The Blake Horstmann and Caelynn Miller-Keyes Situation on Bachelor in Paradise, Explained

Update, Thursday, August 8: Caelynn Miller-Keyes has now weighed in about the private text messages Blake Horstmann posted online earlier this week that he claimed showed their relationship was a casual hookup (versus Caelynn's portrayal of a more serious romance).

In a lengthy post on Instagram (with an image of a single rose emoji), Caelynn explained her version of events as well as her reaction to Blake's releasing their text conversations. "Here we go… I am not here to deny those text messages or the conversations that took place. Things got taken out of context on the show, and a large part of the story is missing," she writes. "The reality of the situation is that Blake was not a one night stand at a music festival and the ‪5 am‬ text exchange that Blake chose to share is not an accurate representation of our past relationship.

"I take ownership for what I said on the beach. I was upset and I let my emotions control my words. However, I did not go on a show to ruin someone’s character. I attempted to address my feelings and the situation with Blake face to face," she continues. "It’s unfortunate that I didn't get the same respect in return, and I am absolutely mortified our private texts were put out there for the world to see and judge by someone who I trusted and consider a friend nonetheless."

She then describes a relationship with Blake that went on for months—according to her, it was her understanding that neither of them were seeing other people until he "ghosted" her. "It’s clear to me that Blake and I had different ideas of what our 'relationship' was," she writes. "We started talking months before Stagecoach. We FaceTimed everyday and talked about potentially skipping paradise to be together. When I say he ghosted me, it was after those few months of us talking. It was my understanding there was no one else and I thought we were on the same page."

Caelynn also had a message for those trolling and sex-shaming her. "What infuriates me the most is that I’m being trolled for having sex because of what I’ve been through," she writes. "I want to be very clear that I am not looking for sympathy. I took the necessary steps to move on and heal, but I will not be abstinent for the rest of my life because of it."

She continues, "This is a complicated situation considering it’s not only on TV, but has taken a life of its own on the internet. This could’ve been over after last night’s episode, but since it’s now all over Instagram, I felt like it was imperative to share my truth. We all have our own perception of how different situations unfold and there are many sides to this story. I hope that we can all move forward and support one another, rather than tear each other down. I have moved on and I am excited to continue to share the rest of my journey with you all."

Former Bachelorette Ali Fedotowsky weighed in with her support in the comments, writing, "Sending you love and strength. No one deserves to go through what both of you are going through online right now ❤️."

Original Post: The drama surrounding Blake Horstmann has been the sole focus of Bachelor in Paradise's first two episodes, and it's…intense, to say the least. If you don't have the time to catch up properly, look no further than right here: I'm about to break down everything that's gone on in just a few paragraphs.

Let's start with episode one, when Caelynn Miller-Keyes, from Colton Underwood's season, arrives to Paradise and reveals she and Blake hooked up at the Stagecoach Music Festival in April. According to Caelynn, their time together was more than just a casual fling—which is why she was hurt when she found out Blake had hooked up with fellow Bachelor alum Kristina Schulman the night before. She says Blake called their hookup a "mistake" and urged her to lie about it when the cameras started rolling on Bachelor in Paradise.

Naturally, that conversation did not sit well with her. But the two have very little interaction in the first episode. Caelynn is clearly focused on the situation, which prevents her from finding connections with other men in Paradise; meanwhile, Blake jumps into new situations with Tayshia Adams and Hannah Godwin. After talking to Bachelor in Paradise's friendly neighborhood bartender, Wells Adams, Caelynn decides to tell everyone on the beach about what happened between herself and Blake.

But then things get even more complicated when Kristina shows up at the end of episode one with a date card in hand. She asks Blake out, throwing Caelynn for a loop. But Kristina has no interest in actually pursuing Blake: She just wants to confront him about what happened with Caelynn. Blake seems blindsided by this conversation, which happens at the top of episode two, but doesn’t offer much of an apology. Their "date" quickly ends and they go back to the beach.

That’s when Caelynn, still upset, pulls Blake aside. He's more apologetic to her, saying he had no idea she felt this way. “I feel like a slimy, disgusting secret that you’re ashamed of. You literally told me to lie for you," Caelynn tells Blake through tears.

And then the drama transitions to real life. In an attempt to clear his name, Blake released a series of screen shots of text messages with Caelynn that he claims show she was aware their hookup was meant to be casual. “If I come over it’s strictly for sex,” Caelynn allegedly says in one of the messages. “Nothing more, nothing less.” The texts also appear as if both were hesitant about going public with the hookup. “If we play it off as not being a big deal then it’s not. Everyone hooks up in this world," Caelynn reportedly says in a text.

Via both an Instagram Stories video and actual post, Blake explained his decision to publish the texts. "Releasing the text messages was the last thing that I wanted to do," he says in the videos. "I know that it's not good, but I feel like I have no other choice but to release those. I hope Caelynn can forgive me one day, but with my character and my name being attacked like that, I felt like I had no other choice. Maybe some of that was edit from Caelynn, and maybe they spliced together some of her conversations; I don't know. Maybe she can address that later, but I don't know what else to do."

He continues, "I'm not trying to go and attack Caelynn. I'm just trying to get my truth out there. I hope none of you go and attack Caelynn. I truly I hope that she has a chance to talk about what was spliced together and what they didn't show. Maybe she was saying other things. But right now, I feel like I have no choice."

And here's his post, which essentially echoes the same sentiment. Caelynn has not responded to Blake's statements.

Ultimately, though, Blake decided to delete the texts and urged people to stop attacking Caelynn.

Last night's Bachelor in Paradise episode ended with Kristina pulling Tayshia aside and clarifying that she only asked Blake out to clear the air with him. But Tayshia decides Blake is too messy to continue pursuing and cuts her losses. Blake decides to try something with Hannah G; they kiss, but she's unsure about her feelings.

End scene. Exhausted? Me too. And this season of Bachelor in Paradise has only just started. Get ready.

Originally Appeared on Glamour