Nate Finally Spoke Up About His Pre-Bachelorette Drama On "Men Tell All"
It was his first time addressing it publicly.
Gabby Windey and Nate Mitchell had a genuine connection on The Bachelorette Season 19, and the fan-favorite’s elimination sent Bachelor Nation into an emotional tailspin. But Nate’s name was also in the news recently because of some rumors involving his previous relationships. During the “Men Tell All” episode of The Bachelorette, Nate sat down with host Jesse Palmer and finally addressed some of the drama that took place outside the show.
To recap, Nate and Gabby really hit it off during Season 19 of The Bachelorette, but she let him go right before hometown dates because she did not feel ready to become a potential stepmother to Nate’s six-year-old daughter. Their breakup was super emotional, and Nate was super mature in understanding where Gabby was coming from.
But that’s not what had fans talking about Nate in the weeks following his elimination. As the season was airing, some rather unsavory reports came out about Nate. According to Nate’s ex-girlfriends Kelsey Fankhauser and Laree Starke, he was dating both of them at the same time and he also kept his daughter secret from Fankhauser the entire time they were dating.
So, when Nate sat in the hot seat on “Men Tell All,” obviously Jesse Palmer had to ask him about it. Nate explained why he didn’t tell Fankhauser about his daughter, who he called “the greatest treasure that I have.”
“I went through a pretty traumatizing time when I went through my divorce,” Nate explained. “Essentially the foundation that was built around my daughter was pretty much crumbled and the one thing that I protect the most in the world is my daughter.”
Nate went on to apologize for how he acted in his previous relationships. “I should have been more communicative and should have been more clear in my intentions,” Nate said, before adding, presumably toward his exes: “I pray you forgive the man that I was because I’m not that same man.”
Until “Men Tell All,” Nate’s only response to the rumors was to reply to an Instagram comment on one of his posts that asked, “why you playing girls?” Nate responded, “Two sides to every story 🙏 wish u the best.”
Gabby also recently responded to the rumors about Nate by expressing her continued support for him. “I’ll always have his back 100%. He was nothing but good to me,” Gabby told Extra. “When we met, he really was a role model for a lot of the guys and stood up for me and stood up for what he believed in, so I have a hard time knowing that person, thinking anything else about him, no matter what comes out online.”
During “Men Tell All,” Nate said there were “no hard feelings” between him and Gabby, and that he empathizes with her, even after that heartbreaking breakup.
Season 19 of The Bachelorette continues Monday, Sept. 5, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
