Sydney Hightower’s high school story continues on The Bachelor.
After Monday’s episode of The Bachelor where Sydney told Peter Weber that she had eaten lunch by herself in the bathroom during her senior year in high school, someone from her past shared some photos that seemingly told a different story.
In the photos, Sydney appeared to win beauty pageants and posed for photos with other students.
However, there’s another layer to the story, one that Sydney didn’t tell Peter.
Sydney Hightower and Hannah B may have been friends in high school
When Sydney told Peter that she had been bullied in high school, she seemingly forgot to mention that she went to high school with Hannah Brown, last year’s Bachelorette star.
It was the same person on Twitter who shared this news with the world.
Bachelor production works hard but I work HARDER!!!!! #BachelorNation pic.twitter.com/zr7uTXGRPO
— jc me rollin (@jc_me_rollin_) February 4, 2020
The person also shared a photo from the yearbook where Sydney and Hannah are seemingly posing together in a photo. If they weren’t friends, they appeared to know about one another.
— jc me rollin (@jc_me_rollin_) February 4, 2020
And while the world was shocked after these photos were shared, Sydney decided to take matters into her own hands.
Sydney Hightower breaks her silence on bullying claims
Sydney decided to speak out about the bullying claims she shared on the show. In a series of tweets, she reveals that she feels ridiculous that she even has to share these things on social media.
Here, she does acknowledge that she did win a beauty pageant, but that it was judged by a panel of judges, not her peers.
Feels ridiculous I even have to address this.But correct I did win a beauty pageant my senior year of highschool.That was voted for by 5 judges.Not by my peers.Winning a pageant based off of outer beauty does not take away the racial bullying,and isolation I’ve been through.
— Sydney Hightower (@sydhightower) February 4, 2020
i WENT TO HIGHSCHOOL WITH U & non of that is true!! WHY R U LYING GURL
— Sandrabby (@cherrygal6969) February 4, 2020
One person claimed to have attended the same high school as Sydney, arguing that what Sydney was sharing on Twitter wasn’t true. The person asked her why she was lying.
Any one from my highschool want to pull out the videos of girls stuffing my locker with Oreo cookies , vandalizing my home, shoving me in the hall ways? Teachers literally referring to me as a halfbreed? Calling my mother the worst names I’ve ever heard in my life? I doubt that.
— Sydney Hightower (@sydhightower) February 4, 2020
That’s when Sydney asked those people who went to high school with her to please post videos of the bullying she experienced, including people stuffing her locker with Oreos.
Sydney then shared screenshots from people who were reaching out to her. The messages are harsh in tone and unnecessary.
Setting the record straight. I’ve been through so much from the town I grew up in and will not allow my story, or others to be deminished because of one of the same girls, with the same mindsets as the people who terrorized me. Not happening. pic.twitter.com/9vIi7uy4Rd
— Sydney Hightower (@sydhightower) February 4, 2020
This is extremely vile and the language used in these should never be repeated, I can’t believe human beings even speak this way.But this is the kinda stuff I’ve been through but whole life,and the kind of messages I have to read in the hundreds.Daily. No one deserves this. pic.twitter.com/ziBWxRNmuB
— Sydney Hightower (@sydhightower) February 4, 2020
It’s clear that Sydney isn’t letting anyone tell her story for her, no matter what people share from her yearbook.
None of this will be featured on The Bachelor, as it surfaced months after filming wrapped.
Yesterday, we reported that Mike Fleiss is searching for the new Bachelorette. Many viewers want to see Hannah Brown return, but no one rooted for Sydney to become the Bachelorette.
The Bachelor airs Wednesday this week at 8/7c on ABC.