Mike Johnson Has A Message For Hannah B. After All That Pilot Pete Drama

You'd think watching Hannah Brown and Peter Weber's tearful conversation during Weeks 1 and 2 of The Bachelor would be hard for Mike Johnson. I mean, Hannah is his ex (and his friend) and Peter is his friend (and the guy who was picked instead of Mike to be the franchise's newest lead). But if the Bachelor Nation fan-favorite is negatively affected by this whole thing, he doesn't show it. In fact, Mike Johnson's quotes about Hannah Brown and Peter Weber are full of nothing but love.

On Jan. 13, Mike shows up at a Brooklyn bar's Bachelor watch party to surprise fans and promote his new partnership with Smirnoff Seltzer Rosé. The night's episode kicks off with the now-infamous Hannah-Peter conversation, when they both realize their feelings for one another aren't totally gone. After Peter walks away from Hannah, attempting to put her in the past and focus on his many new girlfriends, Mike weighs in on what he saw go down onscreen.

"I love what [Peter] just did," Mike tells Elite Daily. "He was very transparent and honest with Hannah, where he said, 'Hey, I want to do the right thing by the other ladies.' And he’s also allowing himself to not be sorry for his emotions. He’s a human being; I think that resonates with all of us. That’s my boy. I salute him."

Mike is equally supportive toward Hannah, who has gotten a pretty harsh response to her multiple appearances on Peter's season so far.

"You know, I think that last week on social media, she got a lot of flack, and I would just say that, to anyone that’s ever been in love or is in love right now, it’s not a clear line, right?" he explains. "I love and appreciate Hannah so much for being courageous, you know, and speaking her truth. There’s nothing wrong with that."

When asked what he would say directly to Hannah following her emotional conversation with Peter, Mike offered a message of positivity: "I would say, ‘Baby girl, I love that you’re human and you allow yourself to be human, continue to always do that.'"

Starting out in the franchise on Hannah's Bachelorette season, Mike immediately stuck out to fans as a kind, level-headed contestant who quickly became a popular option to be the next Bachelor. He went on to have a surprisingly uneventful stint on Bachelor in Paradise before getting sent home without a love connection, and then was passed over for the leading man role for Bachelor Season 24.

But don't count him out of Bachelor Nation just yet. He's totally candid about his current love life ("I’m not dating right now," he admits), and when asked if he'd come back to Paradise this year, he says it's a possibility. "I mean, I gotta talk to Wells first to make sure he has my hard seltzer on tap. If he got that for me, then we’ll consider it."