Bachelor Countdown Day 2: Lorenzo Borghese

his own army. At that time, my family controlled about let's say, a third of the land of Italy. And because he had power, he also had the power to bestow titles on different family members and heads of the family, and my side of the family received five different titles, everything from duke to prince. So it's trickled down from generation to generation. I've said this and means absolutely nothing

regarding power. It's just sort of like the Colosseum is there to you know, you go to the Coloseum in Rome and there's history there, and it's just states that I'm part of a family that helped to, you know, build Italy and create Rome.

That's the only story I have my father. I go back with my family occasionally into Rome and he gives me a little history and I learned a little bit more and more, and we were in Tuscany one day and driving around and he stops and he showed me this castle and he said, yeah, that used to be it was his uncle's castle and he was and he said, I used to go there and we lost it in a card game.

didn't realize anything about our background. But the family was taken to Florence and he stayed in He and his brother stayed in the penthouse in one of the five star hotels in Florence while the war was going on. So he said to him, you know, everything was great because they played soccer with the soldiers up on the penthouse there and he had a great time. And then they started bombing Lawrence and taking out the bridges and they would drop flyers telling everybody to get out of Florence.

And then he moved to another hotel, which was I think a one star hotel and into the basement. And at that point he realized that war wasn't so great. And when the war ended, a lot of our property had been damaged, a lot of the family property had been damaged, and my grandfather at the time realized that he had to.

started in the early nineteen hundreds. But after the war we lost a lot of property and my grandfather realized he had to go to work. And what he did before this, which is what my father told me, it tells me is that he was a hunter and what they would do is go hunting almost every other day.

became head of Ford Motor Cars then. And then my grandmother also realized that maybe it's a good thing that she goes to work, and she had the idea of creating lipsticks that match your wardrobe. At the time, I think there were only three lipstick colors and she's like, you know what, I would like different lipstick shades to

match everything. I'm worrying. So she met with Charles Revson, who was the head of Revlan at the time, and they decided to create a cosmetic line called Princess Marchella Borghese, which she launched, and in order to do so, she had to get permission from the pope at the time in order to start a business, and it was really frowned upon from what my father tells me from other members of the family, because it was the first time

that Borgheses actually had to go to work. When my father was twenty one, his first job was working for his mother. He was working at Princess Marchella Borghese Cosmetics. He got married shortly after that to my mother. He met her at a wedding in Florence and they spoke. They had maybe three sentences in three months they were married. So now he had a family. My mom was living

in the United States. She moved to Rome with him, and he realized that if he kept working with my grandmother, his mother at the time, that he was sort of stuck. He was, you know, the son of the founder and he didn't want that. And at that time, believe it or not, it was difficult as Borgesy to get a job. Okay, you just and I don't understand the real background why, but he said, listen, you know, you just can't go into a company and ask for a job. There was

it was sort of frowned upon. So he knew that there was another thing. At times at the time, didn't really work very hard, and he knew that he wanted to bring us up with a good work ethic, and he realized that it wasn't going to happen in Italy and to get away from Italy, and at that time we decided to move the family to Paris and we

lived there for two years. And he said, you know, the real place to live is the United States, because that's the real place of opportunity and it sort of leaves the family history behind and we can start from scratch. So my father really moved us here with nothing. I mean, he didn't have a job. He did have he did go to Oxford for his underground and then he went to UPenn for grad school. So obviously he was fluent in English and had an American education, least in business school.

And he just my father's an incredible work ethic. And he also doesn't like to talk about the past very often. And I don't know why either. It's just he just grew up in a different time than I did. But I learned more and more about our history every time I talked to him, and every time we go to Italy together. But it's you know, some people love to talk about everything, and he doesn't. He's more passionate about having a family that has you know, that's that understands

what it is to be a family. Priority is his family, work, ethic, and friends. And he realized that wasn't gonna happen in Italy. And that's sort of a short story of why we moved here.

I would go with them in the Summertimes Italy, but they live primarily in Switzerland and they just said they just wanted to get away from Italy.

