Katie Thurston has shared a deeply personal and traumatic experience, revealing to her fans that she was r@ped and that the justice system has failed her.
The “Bachelorette” star from Season 17 made this announcement in an Instagram post where she shared parts of her story along with resources for others who have experienced sexual assault and rape.
Thurston revealed that she isn’t ready to share specific details, but she did report the incident by calling 911. An officer then escorted her to receive a sexual assault forensic exam.
She described feeling like a “vulnerable child” during the process and credited the nurse and advocate who supported her through the examination.
Thurston stated that the forensic kit took four months to process. During this time, she consulted with a therapist and educated herself on how to interact with detectives as they investigated her case.
Despite providing investigators with everything she could; texts, phone call records, DNA, videos, and her own body, Thurston indicated that her pursuit of justice was hindered, though she did not specify how.
She emphasized that this is not just her loss but another example of a failure in a broken system, stating, “Change happens in failure and the justice system failed me. And continues to fail thousands every single day.”
Katie concluded her post with an encouraging message to her followers, reminding them that they are valued, strong, and that she believes them.
Katie ended her season of “The Bachelorette” with Blake Moynes, though they broke up in 2021. She later dated John Hershey, also from her season, before they split in 2022.