Katie Thurston got some help from former Bachelor star, Nick Viall, on the June 21 episode of The Bachelorette. Nick was on-hand for Katie’s first group date of the week. The date consisted of the guys sitting in a circle, where they were tasked with opening up about something from their pasts that they felt Katie should know about. It led to many of the guys getting extremely vulnerable and emotional, as they opened up about divorces, cheating and more.
Afterward, Katie was so touched, that she decided to share her own emotional story, which she hadn’t even told her mother yet. “Ten years ago, it was New Year’s Eve, and I had been drinking, and I was involved in a situation where there wasn’t consent,” Katie admitted. “That is not something I would wish upon anybody. I was in denial about what happened. So much so, that I tried to form a relationship with him because I didn’t want to believe what had actually happened.”
Obviously, the relationship did not work out, which led to Katie having a “very unhealthy relationship with sex” for quite some time, she said. “I didn’t want to have sex, which affects a relationship,” she explained. “I didn’t like talking about sex. And it’s taking a long time to get to where I am now — being open and comfortable talking about it and loving myself and accepting things I can no longer control.”
Katie assured the guys that she’s come a “long way” since being raped ten years prior, but she wanted to make it clear how important consent and communication are. “That is something really big that happened in my life, that, in some ways, has shaped me into who I am today,” she concluded. “So, with you guys sharing your stories, I thought it was important to share mine, as well.”
Even though it was difficult for Katie to get through the story, and she had to choke back tears most of the time, she seemed to be relieved once it was off her chest. “For a long time, I felt responsible for being too drunk, too irresponsible, too stupid,” Katie added in a confessional. “But it’s not my fault because consent is important and I did not give it that night. I didn’t think I would go there today, but every guy here stepped up to the plate and exceeded my expectations. Truly, I feel this weight has been lifted. I feel liberated.”
