Katie Thurston has opened up about something extremely personal and, unfortunately, extraordinarily painful.
On Friday, the former Bachelorette star revealed to the public that she is a victim of sexual assault.
In a candid Instagram post, Thurston detailed her experience following this rape, which included preparing a rape kit and receiving support from a Sexual Assault Response Team (SART).
He did not go into details about the incident, including when it took place.
“My pain has a purpose, my purpose has power, I want to focus on the positive,” Thurston wrote on the first slide of her account at the time, and continued as follows:
“The justice system continues to fail victims every day. I refuse to feel defeated by the strength it took me to stand up for myself. I hope my experience helps those who suffer from it feel the strength and support they need.
“While I’m not ready to share my story, I want to share the valuable resources that saved my life.”
Thurston, who previously said The Bachelorette came at a significant cost about his mental health, anchored this franchise in 2021.
In this last admission, he continued:
“I called 911 to report my rape. They sent an officer to take my statement and then took me to a special medical facility to undergo a SART exam…
“I felt like a little child, lost, vulnerable and scared.
“They explained the process in detail, asked for my consent along the way, and allowed me to decline or change my mind at any time.”
Thurston accepted a proposal from Blake Moynes to close out her season… but then dated contestant John Hersey and Moynes ended their engagement.
She and Hersey separated. in the summer of 2022.
But back to your terrible experience…
“I had my blood drawn for STDs, drugs and blood alcohol concentration,” Thurston wrote on social media about the aftermath of the attack.
“I was given Plan B, Rocephin (an injection for bacterial infections), azithromycin (to treat possible STDs), and Truvada and nPEP for a month (to treat possible HIV).”
His followers also know that anyone can do this at no cost in San Diego, even without health insurance.
The former reality star said she was given digital tools to help her track the results of her medical tests.
“It would take four months for my team to complete their cycle. Nothing could move until this was done, so the time in between allowed me to seek mental health support,” Thurston wrote.
One particularly vulnerable slide read: “I did everything I should have done as a rape victim. ‘Here are my texts, my calls, my photos, my videos, names, witnesses, locations, social media, time stamps, surveillance footage, DNA, my body.’”
This slide concluded:
“The warning ‘a guilty verdict is harsh in criminal court’ echoed over the months, like an annoying parrot you were forced to keep. And as much as I listened, I still wasn’t ready to be stopped. And yet, without warning, he was.”
Thurston previously acknowledged on a 2021 Bachelorette episode that she had been “involved in a situation where there was no consent” 10 years earlier, on New Year’s Eve, though it’s unclear if that incident is related to this one.
Thurston was a contestant on The Bachelor (as shown above) before receiving the role of The Bachelorette.
In a statement to Entertainment Tonight after her Instagram post went viral, Katie shared:
“I have had a lot of support from my community, which has allowed me to stay strong during these last seven months.
“Although the outcome is disappointing, I am at peace and turn any pain into purpose and hope to help other survivors of sexual assault.”