Wes Hayden's eight-episode stint on The Bachelorette came to an end this week after a long period controversy over whether he was really on the show promote his music and actually has a girlfriend back home named Laurel.

Wes says he's the victim of deceptive editing.

In a radio interview with The Bobby Bones Show in Austin, Wes addressed the lingering rumor that he pursed Jillian Harris while dating Laurel Kagay.

"I had a girlfriend last summer. She's still a very good friend of mine. Every now and then we'll go out and do lunch or something like that," Wes said.

"I just called [The Bachelorette producers] two weeks ago, and was like, 'Look. I don't care what y'all do to me. Say I'm the worst guy in the world, I'm here for publicity, I've got a girlfriend. But don't mention anybody's name."

"As soon as you mention her name, people in Austin are going to know her. We dated for a long time. Sure enough, they mentioned her name."

Furthermore, Wes says his statement at the end of Monday's episode, in which he claims "I'm the only guy in Bachelorette history who's made it to the top four with a girlfriend" was taken out of context and untrue.

"They don't play what I say after that," Wes insists. "I said, 'Only guy in Bachelorette history to make it to the top four with a girlfriend. Get real, dude. If I had a girlfriend, I'd be home with her right now.'"

Wes acknowledges "there had to be drama, there had to be ratings" and that The Bachelorette chose him for it, otherwise "the show would have been boring."

But Wes has advice for people considering going on reality TV.

"If you do go on, don't say a whole lot, because they can pretty much do whatever they want. Basically when you sign up for a show like this you pretty much relinquish every right that you have," he said.

Matt Richenthal is the Editor in Chief of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter and on Google+.