I was like, head shots, I'm not a model. Like, if you guys looking for a model, I'm not your guy. I'm just a regular guy living in New York City. That happened to have an interesting background. And when I met with them, I remember, you know, we looked at it at a map of Rome and obviously Billi Borgiaes is a huge part of it. It's like Central Park of Rome, and they started looking at the history and

that's when it really became exciting for them. So, you know, I used it in that sense because I knew that they wanted to do it, and I figure, obviously not a lot of people have the background, and if I can get an edge, and you know, because life is very hard, I will take it. But I don't like to do it when I'm around, you know, friends and just meeting people, because it's just I don't feel it's necessary and I think it's a sign of weakness when you have to introduce yourself that way.

I understand it's a business and they use the show as a business, and I said, you know what, why don't I use this as a business too, And as I said, you know, if I can, I will use it when I think it's necessary, when there's there's an opportunity that I don't think I can get without it. That's a gift that was given to me just because

of my family history. But as a person, I don't use it and I'm not upset when they When they do use it because I realize it's opened a lot of doors for me, Like you know, I have an animal charity and I was able to start it and really grow it because of the of the Bachelor, and the Bachelor's opened a lot of doors for me. And again, I won't have opened up those doors for me if there wasn't that family history.

ratings had dropped and then they picked up again. And I believe the season before mine was in Paris, and I think it was the first and I could be wrong, but I think it was the first time they filmed abroad, like a season outside of the US, and I believe the ratings were pretty good for that season, and so they were trying to, I think, look for something different, and they were trying to find an angle, and I'm sure they had a lot of people that they were

looking at too that had a different sort of story to tell. And I think that they love the fact that, hey, maybe we can get you know, like this fairy tale prince princess wedding at the end, and you know, if I had been from a different country, that wasn't as pretty to film as you know, and like being in Rome is a beautiful place to film, and it's obviously

very scenic, but also extremely expensive. And I think that they told me they would never film in Italy again because it was so expensive and every time you turn on a light switch there you need ten ten crew members from Italy to do it, like basically, like it

was like unionized everywhere. I believe they really ripped off ABC and Warner Brothers because they knew it was it was a TV show, but it was extremely expensive, and you know, I don't really know what they were looking for, but I think they were looking for something different and that whole you know, history of the family and being able to film at Villa Borgaze and being able to film all over the Borghesy properties in Rome was something that they were excited about.

You're fifty two years old, though, and so my question before we transition into the engagement is, with everything that we've talked about so far, and now that you're fifty two and you just got engaged, how much of The Bachelor is still a part of your life? Do people still bring it up? Does it still help you get doors open? Is it still something that you talk about, you know, in once a week, once a day, once a year. How much of The Bachelor still is a part of your life experience right now.

in a way. It but you know, for I can always defend myself and saying, hey, listen, you know, people don't get these opportunities often, and if you get an opportunity, I never want to be the person that thinks of what if, you know, I like to if I gets something unique, I like to try, and if it didn't work out, it didn't work out. But I was I was given an opportunity that most people, the ninety nine point nine nine percent of the population, will never get,

and so I don't regret doing it. But as part of my life now it's it's really non existing. People don't recognize me anymore. I remember it lasted for about five years and then it started slowing down. And now with you know, with how media has changed too. You know, everyone's preoccupied with with their social media there through the TikTok, Netflix, everything else is going on, and so you know, talking about a show those in two thousand and six, you know,

it makes me sound ancient almost at this time. So it's not really brought up. If I'm doing I do a lot of charity work, and when I'm introduced, they will they will get my history, like and they'll say that I was the Bacheter and things like that. But day to day it's it's not brought up. And I know, you know, I work with a lot of people that all of a sudden I'm known for ten years and they'll call me like, wait a second, I know you were the Bachelor. That's like, yeah, Like why don't you

tell me? I was like, why would I bring that up? You know, it's just nothing that I would just.

