Former Bachelor star Nick Viall responded to Rachel Bilson’s relationship debut with Barry’s Bill Hader in the best way. Although rumors swirled about Viall dating Bilson himself in 2019, there seems to be no bad blood between these stars.

Although Viall tends to be fairly quiet about his own dating life following his very public appearances on Bachelor Nation shows, sparks flew when Bilson appeared as a guest on an episode of his podcast, The Viall Files. During the July 2019 interview, Viall admitted that he always had a crush on the former star of The O.C.  After their recorded conversation, the pair exchanged subtly flirty comments on social media for months. They even went out to dinner together, though Viall later explained that other members of Bilson’s squad were also present. Although Bilson and her friends suggested that the relationship might be something more, she changed her tune in December 2019 and stated that the pair were strictly friends. She even suggested that Viall should give The Bachelor yet another shot, though she also claimed that he would never go back on the show to find Mrs. Right.

Although Viall and Bilson were supposedly never in a relationship, rumors surrounding their romance were rampant among fans for months. Despite the potential for awkwardness between the pair, Viall responded positively to Bilson’s new relationship with Hader. After the new couple appeared on the red carpet together at the 2020 Golden Globes, The Morning Toast podcast posted a picture of the pair on their social media. According to Us Weekly, Viall took the opportunity to make his feelings about their relationship known. “It makes it easier since I’m such a Barry fan,” Viall commented on the post, responding to the initial caption that read, “He’s no Nick Viall but he’ll do.” 

While Bilson struts down the red carpet with her new beau, Viall brought his own date to the Golden Globes. Rumors about the reality star’s dating life weren’t limited to Bilson. In recent weeks, Viall has again sparked claims that he’s dating former Bachelor Nation star Demi Burnett following her split from Kristian Haggerty in October 2019. Although both Viall and Burnett have labeled their relationship as platonic, Viall brought the Bachelor in Paradise alum as his plus-one on the red carpet. Neither star posted pictures together or showed any signs of overt affection, suggesting that their relationship is more friendly than romantic.

After many months of speculation regarding Bilson and Viall’s connection, fans finally have a definitive ending to their not-so-exciting story. Even if Viall and Bilson were exploring a relationship for a while, their connection was short-lived and obviously not strong enough to transform into a full-fledged romance. Still, Viall’s humorous comment makes it clear that all’s well that ends well between these stars. While Bilson found her next Mr. Right, Viall is still on the hunt for his dream girl.

More: Bachelor in Paradise: What Happened to Demi Burnett?

Source: Us Weekly