'Bachelorette' Katie Thurston opens up about overcoming past sexual assault

On The Bachelorette Monday night, Katie Thurston revealed a very personal and emotional story during one of her group dates, in which she asked the men to be open and vulnerable.

After asking all the men to share a personal story they are not proud of, Katie wanted to open up in return. "What I'm gonna tell you, a lot of people actually don't know, including my own mom. I know you see me today as this very sex-positive woman who's very confident, but she hasn't always been here. Ten years ago, it was New Year's Eve, and I had been drinking, and I was involved in a situation where there wasn't consent," Katie bravely shared.

"That is not something I wish upon anybody," said Katie. "I was in denial about what happened. So much so that I tried to form a relationship with him because I didn't wanna believe what actually had happened. And when that didn't work out, for years, I had a very unhealthy relationship with sex. I didn't want to have sex, which affects the relationship. I didn't like talking about sex. And it's taken me a long time to get to where I am now in being open and comfortable talking about it and loving myself and accepting things that I can no longer control."

Katie went on to say that she has come a long way over the last decade, and has learned how important consent and communication is. "How important it is to not guilt trip somebody for not having enough sex with them, guilt trip them for not having sex with them in general. And so that is something that… really big that has happened in my life that in some ways has really shaped me to who exactly I am today," stated Katie.

Later in her confessional, Katie admitted, "What I shared with the group today is something I never really talked about. For a long time, I felt responsible for being too drunk, too irresponsible, too stupid. But it's not my fault, because consent is important, and I did not give it that night."

Video Transcript

KATIE THURSTON: And what I'm going to tell you, a lot of people actually don't know, including my own mom. I know you see me today as this very sex positive woman who's very confident. She hasn't always been here.

KYLIE MAR: During an extremely vulnerable moment on "The Bachelorette" Monday night, Katie Thurston opened up about a very personal and emotional story during one of her group dates.

KATIE THURSTON: 10 years ago, it was New Year's Eve, and I had been drinking. And I was involved in a situation where there wasn't consent.

KYLIE MAR: Katie shared that she was in so much denial about what had happened that she ultimately tried to form a relationship with the person. And when it didn't work out, for years she had an unhealthy relationship with sex.

KATIE THURSTON: I didn't want to have sex, which affects the relationship. I didn't like talking about sex. And it's taken me a long time to get to where I am now.

KYLIE MAR: Bachelor Nation fell in love with Katie on night one of Matt James's season of "The Bachelor" when the sex positive contestants came out of the limo wielding a vibrator. So it was expected that Katie's season of "The Bachelorette" would be the most sex positive yet. And while what happened to Katie was not a positive experience in the past, her confession Monday night ended up being liberating.

KATIE THURSTON: For a long time, I felt responsible for being too drunk, too irresponsible, too stupid. But it's not my fault. Because consent is important, and I did not give it that night.