Fans have been searching far and wide for possible insight into the mind of Brad Womack, who spurned both Jenni Croft and DeAnna Pappas last week on the finale of The Bachelor. Now an insider has shed new light on the situation.

According to Kristin Veitch of E! Online, the real reason for Brad Womack's often criticized and shocking decision to choose either Jenni or DeAnna in the finale had, in reality, little to do with Jenni nor DeAnna, but with Bettina Bell.

Says a rock-solid source: "Brad was really into Bettina, who made it to the final four. But when he went to visit her parents, Bettina's father was so awful to him, Brad knew it wouldn't work. So, he was just sort of over the whole thing."

Was Bettina Bell behind Brad Womack's bungled Bachelor finale?

Brad visited Bettina's home in the sixth episode of this season (the reality show's 11th) and Bell's father sort of sealed her fate when he said he was "disappointed" by Brad's lack of a college degree, as well as with Womack's career choice.

Brad had only known Bettina Bell for a few weeks at the time, and being torn apart on national TV is not the sort of thing you want in a first impression.

So does this make Brad Womack's decision better or worse?

Obviously it's still painful for DeAnna Pappas and Jenni Croft, who had their hearts ripped out on TV, and for viewers, who felt like they themselves got robbed. But this certainly casts Womack - and Bettina Bell - in a new light.

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