DeAnna Pappas Looks Ahead to a Brighter 2026 After a Tumultuous Year
The Bachelorette former contestant DeAnna Pappas is prepared to begin a fresh chapter following a difficult 2025.
“My birthday was in November, and as 2025 draws to a close, I just want it to be over,” Pappas, 44, disclosed on the Wednesday, December 3, broadcast of iHeartRadio’s “misSPELLING” podcast. “Bring forth a new year, purify me, make me whole again. It genuinely cannot deteriorate further than it has.”
During the past year, Pappas was featured in news for her continuing custody disagreement with ex-husband Stephen Stagliano. The two — who are parents to two kids — separated in January 2023 after eleven years of wedded life. A judge eventually approved Pappas’ request regarding custody.
Since that time, Pappas has continued to concentrate on being the best mother she can be for her offspring, while also exploring the dating scene.
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“I am quite certain that 2026 simply must be an improved year,” the host of iHeartRadio’s “Famously Available” podcast conveyed to Tori Spelling. “Not only for myself but for many individuals.”
Continue reading to discover Pappas’ thoughts on existence after separation, pursuing romance in the public eye, and her bewilderment regarding why numerous men transmit inappropriate images.
DeAnna Pappas’ Sadness Following Divorce
Following the conclusion of her marital union, Pappas revealed she encountered a sorrow akin to a demise.
“It truly is a death. I’ve reiterated that repeatedly. It’s an authentic mourning process,” she elaborated. “I genuinely navigated every surge of that sorrow. I truly intended to accept the ending of that relationship, grieve it, and lay it to rest. I didn’t want those issues to reemerge later in my existence or in a subsequent relationship, or, worst of all, to impact my children. I desire for my children to understand what healthy, affectionate connections entail. That is what I wish for them.”
DeAnna Pappas’ Optimism for a Brighter Future
The former reality television personality confessed to having a pessimistic outlook. In recent months, however, Pappas stated she has been striving to identify the positive aspects in every circumstance.
“If we continuously discuss divorces, ex-spouses, and the agonizing 2025 that I know I’ve endured, then that is precisely what we will attract,” she clarified. “I’m finished projecting that. I aspire to something superior. I want an improved life. I want a better life for my offspring. I desire healthier relationships. I want stronger friendships. I simply desire improvement.”
DeAnna Pappas’ Observations Regarding Dating Applications
Now that she is unattached, Pappas has a significant query about certain behaviors men exhibit on various dating platforms.
“All they seem interested in doing is sending you images of their genitalia. It’s quite unnerving,” she quipped. “Is it merely the current era we inhabit, where everyone is tethered to their phones and social media? You communicate with someone for a week, and then it’s, ‘Oh, send me an intimate picture.’ I’m simply not that type of individual.”
DeAnna Pappas’ Relationship Challenges
Nowadays, Pappas mentioned that men do not approach her in public settings, such as supermarkets or shops.
When she does manage to connect with a potential partner, she sometimes finds herself astonished by their inadequate conversational abilities.
“Dating feels like an experiment, because it’s astonishing to me how many individuals lack the skill to engage in dialogue — to converse with someone, pose a query, actively listen, and follow up with another question,” she communicated to Spelling. “I cannot count the number of dates I’ve left thinking, ‘That person learned absolutely nothing about me.’ They never asked me a single question beyond, ‘Oh, your name is?’ Effective communication and mutual exchange are incredibly crucial.”
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DeAnna Pappas’ Perspective on a Singular Great Love
During her most recent podcast discussion, Pappas deliberated whether each person encounters more than one true love throughout their existence.
“You bring together two individuals and anticipate that two separate people, with distinct thoughts, upbringings, and varied backgrounds, will concur on every matter,” she articulated. “That constitutes an immense expectation, and we as humans, we tend to impose our expectations on others. I know I do.”
Pappas shared that she has had the privilege of “loving a few individuals in my lifetime.”
“I am truly thankful for those experiences,” she remarked, “and for the affection and appreciation I have gained from each relationship.”
