The Bachelor alum Susie Evans is urging viewers to be kind to Zach Shallcross and his finalists because "no one deserves humiliation or public shaming."
ADVERTISEMENT
Susie took to Instagram to defend Zach, Kaity Biggar and Gabi Elnicki as Season 27 of The Bachelor comes to an end.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' FRANCHISE COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER?? (PHOTOS)
"One year ago I mustered all my courage to walk out on stage knowing I was about to get roasted for the way things ended on the show," Susie captioned her post, which included a picture of Clayton Echard and herself from The Bachelor 26 finale, according to BachelorNation.com
"My family wasn't invited, so afterwards I got into an SUV by myself and did [Nick Viall]'s podcast until late at night. Got back to our Airbnb and cried myself to sleep."
ADVERTISEMENT
Susie dumped Clayton on The Bachelor's 26th season during their Fantasy Suite date because he had slept with, and also professed his love to, both Gabby Windey and Rachel Recchia earlier in the week.
Susie, however, reunited with Clayton after the show wrapped filming, and they were an item who announced their love to the world on The Bachelor: After the Final Rose in March 2022.
Internet trolls slammed Susie for giving Clayton another chance and allegedly having no respect for herself. Both Susie and Clayton faced so much backlash on social media -- including death threats to Clayton -- that it affected their mental health and even turned the pair against each other at times.
Susie and Clayton finally announced their breakup in September 2022.
"I held it together until I literally couldn't any more -- a side of me and my struggle I decided to keep private. There is a lot we can't say and lot that people will never understand," Susie reportedly continued in her post.
ADVERTISEMENT
Susie reminded The Bachelor viewers that every person on the show is a human being.
"Therefore, I will never be too hard on anyone that goes on a national platform because regardless of if you agree with their actions or not, we are all emotional beings. Words can hurt. No one deserves humiliation or public shaming."
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELORETTE' COUPLES NOW: WHOM DID 'THE BACHELORETTE' STARS AND THEIR BACHELOR PICKS ULTIMATELY END UP WITH?! (PHOTOS)
Fans have been very vocal about the events that transpired on Monday night's episode of The Bachelor, which featured Zach setting a no-sex rule in Fantasy Suites only to sleep with Gabi and then spill the intimate -- and private -- news with Kaity, who admitted she didn't want to hear about Zach's relationships with the other women.
Kaity nearly quit the show in distress, and Gabi confessed Zach had blindsided her and broken her trust. Gabi accused Zach of "clearing his conscience at the expense of my heart."
ADVERTISEMENT
The episode ended with Zach denying Ariel Frenkel a rose at the Rose Ceremony in Krabi, Thailand.
Susie went on to write, "As we are moving towards the end of this season, I just want to remind people to be kind. I don't anticipate as much of a tumultuous ending... This still feels like a good reminder that regardless of how a TV show makes you feel, it's generally unnecessary to reach out via message or comments to extend hate."
Susie pointed out, "You never know what someone is going through."
Susie then thanked people for every "kind" message, comment or interaction she's had online or in-person over the last year, adding, "Even if I couldn't reply, I promise I felt the love throughout this past year."
Susie also reportedly uploaded a silly photo of Clayton from behind the scenes, and she wrote, "On a lighter note, I promised Clayton to never share this... but looks like a year later he's a better sport about it."
ADVERTISEMENT
Gabi also felt the need to shut down trolls while The Bachelor was airing Monday night.
One of Gabi's followers pointed out how she was "deleting comments" on Instagram, and Gabi replied, "Yes I am. Because I don't need negativity and hate on my page. It's so unnecessary and unkind."
Gabi added, "There is NO reason to put others down, get off my page if you don't like me."
The Instagram user, however, clarified, "I like you queen just here for the drama."
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELORETTE' COUPLES NOW: WHOM DID 'THE BACHELORETTE' STARS AND THEIR BACHELOR PICKS ULTIMATELY END UP WITH?! (PHOTOS)
Gabi appeared to delete most of the comments that criticized or demeaned her. For instance, a troll wrote on her page, "This girl is an embarrassment for female population."
But other people stepped in and defended Gabi, saying that she's "enough" for any man and deserves the world.
"Screw the haters," wrote one fan.
And another person commented, "You shouldn't have to deal with any negativity or hate on your page. You're a sweet girl and don't listen to any of that sh-t."
After Zach gave roses out to Gabi and Kaity in Thailand, he walked Ariel out, which left his Final 2 bachelorettes with a moment alone.
Kaity was shown whispering to Gabi, "I know you were the only one," which prompted Gabi to complain about how she essentially had a big "A" written on her chest.
ADVERTISEMENT
And then when Zach returned to toast champagne with his Final 2 ladies and celebrate how they'd be meeting his family soon, Gabi claimed that Zach was only making eye contact with Kaity.
"I feel like I've just been put through the wringer here. I thought I would be in a much different state of mind. I thought I'd be a lot happier," Gabi told the cameras.
"I have questions that are running through my mind that I need answered before I can confidently move forward with an engagement."
Kaity also noted how she and Zach had more steps to take and things to figure out before she'd feel ready for an engagement.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' COUPLES NOW: WHO DID 'THE BACHELOR' STARS AND THEIR BACHELORETTE PICKS ACTUALLY END UP MARRYING? (PHOTOS)
Interested in more The Bachelor news? Join our The Bachelor Facebook Group!