We don’t yet know who will be hitting the beaches ofBachelor in Paradisefor season 7, butBlake Horstmanndefinitely won’t be there.
During a Instagram Story Q&A session with fans on Thursday, Horstmann responded to a query about ultimately not returning to the summer spinoff, though he was “close” to joining.
“I went through some testing etc. But at the end of the day, I didn’t feel it was right for me,” wrote Horstmann, 32. “I am in a good place in my life. Personally, professionally and mentally.”
“I didn’t want to put my life in the hands of people that don’t really have your best interest in mind. It’s like having a life coach who pushes you to do the wrong things,” the formerBachelorettecontestant continued. “I decided my mental health was more important than some followers and engagement. But I absolutely do not think there is anything wrong with people who do go on the show. It’s just not for me.”
Blake Horstmann Instagram
Responding to another fan’s question about whether it’s “hard being yourself” after appearing onBachelorshows, Horstmann said that “it’s a lot harder than people think.”
“Everyone wants you to be the person you were on the show and that’s not always the case,” he said. “I often say you kind of become who you were edited be. There are alot [sic] of people that want to take advantage of who you are now and that’s hard. You have to keep your old friends close and pick the right new friends.”
Still, Horstmann said the show and some of the people he met along the way “will always hold a special place in my heart.”
Craig Sjodin/ABC via Getty Images
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Fans were first introduced to Horstmann onThe Bachelorette, where he ended up as the runner-up onBecca Kufrin’s season in 2018. He then appeared onBachelor in Paradise’s sixth season in 2019, during which he quit part-way through after a drama-filled summer.
As viewers recall, Horstmann’s escapades at Stagecoach that year became a focal point onParadise, when it was revealed that he had hooked up withCaelynn Miller-KeyesandKristina Schulman, two of his fellow future contestants, onback-to-back nights. Drama subsequently unfolded bothonandoff-screen, with Horstmann catching heat amongst viewers.
“To say paradise wasrough for meis an understatement,” he wrote on Instagram at the time. “I have no one to blame but myself for that. It’s not easy putting yourself and all of your mistakes out there for the world to see. … Never forget that we are all human and not characters on television.”
John Fleenor/ABC via Getty Images
Bachelor in Paradiseseason 7 premieres Aug. 16. on ABC.
source: people.com
