Former Bachelorette Katie Thurston has revealed that she was raped — and she is sharing her story to help other victims. “My pain has purpose, my purpose has power, I want to focus on the positive,” she wrote Saturday on Instagram . The reality star-turned-comedian , who appeared on Season 25 of “The Bachelor” and starred in Season 17 of “The Bachelorette,” explained her decision to make her experience public, writing, “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.” The 33-year-old did not divulge details, including when she was raped, explaining that “while I’m not ready to share my story, I want to share the valuable resources that saved my life.
” Thurston did not specify if this was the same incident she described on “The Bachelorette” as a “situation where there wasn’t consent” that happened about 10 years before the show’s 17th season was taped in 2021. “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,” she began.
SART refers to a Sexual Assault Response Team, which performs a forensic medical exam to collect evidence of rape. Thurston said she was accompanied by a nurse and an advocate, whom she described as “kind,” “nurturing” and “patient” people who “t.