For Love, Not Money: An Interview with Paige Jones

Fans of For Love or Money need no introduction to Paige. For the duration of the series she doggedly defended Rob while others saw him as a means to an end. Her reward for this was to watch Rob reject her on national television and break her heart. Paige was kind enough to grant me an interview and I was surprised to learn what an intelligent, centered, and sincere young lady she is. Our interview was unhurried and very relaxed and Paige provides fans of the show with some extra insight and behind the scenes information. She is a very open and talkative woman and there were some revelations that became clear over the course of several questions. At the end of the interview I will piece together Paige’s comments about these things in one section for easier understanding.

RealityNewsOnline: First of all, thank you for taking the time to speak with us. A lot of our readers have e-mailed me with comments and questions about both you and the show and my question list is mostly made up of things they have asked me. First, do you feel that the show did a good job of showing America who you really are as a person?

Paige: Yes I do. It’s impossible for them to show anything that I did not do or didn’t actually say. I was really happy, although a lot was left out in parts that might have made things clearer. For example, a lot of people have wondered about some of the comments I made to Rob at the beginning of things.

RNO: Yes they have, and in fact that brings up my next question. Thank you for setting it up for me! In one of your first encounters with Rob you told him that he would “get the farthest” with you. Do you think this comment is one of the things that made him curious about you and what did you mean when you made the comment?

Paige: See, I get asked about that a whole lot. That comment was taken out of context and was part of a longer conversation that Rob and I had. He had just gotten through telling me that he was looking for a girl who was open and honest, which made me feel kind of funny inside because at this point we were all keeping this big secret from him about the million dollars. I wanted to tell him that honesty was very important to me and I said to him, “If you don’t lie to me, you’ll get the farthest with me.”

RNO: The way it was edited it looked almost like you were throwing yourself at him. It confused a lot of people later on, especially when you explained about your promise ring. The Paige we saw in the other episodes was a very different woman from the one that made that comment.

Paige: It really wasn’t, I was just trying to make sure Rob knew I was a good person and it came out completely different when the show was on.

RNO: What’s the biggest thing about you as a person that you want people to know about?

Paige: I think a lot of people act out of their fears and insecurities. I don’t want to be that way. I want to be open and trusting instead of jaded. So many people are so cynical and I don’t want to be like that. Most of the other girls had been hurt in relationships and it made them a little more jaded and defensive. I had been in a relationship and been hurt by it too, but I decided I wasn’t going to let it make me less open.

RNO: After the show aired and you were able to see and hear some of Rob’s comments about yourself and the other ladies, did it change your opinion of him?

Paige: The show portrayed him really well, I think. I was surprised at the hot tub scene. I wasn’t even there when all that happened.

RNO: You weren’t? Where were you?

Paige: Rob and I had been talking together for a while that evening and I wanted to give some of the other women some time with him and not monopolize his time with us. I left and went upstairs and that’s when all that stuff with the boots and the hot tub happened. I found out about it from the other girls afterwards but I didn’t really see any of it until I watched the show. Rob and I are still pretty good friends and we talk on the phone together.

RNO: A lot of viewers, myself included, were surprised at how inarticulate Rob was when he had to speak. A lawyer relies on his speaking ability and Rob seemed to stutter and stammer quite a bit.

Paige: I think Rob’s problem was that he was really uncomfortable around the cameras. I mean, we were around the cameras 24 hours a day and got used to them being around, but Rob was at a hotel down the street and only on camera a few hours a day when he was with us on dates and things. He never really relaxed with the cameras following him around whenever he was with us.

RNO: A lot of people want to know for certain the answer to the big question of the show. Would you have chosen Rob over the million dollars?

Paige: Yes! But I know he felt something stronger with Erin than he did with me and I think he made the right choice for him, so I understand.

RNO: A lot of viewers thought it was very cruel of Rob to pick Erin just a few hours after talking with you about children and meeting one another’s families. Do you feel like he set you up?

Paige: No, not a bit. Those short clips were part of a very long talk Rob and I had. Taken in little pieces the way the showed it, it all looks far more intense than it really was. It was really just a nice conversation between us where those things happened to get mentioned.