‘Bachelorette’ Producer Elan Gale Speaks Out Against Internet Trolls As Kaitlyn Bristowe Faces Criticism
Kaitlyn Bristowe has had a tough go as the Bachelorette. On-screen, she had to compete with Britt Nilsson for the honor of giving out roses. Her suitors include men who preferred Britt but chose to stick around. Last week, Ian Thomson told Bristowe he thought she was “surface.”
Off-screen, Bristowe has been subject to online criticism. Bristowe responded on Twitter and in her People blog to hateful comments, saying she did indeed kiss a lot of men while on the show. Earlier in the season, when it was revealed she sleeps with a contestant well before the “fantasy suite” dates, Bristowe said she would not apologize since she is an adult woman.
Now Bachelorette producer Elan Gale seems to be coming to her defense, although he does not identify Bristowe by name. In a blog post, Gale spoke directly to whom he calls all the “trolls and haters.”
“I’m lucky to not deal with this very often, but I know a lot of people that do. And here’s the thing that you should know about those people: they’re hurting, just the same as you.
“They don’t think they’re better than you, even if it feels that way sometimes. They don’t like it when people say mean things to them. And you know, deep down, that no matter how happy you are in any given moment, a single sentence, even a single word, can really ruin your day.
…
“I don’t know much, but I know this: when you’re taking your last breath and your loved ones are by your side, no one is going to lean over you and say ‘I’m really going to miss the way you made people feel like s**t on the internet.'”
Gale is not the first person to come out in support of Bristowe. Just this week, Courtney Robertson, who won Season 16 of The Bachelor, told ET she is Kaitlyn’s fan.
“Slut shaming is never the answer. It’s her journey and she’s breaking the rules. I love a girl who breaks the rules.”
Monday’s episode will feature the drama that surrounded Bristowe’s unscheduled night with a contestant. E! Online reported Wednesday that Bristowe slept with Nick Viall, who just came on to the show after courting Kaitlyn from afar. If this has happened before on The Bachelor or The Bachelorette, producers have not made it part of the program.
Earlier spoilers from The Bachelorette revealed that Bristowe has her “fantasy suite” dates before meeting the final contestants’ families, which is also a switch from earlier seasons.
The Bachelorette airs Monday night on ABC.
[Image: Elan Gale / Instagram]
