Pixabay A red rose begins to open up.
A former “Bachelorette” star recently opened up about an assault that he endured, and “Bachelor Nation” fans are stepping up to lend their support. Nate Mitchell was an early frontrunner on Gabby Windey and Rachel Recchia’s season in 2022, and Windey sent him home during a heartbreaking, tear-filled individual date. Many fans rallied to see him named the next lead for “The Bachelor” or hoped he would head to “Bachelor in Paradise,” but after doing “The Bachelorette” he essentially went back to doing his own thing. Recently, he detailed an experience he had with a franchise fan and it was clearly difficult for him to discuss.
Here’s what you need to know:
Nate Mitchell Was Physically Assaulted by a ‘Bachelor’ Franchise Fan
Mitchell shared the details in an Instagram story, and the video was shared in “The Bachelor” Reddit sub as well. He explained he had recently been hanging out with friends when “a random person came up and just physically assaulted me.” He noted this person said several terrible things as well, and he felt quite uncomfortable with the situation. “The Bachelorette” star acknowledged everybody is entitled to form their own opinions regarding what they see on the show. He also admitted he knows it can be easy for viewers to get attached to narratives created by production regarding the contestants.
As “Bachelorette” fans likely remember, during Windey’s season, Mitchell talked a great deal about his young daughter. Mitchell received Windey’s first one-on-one date of the season, and the two were falling hard for one another. Sadly, as Elite Daily detailed, Windey ultimately sent him home because she worried she was not ready to step into the role of being a stepmother. In addition, as “The Bachelorette” aired, Mitchell was caught up in some off-camera drama. A former girlfriend alleged she had been in a serious relationship with Mitchell for more than a year, and that he had never told her he had a daughter, and he reportedly was dating someone else during the same timeframe.
Regarding this recent assault, Mitchell did not detail what seemed to drive the “Bachelorette” fan to be so vicious toward him. He pointed out that regardless, “The moment that you translate that [narrative] into reality, to the point where you think it’s okay to harm someone, is unacceptable.”
Mitchell Pleaded for ‘Bachelorette’ Fans to Be Respectful
Mitchell also admitted, “I’m a real person at the end of the day, I have real feelings, emotions, people who love me, people who care for me, people who I take care of, and I don’t want that reality to ever become dangerous for me.” He asked fans to “please, just remember, at the end of the day, it’s just a TV show, please be respectful to me and others.”
“The Bachelorette” fans on Reddit sent their support to Mitchell.
“I hope he presses charges. Nate, I’m sorry this happened to you!” one Redditor commented.
“It’s fine to dislike someone, but for god’s sake you know them only from a TV show, snark in here and be at peace. No one deserves to be threatened or attacked in that manner. Poor guy,” another noted.
“Nate did things worthy of criticism… He did not deserve to be physically assaulted. I am so sad that Nate had to experience that and I hope he finds healing and support,” someone else detailed.