Katie Thurston has opened up about something extremely personal and, unfortunately, very painful.
The former Bachelorette star revealed to the public on Friday that she was a victim of sexual assault.
In a candid post on Instagram, Thurston detailed her experience following the rape, which included preparing a rape kit and receiving support from a Sexual Assault Response Team (SART).
She did not delve into any details about the incident, including when it occurred.
“My pain has purpose, my purpose has power, and I want to focus on the positive,” Thurston wrote in the first slide on her account at the time, continuing below:
“The justice system fails victims every day. I refuse to feel like a failure because of the strength it takes to advocate for myself. I hope my experience can help those people 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 has previously said The Bachelorette took a major toll on her mental health, began filming the film back in 2021.
In her latest admission, she continued:
“I called 911 to report my rape. They sent an officer to record my statement and then drove me to a special medical center for a SART test…
“I felt like a lost child, vulnerable and scared.
“They explained the entire process thoroughly, sought my consent along the way, and allowed me to say no or change my mind at any time.”
Thurston accepted Blake Moynes’ proposal to end her season … but then dated contestant John Hussey after she and Moynes ended their engagement.
She and Hussey split in the summer of 2022.
However, back to her horrific experience…
“Blood was drawn to check for STDs, drugs and blood alcohol levels,” Thurston wrote on social media about the aftermath of the attack.
“I received Plan B, Rocephin (injectable vaccine for bacterial infections), Azithromycin (to treat possible STIs), and Truvada and nPEP (to treat possible HIV) for a month.”
She also let her followers know that anyone in San Diego can do this for free, even without health insurance.
The former reality star said she was given digital tools to help her track the results of her medical exams.
“My kit takes four months to complete its cycle. Nothing can change until this is complete, so this time allows me to seek mental health support,” Thurston wrote.
One particularly vulnerable slide read: “As a rape victim, I did everything I had to do. “Here are my texts, my phone, my photos, my videos, names, witnesses, locations. , social media, timestamps, surveillance tapes, DNA, my body.”
The conclusion of this slide is:
“The warnings that ‘convictions in criminal court are difficult’ were repeated throughout the months, like if you were forced to keep an annoying parrot. Despite what I heard, I was still not prepared to be stopped. However, in the absence of Any warning, I do.
Thurston previously admitted on The Bachelorette in 2021 that she was “involved in a non-consensual situation” on New Year’s Eve 10 years ago, although it’s unclear whether that incident was related to this incident.
Thurston was a contestant on “The Bachelor” before landing the role on “The Bachelorette” (as mentioned above).
After her Instagram post went viral, Katie shared in a statement to Entertainment Tonight:
“I have had so much support from the community, which has kept me strong over the past seven months.
“While the outcome is disappointing, I am at peace and channeling any pain into purpose and hope to help other sexual assault survivors.”
