One reason dating on The Bachelorette is nothing like dating in the real world? The inability to look up one's potential future bae on social media. It's therefore hard to fault current Bachelorette Becca Kufrin for giving contestant Garrett Yrigoyen the "first impression" rose. Kufrin had no way of knowing that Garrett allegedly liked multiple problematic memes, including one that falsely states school shooting survivor and teen activist David Hogg is a crisis actor: All she knew about Garrett is that he was the guy who took her on a strange and sweet fishing date.
How does Kufrin feel about Garrett now that she's not in the Bachelorette Mansion, and has access to the internet? Her answer to E! News is... interesting.
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT
"I've heard a little bit about it these past couple days," she told E! of the Garrett controversy. "I've just been so busy traveling around the country with press that I haven't really been able to read too much up on it, but everyone is entitled to their own opinions, and at the end of the day I wanted to go on this journey to open up myself and have people see my love story unfold and I would hope that they would stay open and respect me but also stay open and respect these 28 guys that went along on the journey with me."
It's unclear what Kufrin knows about the Garrett situation, but it's not just a difference in opinion that has Bachelorette fans so pissed. There's a real danger in allowing conspiracy theories — like the one cooked up about Hogg — to thrive. We've seen families of school shooting victims attacked and harassed because of this "crisis actor" conspiracy. No matter what Kufrin says about being "open" to these guys, it's hard to root for Garrett now, knowing that he double-tapped such problematic and hurtful memes.
Then again, we don't know what's happening on this season of The Bachelorette. Perhaps Garrett's views will become a part of the show's drama. Maybe Garrett will be kicked off next episode for completely different reasons, and Kufrin simply can't say as much.
Stay tuned, Bachelor Nation.