my purse, which I thought was a little strange. She said, ‘Let me escort you down into the vineyard.’ I’m like, ‘Oh we’re getting a wine tour!'”
Jessica continued: “I walked down into the vineyard, and one of the aisles of grapes had rose petals all the way down to this gorgeous arch with roses all around it.
“Ben was standing there, and I pretty much knew at that point what was happening. So I just started getting overwhelmed with emotion. When I walked down, the first thing he said was, ‘I want you to remember this moment for the rest of your life.'”
The California-based doctor then got down on one knee as he presented a round brilliant ring from Mark Broumand.
Jessica admitted that she was “totally overwhelmed” and instead of saying “yes” she recited a line from the show Suits.
“‘Do I have brains in my head? Do I have a heart in my chest?’ So that’s what I said instead of ‘yes.’ We were both crying!”
LEFT AT THE ALTAR
The blonde caused controversy when she stood her fiancé Mark up at the altar after a rocky engagement.
Mark previously revealed to the New York Post that he had not spoken to Jessica since that day, though he had reached out at one point.
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