The Bachelor star Grant Ellis has spoken publicly about his father’s long battle with drug addiction, but he has not previously discussed Robert Ellis’ time behind bars or his extensive criminal history.
Grant first told viewers during Jenn Tran’s season of The Bachelorette that his father had struggled with addiction for three decades. He later offered more insight on his own season of The Bachelor, describing what it was like to grow up with a father who misused alcohol and drugs.
He told Jenn that Robert had recently entered rehab and achieved sobriety shortly before Grant joined the show in hopes of finding love.
However, DailyMail.com can exclusively report that Robert has had repeated encounters with law enforcement, beginning during Grant’s childhood and continuing into his teenage years.
Robert’s addiction placed strain on his relationship with Grant and with Grant’s mother, Renee. The couple eventually divorced while their son was attending college.
Court records show that Mr. Ellis was convicted of possessing a controlled substance, resisting arrest in two separate encounters with police, fourth-degree impersonation, loitering and defiant trespassing , along with numerous driving-related violations, including operating a vehicle with a suspended license.
Grant Ellis has discussed his father’s addiction, but has not publicly addressed Robert Ellis’ jail time and history of legal troubles
Robert Ellis’ record includes resisting arrest, impersonation and defiant trespassing charges, as well as several traffic offenses
According to court documents reviewed by DailyMail.com, the former car dealership owner spent at least seven days incarcerated in New Jersey.
His first known jail stay came in November 1999, following his arrest on charges of third-degree aggravated assault, third-degree eluding and fourth-degree resisting arrest.
The aggravated assault allegation was later dismissed. In April 2001, Robert received three years of probation and was required to comply with drug and alcohol treatment conditions related to the eluding and resisting arrest convictions.
A six-month jail term was initially suspended because of his warrant status. But the judgment of conviction shows that he served another four days in April 2004 after being convicted on those charges.
Robert was taken into custody for a third time in February 2005, this time on a charge involving third-degree possession of drug paraphernalia.
The related police report remains unavailable because it is classified as a criminal investigatory record. The investigation reportedly involved allegations connected to cocaine possession, cocaine distribution or drug distribution within 1,000 feet of a school and 500 feet of a park. DailyMail.com was able to obtain the case disposition.
He initially entered a not-guilty plea before changing it to guilty in August 2005.
Robert did not receive additional jail time for the controlled-substance conviction. However, in August 2006, a judge sentenced him to three years of probation, regular urine screening, 50 hours of community service and a $1,000 financial penalty. He was also instructed to maintain “full-time steady verifiable employment.”
Robert Ellis served several days in jail in April 2004 for eluding and resisting arrest; this is his 2004 mugshot from the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office
Grant told Jenn Tran that his father would take him to the park while intoxicated, though he did not understand what was happening at the time
Robert shared an Instagram post in September 2024 captioned, “A day in recovery”
The court further ordered him to continue attending Narcotics Anonymous meetings and to participate in outpatient substance-abuse treatment and counseling as directed by probation officials.
Robert has largely stayed out of legal trouble in recent years, but he was recently sued by a debt-collection company over an unpaid balance originally listed at $948.12.
A complaint filed March 4 in a New Jersey court by LVNV Funding LLC alleges that Robert failed to make payments to the original creditor, Credit One Bank.
The account was reportedly closed in March 2023 after payments stopped, according to the filing.
With filing and service costs added, the amount sought has risen to $1,005.12.
Robert’s response is due next month. If he fails to answer, the court could issue a judgment automatically.
DailyMail.com has contacted Robert Ellis for comment.
During Grant’s time on The Bachelorette, he spoke candidly with Jenn about his father’s decades-long addiction.
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Grant said on The Viall Files in August 2024 that he was “super proud” of his father’s progress and the person he had become
New episodes of The Bachelor have continued exploring Grant’s childhood and his father’s struggles with addiction and incarceration
“Addiction is a hard thing because, you know, growing up, my pops was everything. Like, he was my superhero,” Grant said.
“He used to take me to the park, and he always used to be inebriated or, like, intoxicated under the substance. The worst thing is … I didn’t know.”
He added: “When you’re a child, you believe everything, and the one person I trusted most was always lying. So that was something.
“In my eyes, I’m like, ‘You’re a man. Why can’t you do what you have to do?’”
Grant said his father entered rehab after losing his job. The two later reconnected and had an emotional conversation about Robert’s life and recovery.
“He was like, ‘Listen, son. This is the first time that you know the real me when I’m not intoxicated.’ So I’m, like, really leaning into that,” Grant recalled.
“So now, he’s a little under two months sober, so, you know, I hope he holds strong. And it’s his first time living, too.”
Grant offered another update during an August 2024 appearance on The Viall Files.
Grant Ellis began The Bachelor with 25 women and had three contestants remaining after the March 3 episode
“I’m super proud of him for the progress he’s made, where he’s come from, and what he’s doing now. I just want him to know that he did a good job,” he said.
“I love my father to death, man, and he did the best that he could. It’s his first time living too, and he has this trauma, and he just took a certain route.
“And I don’t want him to ever think that I’m, like, bashing him or putting him out there, but you know, this is, it’s my life story.”
Grant has continued to reflect on his father’s influence and the role Robert’s story has played in shaping his own life.
On a February episode of the Off The Vine podcast, he revealed that his search for a partner was also intertwined with his relationship with his father.
“So my dad was an exotic car dealer growing up and he ended up opening a studio. He used to sell cars to like Biggie Smalls and Eddie Murphy,” Grant said.
“Our family got pictures with them. That’s how my mom and dad met — they met at Eddie Murphy’s birthday party in New York. So they met there and my dad had a car dealership and one of his clients was RZA from the Wu-Tang Clan.
“We used to go to the studio when I was a kid and I used to be in there listening.”
Litia Garr, 31, is a venture capitalist from Salt Lake City, Utah
Zoe McGrady, 27, is a technology engineer and model from New York City
Juliana Pasquarosa, 28, is a client service associate from Newton, Massachusetts
Following the March 3 episode of The Bachelor season 29, Grant’s final three contestants were Juliana Pasquarosa, 28, Litia Garr, 31, and Zoe McGrady, 27.
Asked by host Kaitlyn Bristowe whether he could preview the finale, Grant said, “What I can say is that there’s multiple love stories and I’m not talking about with, like, different women. I’m talking about between me and my father.
“The emotional connections were so strong that it was difficult at the end.
“But ultimately you have to follow your heart and you have to make sure you’re leading with that.”
The Bachelor continues with Women Tell All on March 10 at 8 p.m. ET, followed by the overnight Fantasy Suite dates on March 17.
