The Bachelorette alum Kaitlyn Bristowe has admitted she's been a bit negative lately and has been attracting some negative attention.
ADVERTISEMENT
One of the Season 11 The Bachelorette star's followers wrote to her, "Grateful for your light on social media," according to Us Weekly.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' FRANCHISE COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER?? (PHOTOS)
Kaitlyn, 38, wrote in reply via Instagram Stories on Wednesday, January 10, "This actually means a lot to me because I feel like I've been drawing a lot of negative attention in lately, and that's because I've been a little bit negative."
The former Dancing with the Stars champion reportedly added how it's "such a good reminder" that "if you want to see the light in people and encourage people to be a light," then "you have to do that yourself."
ADVERTISEMENT
Kaitlyn's message came shortly after she attended The Golden Wedding on January 4 and was accused by many fans of trying to get on-camera as much as she could because she's allegedly desperate for attention.
Kaitlyn also recently confessed her ex-fiance, Jason Tartick, "disappointed" her in the way that he had handled gossip about her rumored romance with former The Bachelorette star Tayshia Adams' ex-fiance Zac Clark.
"I'm a little bit disappointed. I'm going to try to not get emotional -- because I cried all day yesterday -- but it's really disappointing to me, the way that Jason's kind of leaning into the victim mentality," Kaitlyn shared on the January 4 episode of her "Off the Vine with Kaitlyn Bristowe" podcast.
"I don't want to dismiss that he's hurting. I don't want to dismiss that his feelings are valid and his feelings are hurting. But I have talked to him so openly and honestly. And I am [hurting too]. We have been so transparent with each other to have respect for one another."
Kaitlyn had hosted a New Year's Eve party at her new home in Nashville, TN, on December 31, and she invited several Bachelor Nation members -- including Zac -- who was previously engaged to The Bachelorette's Season 16 star Tayshia Adams.
ADVERTISEMENT
The Instagram account @BachelorNation.scoop had posted a video of Kaitlyn and Zac looking cozy as they counted down to midnight together.
Kaitlyn had her arm around Zac's neck while he had his hand on her back. The footage sparked gossip they're currently dating -- and that Kaitlyn possibly cheated on Jason before they officially announced their split in August 2023.
Jason seemingly responded to the noise via Instagram on January 1, only hours after Kaitlyn issued a public statement denying she had ever cheated on her now ex-fiance.
Jason posted a picture of his smiling face and captioned it, "Happy New Year," along with a heart emoji.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELORETTE' COUPLES NOW: WHOM DID 'THE BACHELORETTE' STARS AND THEIR BACHELOR PICKS ULTIMATELY END UP WITH?! (PHOTOS)
ADVERTISEMENT
Jason's upload prompted many comments from Instagram users about Kaitlyn's apparent new romance with Zac.
"Let's just pretend 2024 starts tomorrow. Kid deserves a true FRESH start to the year," one follower wrote.
Jason responded, "I support this ha."
Jason subsequently shared a screenshot of that comment via Instagram Stories, adding, "Jan 2, 2024 the first official day of 2024."
Jason also posted a video of the two dogs he shares with Kaitlyn, Ramen and Pinot, and he wrote, "When in doubt... go to the puppy park."
ADVERTISEMENT
After Kaitlyn and Jason announced their split, Kaitlyn moved out of the Nashville home they had shared together.
Kaitlyn vented on January 4 episode of her podcast, "I personally thought that Jason and I were in such a good space. He came over the other day and I gave him a house tour."
"I have found myself to be, like, 'I want to invite him in, I want to show him the new house,'" she recalled.
"And he was like, 'I'd love to see the house!' We speak kindly about each other, we had the best time at Chris Harrison's wedding. And so I think I get really confused."
Kaitlyn said when thinking about the situation, one word kept coming to mind.
"The word disappointment keeps coming up," Kaitlyn said. "I feel so disappointed that someone could use a false narrative, like a false-narrative accusation to garner sympathy for themselves."
The "false accusation" appears to fan speculation that Kaitlyn had been unfaithful to Jason with Zac.
"Here to say that there was never an ounce of cheating happening and I will not stand for this rumor. Y'all are NASTY in here. Anywho. Swear on my dogs lives," Kaitlyn clarified in an Instagram comment on January 1.
"No cheating went on. So we can just put that to rest. Thank you!! Happy new year everyone. Go donate some blood or somethin!"
The Bachelorette Season 11 star posted her cheating denial shortly after uploading a long rant via Instagram Stories about hate and backlash she's been receiving online since her party.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' COUPLES NOW: WHO DID 'THE BACHELOR' STARS AND THEIR BACHELORETTE PICKS ACTUALLY END UP MARRYING? (PHOTOS)
ADVERTISEMENT
Kaitlyn -- who, alongside Tayshia, had co-hosted The Bachelorette seasons starring Katie Thurston and Michelle Young -- unloaded on her haters in part, "Some of you [are] treating me like I murdered someone. You would think by now I'd be used to the hate. I'm not. Your words hurt. Your shaming hurts."
The Bachelor alum noted, "But you don't even know the truth, and your HATE should actually come with consequences. I truly worry about some of your mental health. It's not OK. It's. Not... Shame. On. YOU. Not me."
Kaitlyn also appeared to address her rumored romance with Zac by writing, "I wish I could just share my truth and tell you my side. It's hard to bite my dang tongue sometimes."
Since word spread about Kaitlyn and Zac's relationship, Kaitlyn has also taken heat for breaking "girl code" since she's good friends with Tayshia.
When @BachelorNation.scoop posted videos and photos of Kaitlyn and Zac's New Year's Eve night together, the account posted the following unverified tea: "Jason caught wind of this and talked to Kaitlyn this past weekend. [She] denied that she was talking to Zac during their breakup (but didn't deny that she is now)."
The account also posted some clues that suggest Kaitlyn and Zac are an item now.
According to the Instagram account, Kaitlyn began liking Zac's Instagram photos in July 2023 after about a year of no likes, Zac started liking Kaitlyn's photos in May 2023, and Jason stopped liking Zac's photos in early October 2023.
Jason, who initially competed for Becca Kufrin's heart on The Bachelorette's fourteenth season in 2018, asked Kaitlyn out on their first date in January 2019, and their romance moved quickly.
Jason moved from his place in Seattle, Washington to live with Kaitlyn in Nashville in June 2019, and then the couple adopted their two dogs together and got engaged in Spring 2021.
However, Jason and Kaitlyn -- who was engaged to her The Bachelorette 11 winner Shawn Booth before getting involved with Jason -- split this past summer.
For Zac's part, he got engaged to Tayshia on The Bachelorette's sixteenth season finale in 2020.
But about one year after their engagement aired on ABC, Zac and Tayshia announced their breakup in November 2021.
ADVERTISEMENT
The addiction specialist and New Yorker recently recalled of proposing marriage to The Bachelorette alum on "The Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcast" that in the moment, "it felt real" and "it felt right."
Zac insisted, "I wouldn't change anything. I don't live in regret. It's a very special moment in time and in my life regardless of what happened."
Tayshia is currently dating former Summer House star Luke Gulbranson.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' FRANCHISE COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER?? (PHOTOS)
Interested in more The Bachelor news? Join our The Bachelor Facebook Group!