The Bachelorette bachelor Hayden Markowitz has addressed his elimination and the unflattering footage that aired of him while he pursued Rachel Recchia on the show's nineteenth season.
ADVERTISEMENT
Hayden, a 29-year-old leisure executive from Tampa, FL, took to Instagram on Monday and posted a statement after The Bachelorette fans watched him make jaw-dropping comments about Rachel and Gabby Windey and then deny them all.
RELATED LINK: GABBY AND RACHEL'S 'THE BACHELORETTE' SEASON 19 BACHELORS -- MEET THE MEN! (PHOTOS)
"For those who watched tonight's episode, you saw me at my absolute worst and lowest moment," Hayden captioned a funny group photo, featuring Gabby, Rachel and several other suitors.
"I have always tried to carry myself with humility and respect for others. However, my complete lapse of judgement was not only disappointing but it was absolutely unacceptable. I genuinely want to express my deepest apologies to both Gabby and Rachel for my actions."
ADVERTISEMENT
Hayden proceeded to "take full responsibility" for his mistakes and "for not being the man I was raised to be in those moments, especially towards these two wonderful deserving ladies who I truly do respect."
"I really hate how this season ended, but this experience was not one that I was mentally or emotionally prepared for with the current things going on in my life," he continued.
"Despite how everything transpired, it was an amazing experience that I will never forget and will learn from. I wish Gabby and Rachel all the best and hope they can accept my apology!"
Hayden made waves when he broke up with Gabby during a group date and called her "rough around the edges." He also hurt her feelings when he said his morals and values seemed better align what Rachel.
Rachel ultimately decided to give Hayden a rose, which meant a second chance, but he squandered it.
ADVERTISEMENT
Monday night's The Bachelorette broadcast showed Hayden telling James "Meatball" Clarke that he hoped Gabby would be "more mature" than to take his "rough around the edges" comment the wrong way. Hayden didn't think he had done anything wrong in saying that.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' FRANCHISE COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER?? (PHOTOS)
Hayden vented about how Gabby had used the same verbiage to describe herself, and so he essentially believed his condemned word choice wasn't his fault. Meatball also accused Hayden of calling Rachel and Gabby "b-tches" as well as "reactive."
In addition, Hayden appeared to compare Rachel to his ex-girlfriends, mentioning how one "couldn't hold a candle" to the other. He said he never wants to settle in a relationship.
"I don't see how any guy in here could be like, 'F-ck, I'm going to marry these girls,'" Hayden declared to the other guys.
ADVERTISEMENT
Meatball called Hayden's words "shocking," and so Meatball decided to warn Rachel about Hayden's behavior before the season's fourth Rose Ceremony.
Meatball explained how Hayden believed Gabby and Rachel had "overreacted" to his "rough around the edges" comment and then made a vocal comparison of Rachel and his ex-girlfriend regarding the size of their breasts.
"And he also said, 'I don't trust these b-tches,' referring to you and Gabby," Meatball claimed.
Rachel trusted Meatball's character, and so she thought he had been extremely disrespectful.
Rachel therefore confronted Hayden, who seemed to think Rachel was going to apologize for having ended their previous conversation about his beloved dog Rambo abruptly.
ADVERTISEMENT
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELORETTE' COUPLES NOW: WHOM DID 'THE BACHELORETTE' STARS AND THEIR BACHELOR PICKS ULTIMATELY END UP WITH?! (PHOTOS)
But Rachel explained how some upsetting information had been brought to her attention. Rachel said she had given Hayden a second chance only for him to allegedly call her a b-tch and compare her breasts to one of his exes.
Hayden denied having said any of those things, and he insisted, "I did not compare anyone to you."
Rachel said it was one thing after another with him, but Hayden said he doesn't speak like that and that's simply not his character.
"I really feel like I gave you a chance in L.A. and I'm giving you a chance now to own up to it," Rachel said.
"Rachel, I'm telling you explicitly right now, that's not what was said," Hayden replied.
However, Rachel said she had reached the end of her rope and couldn't keep dealing with incidents such as these. She decided to walk Hayden out as a result.
"I feel really stupid for giving Hayden the benefit of the doubt. He just lies and I feel very taken advantage of... I was trusting him to bring him into a second week. At this point, I'm just extremely ready for Hayden to get the f-ck out," Rachel told the cameras.
Rachel didn't even want to give Hayden a hug goodbye, but she did so reluctantly.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' COUPLES NOW: WHO DID 'THE BACHELOR' STARS AND THEIR BACHELORETTE PICKS ACTUALLY END UP MARRYING? (PHOTOS)
"I really wanted this to work, but I want Rambo more. I know right now for a fact that no one has the amount of love that I have for Rambo and that Rambo has for me," Hayden said of his dog while tearing up in his final words.
ADVERTISEMENT
"I am blessed that I have Rambo who loves me unconditionally. Rachel, I do hope you find someone that is going to treat you the way that Rambo treats me. I'm ready to see Rambo!"
Rachel also eliminated Jordan Helman during Monday night's The Bachelorette episode, and Gabby chose to send Kirk Bryant and Quincey Williams packing.
Interested in more The Bachelor news? Join our The Bachelor Facebook Group!