Allie Eklund is taking time for herself after her highly publicized breakup with Steven McBee Jr.
The “The McBee Dynasty: Real American Cowboys” star told Us Weekly she is in no rush to start dating again following the end of her relationship with the Bravo star, adding that she has a much clearer idea of what she wants in a future partner.
Her comments come as viewers continue to watch the former couple’s relationship play out on season 3 of the Bravo reality series, and months after their split made headlines.
Allie Eklund Says She’s Not Ready to Start Dating Again
While promoting her new business venture, Triple E Mercantile, Eklund admitted the idea of starting over romantically feels overwhelming.
“For me, at this point in my life, you know, it would be really hard to randomly date and get back out there,” she told the outlet.
Eklund, who turned 29 this year, said she isn’t looking forward to explaining the events of the past year to someone new.
“I just turned 29 this year, and catching someone up to speed on everything that has happened in my life just seems pretty daunting, to be honest,” she said. “I can’t even imagine, you know, first date conversations. And whenever I was dating Steven, you know, I didn’t think that I was going to have first dates again. So, I’ve been wrapping my head around that.”
Instead of meeting someone completely new, Eklund said she would prefer to reconnect with someone already familiar with her life.
“I really would prefer to date someone that’s been in my life before,” she explained. “[Someone] that I know has a proven track record of supporting me.”
She added that she has repeatedly experienced partners who initially embraced her career before eventually becoming frustrated by it.
“I think with men, it’s really easy — in my experience — for them to say that they love all the things that I’m doing and admire it, but then they end up resenting me for it and wanting to change me and my experience with dating. That’s what I’ve seen play [out] over and over and over again.”
Eklund continued, “So, maybe dating someone that’s already been in my life or from my past that I know supports me and loves me and my career and my family, and I have a proven track record of, that is who I’m interested in being with.”
Allie Eklund Reflects on Relationship With Steven McBee Jr.
Although their relationship has ended, fans are now watching its highs and lows unfold on season 3 of “The McBee Dynasty.”
Eklund said one of the biggest issues between the couple involved where they wanted to build their future.
She told Us Weekly she always planned to return to Texas, where her family lives, despite beginning a relationship with McBee Jr., whose family and business are based in Missouri.
“I had plans to go back to Texas before I met him and I was sticking to my word on that,” she explained. “And he wanted to be together, and was, you know, wanting to come to Texas, [while] I wanted him to stay in Missouri and we would, you know, find time to continue getting to know each other. You know, there was no rush to move states so quickly.”
Eklund added that she still hopes to build her future in Texas.
“Having someone in Texas would obviously be amazing, because my family is here and I would love to stay in Texas long-term and raise a family here the way that I was raised here,” she said. “So I would love to find someone in Texas, and a lot of Texas boys are cowboys. So they are not off the table for me. We’ll see.”
Steven McBee Jr. Shares Lessons He Learned After Breakup
Ahead of season 3, McBee Jr. also reflected on the breakup during an interview with People.
He said therapy has helped him slow down before reacting emotionally.
“There’s a moment where you find out information, and then there’s your reaction,” he said. “In that moment, if you can pause and take a breather and just give yourself—for me, it’s literally 20 minutes.”
“If I have 20 minutes of an emotional roller coaster and I come back to the situation 20 minutes later, I’m levelheaded, I’m logical, I’m rational again,” he continued. “I’m over that spike of emotion.”
McBee Jr. said he now intentionally steps away from his phone when emotions are running high.
“I definitely put my phone down,” he explained. “I do not have my phone in hand, and I give myself that 20 minutes to come back to the situation whenever I have a clearer head, I’m calm, I’m rational, and I can think through a situation and handle it the way that I should handle it.”
The breakup became public in April after Eklund shared screenshots of text messages she said McBee Jr. sent after accusing her of cheating following a trip to Stagecoach. Eklund denied the allegations, and McBee Jr. later apologized publicly.
“No level of personal hurt and betrayal justifies the language I used,” he wrote on Instagram at the time. “I recognize that the criticism I am receiving is fair, and I am listening.”
Looking ahead to season 3, McBee Jr. acknowledged revisiting the relationship on television will not be easy.
“I had a great relationship that’s going to play out in this season,” he told People. “I thought the world of the girl I was dating and thought that things were going to go certainly a different direction than they have over the last few months.”
New episodes of “The McBee Dynasty: Real American Cowboys” air Mondays at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo.
