The Bachelor host Chris Harrison has shared additional details about the events surrounding bachelorette Caelynn Miller-Keyes' decision to reveal she was sexually assaulted in college during a conversation with Colton Underwood that will air on Monday night's broadcast of the ABC reality dating show.
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Helping and educating rape victims was Caelynn's platform when 23-year-old pageant queen competed for Miss USA after winning the title of Miss North Carolina 2018, and she has previously publicly discussed the sexual-assault incident.
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"It's this conversation where Caelynn and Colton are on a date and they start talking and they've gotten to the point in their relationship and she explains this, 'You know, there's something you need to know because it affects a lot of my relationships, and I need to share it with you,'" The Bachelor host told Ryan Seacrest during a Monday morning appearance on his On-Air with Ryan Seacrest radio show.
"She just felt that that's where they were at the time, and when she has relationships she tells this story."
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According to Chris, the conversation was so intense it resulted in The Bachelor producers stopping filming to confirm Caelynn and Colton wanted to have the very intimate conversation on camera.
"The fact that she was able to do that on camera -- be that vulnerable, be that honest, and [for] Colton to be able to sit there and accept that and take it like he did... it's one of those rare things when you're doing the show where the show kind of stops and now you're just wanting to take care of these people, and walk them through this," Chris told Ryan.
"It was gut-wrenching, as you said. It was emotional for all of us, and we stopped [and] we talked to her, we talked to Colton and made sure this was the direction they wanted to go. And kudos to her for being strong enough to saying, 'Yes, this is my story, I wanted to tell it,' and God bless her for doing so."
Ryan -- who produces numerous reality shows of his own, including Keeping Up with the Kardashians -- told Chris he believed it was important for the difficult conversation to air as shown.
"It's really -- it's tough to watch, but I think important that you see it in the way that it is shown," he said.
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During his interview, Chris also credited Caelynn with allowing The Bachelor to share an important social issue with its viewers.
"I always feel -- and look, I know we're not changing the world and it's entertainment and The Bachelor can be fun. But I always feel like The Bachelor is a bit of a microcosm of what's happening in the world. And this happens on college campuses, and this happens on dates. This happens," he said.
"And the fact that there are now people speaking up, and being vocal and being brave enough to bring their stories forward, I think will really open the door and shine a light on this -- which in a way, I hate to say it, sometimes The Bachelor has done. It's brought some of these social issues out, where we have these conversations," Chris continued.
"And if nothing else comes from the show, the fact that you and I and all of us are having this powerful conversation and people are going to watch this tonight -- that's enough for me."
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Afterward, Ryan speculated that Caelynn's disclosure would likely make it more difficult for Colton to decide to eliminate Caelynn from The Bachelor down the road.
"Because she was so vulnerable and open -- not only to [Colton], but also to the nation about this, I would find it very difficult to ever give her bad news," he told Chris.
"You know, after someone -- I'm just thinking for him -- someone opens up to him like that, wouldn't he find it difficult to [not give her a rose]? I'm just saying, watching that, I can't imagine -- it would be very difficult to then say, 'Well, I'm not interested.'"
"Well you would definitely be more delicate with it. But you're right, the fact that she opened up like that, and then really gave herself to that," Chris replied.
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Chris then opted to change the subject to Colton and discuss how -- as The Bachelor host has been already been teasing for months -- Caelynn's disclosure had an enormous impact on the rest of The Bachelor star's season.
"It says a lot about Colton by the way. I know he's caught some flack about the whole virginity thing, but you also see him change as a man tonight," Chris told Ryan.
"Because it also brought out a very serious conversation from Colton's past. And this is what I found fascinating Ryan. Caelynn is a victim, but then Colton opens up about why he really is a virgin at this point because he was with someone who was a victim and how it affected him and this ripple affect of -- and Caelynn talks later [that] it's not just this person that's effected, there is that effect on other people."
While Chris did not address her by name, Chris' comments seemed to indicate he believes Colton is still a virgin because he dated Aly Raisman, the Olympic gymnast who was among the many gymnasts sexually assaulted by former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar.
Colton and Aly split in June 2017 after several months of dating and The Bachelor star called her his "first love" in an interview earlier this month.
"And then Colton was able to open up, and it really lead to this amazing breakthrough between these two that was so compelling. And this does change Colton and does change the way I was with him and the way everybody was with him the rest of the show," Chris continued.
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However, Ryan then revisited the topic that Caelynn's disclosure would make it difficult for Colton to decide not to give her a rose, causing Chris to acknowledge Caelynn's belief that she "knew that there was no doubt that she was going to be around for a while" contributed to her disclosure.
"I'm just saying that after hearing that and seeing her be so strong and vulnerable, I'd only want to comfort her... make sure she was comfortable," Ryan told Ryan.
"Well sure, she felt sure enough about [where] their relationship was, she knew she wasn't going home, obviously. She had that connection with him, and he knew it -- you know, you can always tell when you have that chemistry and that thing, and that's why she had this conversation," Chris replied.
"She knew that there was no doubt that she was going to be around for a while, and she's somebody that Colton really cares about.... she knew and he knew that they weren't going anywhere."
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