Bachelor Nation Angry With Zach Shallcross Over Sex Confession

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Before popping the big question to Kaity Biggar on Monday’s (March 27) Bachelor finale, Zach Shallcross publicly revealed he had sex with runner-up Gabi Elnicki during Fantasy Suites… a confession which shocked both Elnicki and viewers at home.

Despite stating he would not be intimate during the Fantasy Suites dates, Shallcross ended up hooking up with Elnicki. In an effort to rid himself of guilt, he later admitted this to Biggar in front of the cameras and the world.

“It’s a part of me that I’ll never get back that I shared with him,” Elnicki told host Jesse Palmer during the After the Final Rose special (per People). “It’s extremely violating that the entire nation knows everything.”

Elnicki later told Shallcross she felt “blindsided” by his confession. “I understand what you were trying to do,” she added. “What I wish would’ve happened was that you warned me that you were going to use my name and that you were going to tell everyone what had happened.”

ABC/Christopher Willard

She revealed that the pair of them had agreed to keep their decision to have sex between them and was unaware of how much Shallcross had spilled until the episode aired last week.

“I just thought it was between us,” Elnicki told Shallcross. “I thought it was love. I thought it was more than a TV show. I get it, sex sells, but now I’ve become a narrative.”

As for Shallcross, he showed regret for the way he dealt with the Fantasy Suites drama. “The way I handled things was completely wrong,” he said. “My mind felt, which is wrong, that I needed to let everyone know that I went against my word. In reality, it hurt you.”

He continued, “There’s nothing I can do to right that wrong, but I want you to know that the last thing I wanted to do was to hurt you like that. It was me purely trying to be honest, but that doesn’t matter, because it hurt you more. From the bottom of my heart, I’m sorry.”

ABC/Christopher WillardJESSE PALMER, GABI

Many fans were unhappy with Shallcross for airing such private information, with one viewer writing, “Yeah it’s f****d up Zach went around telling EVERYONE him & Gabi had sex. Especially when in our society it’s WOMEN who are shamed for sex. He didn’t even think about that before airing it all out on TV?!!”

“Zach’s response is still so self-centered,” tweeted another. He is completely obtuse to how our terrible culture will shame women having sex, and how this narrative will now follow Gabi in her personal and professional life. And this is considered a *nice guy* approach. Enraging.”

“Zach told Gabi he’d keep their fantasy suite between them and he literally blabbed the next day I am so angry,” said another viewer.

Yeah it’s fucked up Zach went around telling EVERYONE him & Gabi had sex. Especially when in our society it’s WOMEN who are shamed for sex. He didn’t even think about that before airing it all out on TV?!! #TheBachelor pic.twitter.com/j6HVKVQ2ry

— BachelorBtch (@bachelorbtch) March 28, 2023

Zach’s response is still so self-centered. He is completely obtuse to how our terrible culture will shame women having sex, and how this narrative will now follow Gabi in her personal and professional life. And this is considered a *nice guy* approach. Enraging. #TheBachelor

— Cate Minichino (@ThatGirlCJM) March 28, 2023

Zach told Gabi he’d keep their fantasy suite between them and he literally blabbed the next day I am so angry #TheBachelor pic.twitter.com/eW7zPVZdCq

— vanessa (@assenavmarie) March 28, 2023

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As for Biggar’s thoughts on all this, she had her fears and worries, but on the morning of the final rose ceremony said that “all my walls are gone.”

“I’m very crazy about you, very in love with you, and I hope I can be someone that makes you happy for the rest of your life,” she told Shallcross on their final date of the season.

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