The Bachelor contestant Lyndsey Windham opened up on her Instagram story today about dealing with bullying and toxicity on the show.
Lyndsey denied claims that she and other women in the house had bullied Shanae Ankney.
This week’s episode saw the feud between Shanae and Elizabeth Corrigan escalate, leaving multiple women in the house in tears.
Shanae Ankney accuses The Bachelor house of bullying her
One contestant caught in the crossfire was Lyndsey, who broke down crying after Clayton spoke to her about claims that Shanae was being bullied by the house.
“Does anyone think that I’ve bullied Shanae here? Cause that’s what our conversation was about,” Lyndsey told the other girls during the rose ceremony. “Like have I been a bully?”
The house was in shock at the accusations and the women were noticeably frustrated with another interrupted rose ceremony.
Elizabeth appeared fed up with the drama, at one point in the episode saying, “Let’s go somewhere else, shall we,” and leading several of the other girls away from where Shanae was sitting.
Bachelor fan calls Elizabeth Corrigan a ‘mean girl’
One viewer took issue with the action, saying “that came off totally mean girl…It seems innocent but they know what they are doing. It’s very manipulative.”
Lyndsey fired back at the claim by defending herself and the other women in the house.
“Removing yourself from a toxic situation is not bullying. PERIOD,” she wrote in an Instagram story. “When someone is going out of their way to tear me down, put my character into question, belittles me, only to make themselves look and feel better about themselves. That my friends, is bullying.”
She ended the powerful message with “You should never have to sit there and take it.”
Elizabeth appeared to echo the sentiment when she reposted the messages and Lyndsey’s response to her own Instagram story.
“This,” she captioned the shot.
Elizabeth Corrigan educates viewers on ADHD
Elizabeth has been Shanae’s primary target over the last several episodes, with Shanae taking shots at Elizabeth’s ADHD and telling Clayton she felt bullied by Elizabeth.
Although Elizabeth initially attempted to reconcile with Shanae, it appears the relationship has passed the point of saving.
Despite the backlash on the show’s handling of mental health, Elizabeth has been taking advantage of the situation to educate others on ADHD and how to support those with a mental illness.
She also recently appeared on the Click Bait podcast to talk more about her ADHD, dealing with the drama of the show, and building connections with the other women in the house.
The drama appears far from over in the coming episodes. Tune in on Monday to learn how Bachelor Clayton Echard will navigate the feud.
The Bachelor returns on January 31 at 8/7c on ABC.
The only bully on this season is that b*tch Shanae. Is is the meanest girl I have ever seen in the show and she laughs about how Clayton believes her