In for Scotti, they found a billity that used to be owned by buy my relatives, And I wrote a book on one relative that actually lost her son there, and that was Paulinea Bonaparte Borghese, who was Napoleon's sibling. It was his sister and she was only sibling that went to Elbow with him when he was exiled. She married at Borghese. She married Camillo Borghese, and it wasn't a marriage out of love, but it was a forced marriage,

an alliance with the Vatican and in Italy. And one of the reasons why there's a Borghese area in the Louver Museum is because Napoleon forced Camillo to ship paintings from Rome to Paris. Okay, so there's he gave. He gave Napoleon a lot of paintings. But going back from Frascatti, it used to be called Villa Borghese, there where Paulina Bonaparte Borghese lived for a while and her son died there and that's where The Bachelor was filmed in this in this villa, and there are frescoes of my family

painted on the wall. And I didn't even know this villa existed until I was on The Bachelor, and it's my whole family history is right there. And in the same town it was ann or miss villa called Villa Aldo Aldo Brondini. My tie is terrible, but the Aldo Brondini family was another huge family in Italy. The pope prior to Camillo Borghese was an Aldo Brundini. He is buried in the Borghese crypt in Rome, and he's related to us because the family had no more males left.

So another Camillo Borghese married Olympia Aldro Bondini and changed his name to Aldre Bondini, so that family is related to the Borgheses now. And I said, the pope is there's we have two popes in our crypt ones are borghesian Ones and alder Berndini, but they're both affiliated with

the family. And that gigantic villa is where my fiancee, Dosh and I are getting married in June, so in the same town that The Bachelor was filmed in and in that and I used to see that villa every day and it was enormous and it was my favor one there besides the Borghese one. And I didn't know the history of it until I started doing the research for this wedding. And they don't allow a lot of weddings there, but they do it if by, you know,

if the family says okay, and they said okay, that's well. Fortunately. But it all sort of ties back to, you know, being in FRESCOTTI doing the show, because I would have never even known that either of these places existed.

fiance's parents and her sister. So I was like, what a perfect time to do it. And if I don't do it, you'll probably break up with me as soon as we get back, all right, it's been over two years since I was dating her. So I have this sunset cruise planned and I put on my jeans and they're pretty tight, because I don't like to wear like really baggy clothes unless you know, I'm in my I'm in my place, just hanging out on the weekend. But if I'm going to propose, I want something that looks

sort of decent on me. So I've got these tight jeans, tight pants, and a shirt and the ring is in a pretty big box. So I put it in my pants pocket and it's bulging out, and I already thought that she was. She suspected somebody was going on because it's just two of us going on the sunset cruise and Bora Bora. So I was like, you know, if she sees a big bulge in my pocket, She's gonna know what's happening.

her hand was on my leg. I was worried that her hand would like sort of reach over by oxid and feel this.

It just things just didn't feel right. And I made the right decision because she got married shortly after, has kids, she's happy, and I think it was, you know, it was better off doing it before things got completely out of control with the engagement. So when I was on the show, I knew she and her friends were watching. I knew we were in a place that we were supposed to get married, and I knew it was like very hurtful. And I had this in my head the whole time, and I'm like, I can't be I can't

do it. I got them like I can't, I can't go through with this. It's you know, and I'm like, I don't even really know these girls. I was there for two months, you know, and I'm not gonna I'm not sharing any secrets. Everyone knows this. You know, you're filmed essentially the entire time, so you never really get to understand what these people are like when they're not on camera. You don't really You've never fought with these people. These girls never met my friends. I never saw these

girls with other guys. Like what happens that they have a couple of cocktails and they're you know, they hit on every guy at a barrow. I don't know. All I know is that I'm the center of attention. They're excited to see me, but I haven't experienced anything real with them, and I'm about to propose and then also really hurt the person that I was in love with, you know, prior to this, and I couldn't do it.

I couldn't do it. And then I had another ex girlfriend that I dated through high school, throughout my entire college for nine years, my first like real girlfriend who I was still talking to, you know, and you know, I was still like in love with her, and I know she like loved me, and I was like, I can't, I can't hurt. I can't do this in front of in front of them, you know. And I didn't know that before I left, but you know, probably six weeks into it, I was really you know, I couldn't sleep.

