Katie Thurston has opened up about something extremely personal and, unfortunately, extraordinarily painful.
On Friday, the former Bachelorette lead revealed to the public that she is a victim of sexual assault.
In a candid Instagram post, Thurston detailed her experience in the aftermath of this rape, which included getting a rape kit done and getting support from a Sexual Assault Response Team (SART).
She didn’t delve into any details regarding the incident, including when it took place.
“My pain has purpose, my purpose has power, I want to focus on the positive,” Thurston wrote in her first slide on her account at the time, continuing as follows:
“The justice system continues to let down victims every day. I refuse to feel defeated in the strength it took to be an advocate for myself. I hope my experience will help those 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 took a major toll on her mental health, anchored this franchise back in 2021.
In this latest admission, she went on:
“I called 911 to report my rape. They sent an officer to take my statement and then drove me to a special medical center to perform a SART exam…
“I felt like a small lost child who was vulnerable and scared.
“They thoroughly explained the process, asking for consent along the way, and allowing 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 after and and Moynes ended their engagement.
She and Hersey split up in the summer of 2022.
Back to her awful experience, however…
“My blood was drawn to check for STDs, drugs, and blood alcohol concentration,” Thurston wrote on social media of the aftermath of the attack.
“I was given Plan B, Rocephin (a shot for bacterial infections), Azithromycin (to treat possible STIs), and Truvada and nPEP for a month (to treat possible HIV).”
She also her followers know that this can be done for anyone 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 examinations.
“My kit would take four months to complete its cycle. Nothing could move until this was done, so the time between allowed me to seek mental health support,” Thurston wrote.
An especially particularly vulnerable slide read: “I did everything I should have done as a victim of rape. ‘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 hard in criminal court’ echoed throughout & the months, like an annoying parrot you were forced to keep. And as much as l heard it, I still wasn’t ready to be stopped. And yet, without warning, I was.”
Thurston previously acknowledged on a Bachelorette episode in 2021 that she had been “involved in a situation where there wasn’t consent” 10 years earlier on New Year’s Eve, although it isn’t clear whether that incident is related to this one.
Thurston was a contestant on The Bachelor (as depicted above) prior to being handed The Bachelorette role.
In a statement to Entertainment Tonight after her Instagram post went viral, Katie shared:
“I’ve had ample support from my community which allowed me to stay strong over these past seven months.
“While the outcome is disappointing, I am at peace and turning any pain into purpose and hope to help other survivors of sexual assault.”
