The Bachelorette's Chad Johnson Talks His Villainous Ways: 'My Cockiness and Arrogance Is Just a Fun Side'

He was sent home without a rose weeks ago, yet Chad Johnson remains one of the most talked about contestants on JoJo Fletcher's season of The Bachelorette, maybe even in Bachelor history.

Now, as Fletcher, 25, gears up for the romantic overnight dates with her remaining suitors, everyone's favorite carnivorous body builder is opening up about public misconceptions.

"People are like he's so cocky, he's so arrogant, he'll never find somebody to fall in love with," Johnson tells PEOPLE. "But my cockiness and arrogance is just a fun side. I know how to pump the brakes and say 'Hey, I'm joking.' "

Johnson memorably clashed with nearly every contestant on the show (RIP Evan's red V-neck), but insists he's not prone to violence.



"I haven't gotten in a fight in, like, 10 years," says Johnson. "If somebody is mean to me, I'll just politely ask them to stop or leave. But the fact of the matter is, these guys were badmouthing me 24/7 in front of the whole world. If somebody [messes] with me that much, I should fight!"

For now, the 28-year-old luxury real estate agent is single (though he reveals that he's still talking to the former girlfriends of fellow Bachelorette contestants Grant Kemp and Robby Hayes) and focused on future endeavors.

And what about a spin-off show? ( Please?) Johnson says he'd consider it, "but not because I want to get famous or make money."

"I would just love something good to watch," he adds. "I watched The Bachelorette alone and I cracked up watching myself every time!"

The Bachelorette's two-part special airs Monday and Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET, and Bachelor in Paradise premieres Aug. 2, both on ABC.