Katie Thurston revealed in an Instagram post that she started taking antidepressants for the first time in response to the hate she received as The Bachelorette.
“I was drowning in my tears, unable to even recognize the girl in the mirror,” Katie wrote in the Instagram post. “Was the old me really gone?”
Katie rose to fame on Matt James’s season of The Bachelor when she shared a heartfelt conversation with another contestant. She was then cast as the lead of The Bachelorette season 17.
Katie got engaged to Blake Moynes at the end of her season, however the two broke up shortly after the show aired. She then entered into a controversial relationship with another of her contestants, John Hersey.
Katie Thurston wasn’t prepared for the hate
The former Bachelorette got real about the hate comments and backlash she’s received in the time leading up to and following her season in a post shared to her Instagram.
In the photo, Katie is posing in a pool in a white bathing suit and pink heart-shaped glasses. She appears to be blowing a kiss to the camera. However, it’s the caption of the photo that is making headlines.
“I remember a producer texting me saying ‘the old Katie is dead and the new Katie will rise from the ashes.’ He was right about one thing. The old Katie did in fact die,” Katie wrote. “But I was not some girl on fire. If anything, the sparks I once felt for life were doused with the judgement and criticism of not only strangers, but even ones I worked closely with.”
Katie faced fierce scrutiny in the months leading up to her season, with viewers criticizing her promo photos and others threatening to boycott the season altogether.
“I thought I knew what to expect,” Katie wrote. “I didn’t. I thought I was strong enough to handle the negativity. I wasn’t.”
Katie Thurston on protecting her mental health
Although Katie was clearly hurt by all of the comments she received, she also shared how she began proactively taking steps to protect her mental health.
As well as unfollowing and blocking accounts, Katie also revealed that she has a password-protected screen time limit which is only known to her boyfriend, John Hersey.
She also went on to praise her fans and followers who have supported her and shared kind comments or DMs, and encouraged those who send negative messages to reconsider their actions.
“You’d be amazed on the impact putting positivity into the universe will have on your own life,” Katie wrote. “Stay kind.”
The Bachelorette is currently on hiatus.