Kaitlyn Bristowe denied cheating on her ex-fiancé Jason Tartick while also addressing rumors she is now dating fellow “Bachelorette” alum Zac Clark.
Fans first began to speculate that Bristowe had cheated on Tartick with Clark after Tartick unfollowed both of them on social media and Bristowe and Clark began “liking” each other’s social media posts over the summer.
The rumors heated up after Bristowe hosted a New Year’s Eve party Sunday and a video surfaced of what appears to be Clark holding her with her arm wrapped around his neck.
“Hi! 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,” she commented on a fan Instagram account Monday.
The Season 11 “Bachelorette”, 38, stressed that “no cheating went on” during her relationship with Tartick, 35, so everyone should “just put that to rest.”
Bristowe then addressed the “hate” she has gotten on social media, writing via her Instagram Story that she had been treated like she “murdered someone.”
“You would think by now I’d be used to the hate. I’m not. Your words hurt. Your shaming hurts. Part of me feels a little sad and honestly embarrassed for you guys because this shouldn’t be how you spend day 1 of a new year,” she began.
The “Off the Vine” podcast host said the “bullying” has become “next level” and “scary.”
“You are allowed to have opinions and feelings. But you don’t even know the truth, and your HATE should actually come with consequences,” she continued. “I truly worry about some of your mental health. It’s not OK. It’s. Not. Please.”
Bristowe told the trolls that they should “feel ashamed” for calling her out for having a “party with some of [her] favorite people.”
“Shame. On. YOU. Not me,” she wrote.
Bristowe did not mention Clark, 39, by name in her statement, instead writing how she is “not one dimensional” and people do not “know” the situation based off social media alone.
“I wish I could just share my truth and tell you my side. It’s hard to bite my dang tongue sometimes. But you just go on and continue to have your own little made up story in your head and believe what you want to believe. Social media la la land. Good lawwwddd,” she wrote in another Instagram Story post.
Bristowe also posted a screenshot of a text message from an unidentified person who wrote to her, “But like they don’t know the truth or any backstory. It’s wild.”
The former reality TV star thanked her “kind” followers for their support and later posted a series of photos of herself wearing a sweater with “Be F–king Nice” embroidered on it.
Neither Clark nor Tartick has spoken out about the rumors.
Clark was previously engaged to “Bachelorette” Season 16 lead Tayshia Adams, but they announced their split in November 2021, a year after he proposed on the finale.
Meanwhile, Bristowe and Tartick stunned fans in August 2023 when they broke up after four years of dating and two years as an engaged couple.
