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On the most dramatic episode of The Bachelor so far, Caelynn Miller-Keyes talked to Colton Underwood about something important: her past. The beauty queen revealed that she was sexually assaulted during her sophomore year of college. Scroll through the gallery to hear her story.
If you need support, the National Sexual Assault Hotline is available 24/7 at 1-800-656-4673. You will be connected with a trained staff member in your area. Or visit RAINN.org to chat online one-on-one with a support specialist at any time.
After an amazing day together, Caelynn needed to talk to Colton about a serious topic at dinner.
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The Big Reveal
“It’s like an easy thing for me to talk about, but it’s something that is really important, especially in relationships because it’s something that has come between intimacy and a lot of different things in my life,” she said.
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Not Easy To Talk About
She continued, “Four years ago, I was a sophomore year in college, 2014 in October, me and three of my girlfriends went to one of my friend’s houses and they drugged their wine. I woke up the next morning and I was completely naked in my bed and I had no memory of the night before.”
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Her Story
“Then, the girlfriend who didn’t drink the wine called me and told me, not only did a guy have sex with me, but another guy — I was passed out on a couch from the drugs and he said, ‘Watch what I am about to do’ with all of his fraternity brothers around me, and lifted up my dress, they watched and laughed and took photos. It was absolutely horrible,” she explained.
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Justice Was Not Served
Unfortunately, Caelynn said only one of the guys got expelled from college, and the rest got away with what they had done to her and her friends.
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She’s An Inspiration
She told Colton, “I was determined to get justice and seek justice. It’s something that will always be a part of me. I wanted to bring it up to you because I struggled with the shame and guilt I have felt.”
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Hard To Deal With
“It’s the most difficult thing in the world. It’s so painful and it screws up every ounce of you,” she admitted.
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Taboo Topic
Even though it’s a taboo subject, Caelynn decided to speak out after she was crowned Miss North Carolina 2018, so that she could help other people who have been in similar situations.
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It’s Never Easy
“My whole world was flipped upside down,” she said during a press conference at the High Point Chamber of Commerce in April 2018.
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Couldn’t Deal With Reality
At the time, the 22-year-old couldn’t believe what had happened to her.
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Learning Moment
“I didn’t know what you should do when you report, I didn’t know what my rights were, I didn’t know what the process was,” she said.
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Serious Moment
She continued, “These are guys that I did YoungLife with, these are guys that went to high schools with me, I knew these guys for years.”
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Brave Beauty
On January 28, Chris Harrison called into On Air with Ryan Seacrest, and revealed he was in awe of the North Carolina native. “And kuddos to her for being strong enough to say, ‘Yes, this is my story. I wanted to tell it.’ God bless her for doing so,” he said.
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Helping Other People
“I know we’re not changing the world and it’s entertainment and The Bachelor can be fun, but I always feel like The Bachelor is a microcosm of what’s happening in the world,” the host revealed.
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Respect On Set
Chris explained that they did stop filming at certain points to make sure that Caelynn and Colton were both OK.
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Love Connection
However, she feels very safe with Colton.
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So Understanding
Colton admitted that this isn’t the first time he has had to deal with a girlfriend opening up about sexual assault. “I’ve had a situation in my past where I was in a relationship and she was sexually abused, and for me, that was the hardest thing I ever had to watch,” he said.
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Moving On
“I like to be happy and goofy and fun, it’s a dark part of my history but I am not going to let it diminish me and who I am,” Caelynn added. You’re an inspiration, girl!
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