Will she regret it? The ‘Bachelorette’ makes her choice
The finale of the “The Bachelorette” aired on ABC on Monday night, ending a 14th season filled with the usual debauchery, steamy dates in destinations like Thailand and controversy both manufactured and real.
This season had more of the latter than usual. Unbeknown to the producers — and the bachelorette Becca Kufrin — until after filming was complete, two of the contestants had issues in their past. And one of those men, Garrett Yrigoyen, whose issue was a habit of liking offensive Instagram posts, survived the show’s drawn-out culling process to become one of the two finalists.
Millions across the country, some mourning the recent elimination of a fan favorite, a banker named Jason Tartick, tuned in on Monday night to see Kufrin’s choice. And when it turned out to be Yrigoyen, fans immediately began to wonder: Had the bachelorette made a choice she might now be regretting?
In the season premiere, Kufrin gave the “first impression” rose — signifying immediate interest — to Yrigoyen, a 29-yearold medical sales representative. Soon after it aired, insensitive Instagram posts he “liked” came to light. The posts mocked transgender people, unauthorized immigrants and left-wing feminists.
He also liked a jarring post labeling David Hogg, a student from Parkland who has become outspoken on gun control, as a “crisis actor,” a false accusation stemming from conspiracists who argue that certain mass shootings didn’t actually happen.
Yrigoyen deleted the posts and then apologized on Instagram.
“I am sorry to those who I offended, and I also take full responsibility for my ‘likes’ on Instagram that were hurtful and offensive,” he wrote. “I do not want my social media to define who I am …”
Warner Bros. declined to comment on Yrigoyen’s behavior.
Kufrin does not share Yrigoyen’s social or political views. She attended the women’s march and supported Hillary Clinton in the last election.
She has made vague statements to various news outlets when asked about Yrigoyen’s past. “I want viewers to be open to everyone, and I want them to go through this season with me and watch my love story unfold with all of these men,” she told “Entertainment Tonight.”