DWTS Champ Kicks off New Year a ‘Little Bit Negative’ Following Viral Photos

Heavy/ABC Kaitlyn Bristowe talks about negative start to 2024.

Season 29 “Dancing With the Stars” champ Kaitlyn Bristowe has been making headlines after a soft-launch of her apparent relationship with Bachelor Nation’s Zac Clark.

After letting things settle down a bit, Bristowe put up a box on her Instagram Stories, asking fans to share what they’re thankful for.

“Grateful for your light on social media,” one fan wrote. In her response, Bristowe noted that she’s been having a tough time staying positive in 2024.

“This actually means a lot to me because I feel like I’ve been drawing a lot of negative attention in lately, and that’s because I’ve been a little bit negative,” the former “Bachelorette” star responded. “If you want to see the light in people and encourage people to be a light, then you have to do that yourself,” she added.

Here’s what you need to know:

Kaitlyn Bristowe Received a Barrage of Hate Following Her Soft-Launch

There had been some rumblings that Bristowe was dating Clark following her split from fiance Jason Tartick. However, once fans saw her with her arm around Clark at the New Year’s Eve party that she hosted, many sent her nasty messages, some even accusing her of cheating on Tartick with Clark.

Bristowe previously took to her Instagram Stories to respond.

“You would think by now I’d be used to the hate. I’m not. Your words hurt. Your shaming hurts. Part of me feels a little sad and honestly embarrassed for you guys because this shouldn’t be how you spend day 1 of a new year. You should not be this invested in someone you don’t even know or respect. It’s actually scary, and I know looking inward might be even scarier for you. But the bullying is next level. You are allowed to have opinions and feelings,” she wrote.

“But you don’t even know the truth, and your HATE should actually come with consequences. I truly worry about some of your mental health. It’s not OK. It’s. Not. Please. Please feel ashamed of yourselves for treating someone this way who you don’t know. I did not kill someone. I had a party with some of my favorite people. Shame. On. YOU. Not me,” she added.

Kaitlyn Bristowe Debuted a New Look After Being Sick

After Bristowe’s New Year’s Eve soiree, she flew to California to attend the “Golden Bachelor” wedding. When she arrived back in Nashville, however, she came down with something that had her laid out for a few days.

“Laying here sick has me reminiscing on my New Year’s/ house warming party. It was so nice to be in my new home with incredible friends,” she captioned a post on January 7, 2024.

Then, on her Instagram Stories, Bristowe said that she actually fainted in her bathroom, which she believes was due to severe dehydration. Once she started feeling better, she decided it was time for a big change — so she chopped her long, brown hair into a bob. She shared several photos on social media and, so far, the reaction has been fairly positive.

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