While Week 4 of The Bachelor may have been filled with unnecessary drama, one conversation has fans showing full support for one contestant.
As the cast headed to The Bahamas, contestant Brooklyn Willie was one of the lucky women to secure a one-on-one date with leading man Zach Shallcross.
The 25-year-old, who hails from Stillwater, Oklahoma, let her guard down during the dinner portion of the date and opened up about her experience with abuse in a past relationship.
Brooklyn got emotional as she explained her situation to Zach, saying she was in an emotionally abusive relationship for six years that had turned physical. She even explained how the cops woke her up in the middle of the night because she was knocked out by her ex.
“I literally had to pull strength that I didn’t even know I had and just… get out,” she said on waking up one morning and choosing to uproot her life and “never look back.”
While Zach showed nothing but support at that moment, fans were also quick to let Brooklyn know that they were on her side.
Bachelor Nation shows full support for Brooklyn after her date
It was clear that many fans wanted to “protect” Brookyln after opening up about her past experience with abuse.
One fan applauded Brooklyn’s bravery, tweeting, “I have a lot of concern around trauma dumping and how this franchise uses it – BUT Brooklyn’s bravery and openness is incredible and so important. So many women find themselves in horrible situations and think they’re alone, but they’re not.”
“Brooklyn we support you and are so sorry you have had to go through that. No one deserves to be treated like that. we love you,” another viewer wrote.
Some fans also had a few choice words for her abusive ex, too.
One viewer tweeted, “let me find out who put their hands on Brooklyn.”
All in all, it was clear that Bachelor Nation was ready to rally in support of a seemingly new fan-favorite.
ABC and Jesse Palmer speak out against abuse after The Bachelor episode
After Zach and Brooklyn’s date aired, The Bachelor’s official social media accounts, as well as the show’s host, Jesse Palmer, chimed in to give their support on the situation.
“Heartbreaking to hear Brooklyn talk about her past relationship. She is so strong, courageous and deserving of love and happiness,” Jesse wrote on Twitter.
The show also made a public statement in regard to Brooklyn talking about such a sensitive topic.
The show had also put out a message prior to the segment, informing viewers that domestic violence was going to be discussed. The network provided the phone number to the National Domestic Violence Hotline and website for those in danger to receive help.
While the segment may have been difficult for some viewers to get through, it appeared to be a major milestone for Brooklyn to be able to discuss the situation with Zach — something that undoubtfully brought them much closer.
The Bachelor airs on Mondays at 8/7c on ABC.