I just I didn't feel right. And you know, unless I really was one hundred percent positive that this was my true love on the show, which is very hard to do because again, you know, they don't really know me. They're not with me in my in my everyday work life in New York City that you know, they've they've just experienced this vacation for two months where everything's paid

for and there's there's nothing to argue about. So I didn't think it was worth hurting the people that I really truly cared for before the show just for a TV show to propose when I wasn't sure.

of lonely. And I went out and I was like, oh, just and I had two tickets. I've told this story before, but I had two tickets to go see Billy Joel at Madison Square Garden and they were like third row center on the floor. I was like, I'm gonna go to this party that I was invited to and I'll find a girl on invited to go see Billy Joel. I go to this party and ask maybe ten girls, hey what are you doing? Like you know, I'm like, I'm Lorenz and I to meet you. I've got an

extra going to go see Billy Joe. You want to go? And I turned down ten times. Nobody would say yes to me. Then I went to my friend. I'm like, hey, you want to come see Billy Joel with me? He's like you me and the piano. Man, No, man, I'm not going with you. I was like, all right, whatever. I went by myself and I go to mass Madison Square Gard who was in the middle of the wintertime. And I go to my seats and there's two chairs and they both have these jackets on them from the

people sitting to the side of the chairs. And I've got two beers in my hand, and the person who's jackets they were takes both jackets off off the chairs. I'm like, oh, no, you can. You can keep the jackets on one chair, Like aren't these both your tickets? And I said yeah, Like did you come with anybody? And I said no, and I'm watching Billy Joel. I'm like, I am such a loser, Like I'm at this concert by myself, Like, how is this possible.

lived in my in my building. But i'd been lowly before then when my engagement broke up, and then I started dating this girl and it was like for a month, and I had tickets to go see the Rolling Stones, like really good tickets to the Rolling Stones. I go to her apartment and she's watching The Bachelor. I'm like, oh, this show is still on and she's like yeah, And I guess it was a rerun because the show was at eight, so she must have been she must have

recorded or something, and she goes, it's almost over. Let's just wait till it's over. I'm like all right, So that show ends, we go see the Rolling Stones and she's like blowing me off the entire time, and after the constut like, what's wrong with you? Like, we just want to go see the Rolling Stones? You want a bad mood the whole time. She goes, yeah, you know what're you're moving? And I was moving that following week out of the apartment into another one, and she says,

I'm Jewish, you're Catholic. I don't see this going anywhere, so you know, and now that you're out of the building, there's no reason to continue. I was like, all right, you could have told me that before the concert. I would have maybe brought somebody else that I would have had fun with. You just broke up with me after the Rolling Stones. So then I go to the Billy Joe concert by myself. I get a call two weeks later to be interviewed for a show that my ex

girlfriend was obsessed with. I'm like, hell, why not, right? And I never told her that I got picked, and then she found out and text me said, I just heard your night. You're the next Bachelor's that truly? I'm like, yeah, I hope you enjoyed my season.

years of dating. As you said at your mom's eightieth birthday celebration with twenty plus family members there, you did propose, she did say, yes, you're getting married in June. Why was she the right partner for you now for the rest of your life.

anything like that. It was I think she's a very pretty girl. But when I got to know her is when it really app And first, first of all, she's a huge animal lover. I'm a huge animal lover. You know, the worse off a dog is, the more she wants it. We have one dog with two legs, there's another one with one eye and no jaw. We just took another one in that has been in a crate for an entire year and just goes around in circles. She's a she's a huge dog lover and an animal lover, and

she understands me, and you know, we don't. We fight, but it's it's so seldom and it's not like a real fight, you know, like you've got those really angry fights, and I've had a lot of them with my with my exes where you really don't want to see him again. Our fights are are pretty stupid and we make up right away. But she is like the nicest person inside and out that.