Bachelorette Brooke blasts 'close friend' in brutal post online: 'White privilege'

Brooke Blurton has called out a “close friend” for “tainting” the finale week of her season of The Bachelorette, in which she made history as the first Indigenous and openly pansexual lead.

Taking to her Instagram Story on Thursday morning, the 26-year-old shared a lengthy statement about “the crap” that emerged at the end of the reality TV show that she says affected her both personally and mentally.

Brooke Blurton.
Brooke has blasted her ‘close friend’ in a brutal post online. Photo: Instagram/brooke.blurton

Brooke began the post thanking fans for their support and announcing that she and her new partner, Darvid Garayeli, have decided to go offline for the week to enjoy their “love bubble”.

“I'm still grieving the death of my sister and when I put it in perspective to how long it has been, it's been only two months,” she added.

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“Not having Darv there in that time was probably one of the most challenging times for both of us. It doesn't make it easy when you physically can not be there for someone you love who's lost someone they love.

“So I've promised myself, Darv, my family and my angel sister that I'll take the time to heal. It will take more than a week but this is a start.”

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Brooke continued: “I hate to bring it up, but personally and mentally I’ve been disrupted by all the crap that came with Finale Week. We both have.

“I'm not a hostile person and literally do not have any hate in my heart. Everyone who watched the show, or was on the show cast and/or working as crew, will know that I put my heart and soul into it and it meant a lot for me to open myself up so vulnerably like that.

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“Not only that but for what it meant for the LGBTQIA+ and First Nations Community to have that display of representation.”

Bachelorette winner Darvid and Brooke.
Brooke said that she and Darvid have both been ‘disrupted by all the crap that came with Finale Week’. Photo: Channel Ten

“Which moves onto my new point. The hardest point,” the youth worker wrote.

“For that to be tainted ONCE again by 1. To what I thought was a close friend. 2. Another white woman displaying what white privilege looks like 3. A very clear display of narcissism. Hurts me. Literally pains me.

“I've reached out to this person to resolve this 'conflict' which in fact, classic naive me, adult me went to this person to communicate openly about the layers of complexity that this person’s actions show and take away from NOT only me but what it meant for a queer woman of colour. If this wasn't me. I'd still have this stance.

“You guys asked for my comment. There it is. Now go give them more air time in which is what this is exactly about.”

Brooke Blurton's Instagram statement.
Brooke Blurton said that her finale week was ‘tainted’ by someone she thought was a close friend. Photo: Instagram/brooke.blurton

Shortly after posting, Brooke appeared to confirm the public's speculation that she was talking about fellow Bachelor star Abbie Chatfield when she re-shared someone else's Instagram Story directly naming the It's A Lot podcast host.

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The follow-up post from Nicole Knight read: "So many posts and questions everywhere about Brooke Blurton's comment about white privilege and how it upset her about Abbie Chatfield hard launching her relationship with The Bachelorette finalist Konrad, this is the best explanation I've found so far."

The re-shared Story also included a screenshot of a fan's Instagram comment claiming "Abbie knows her white privilege would have made her the centre of attention and taken that away from the Blak community as a whole because Abbie knows the media favourites white influencers over Blak influencer".

Brooke Blurton's follow-up Instagram story.
Brooke re-shared someone else's Instagram story naming Abbie Chatfield directly. Photo: Instagram/brooke.blurton

Brooke’s scathing statement comes shortly after fellow Bachelor star Abbie announced that she was dating Brooke’s on-screen ex, Konrad Bien-Stephens.

Konrad made it all the way to the top four on Brooke’s season of The Bachelorette, while Abbie appeared in the season’s final episode as one of her friends meeting the top two contestants.

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The couple chose to ‘hard launch’ their relationship the day before Brooke’s history-making finale, which was met with criticism from several fans and former stars of the franchise, including Angie Kent.

"Announcing your spicy hot relationship THE DAY of your mate Brooke’s finale episodes was just a little bit can we say opportunistic?” the former Bachelorette wrote in her recap for Yahoo Lifestyle.

“I love me some Abbie, don’t get this twisted, but she’s a very clever clog when it comes to dropping it like it's hot and creating an absolute media circus of sorts. Sister has stated many a time that there is one thing she does not like to discuss and that is who she is dating.

“But on the day of her friend's finale episode(s) she HARD launches the s**t of her brand-spankin' new relationship with someone from Brooke’s season. Of course, we are going to eat this right up, it’s yummy. Power move vibes right there. I love a power move. But it wasn’t the day for it hey?”

Abbie Chatfield and Konrad Bien-Stephens.
Abbie and Konrad made their relationship Instagram official during Brooke’s finale week. Photo: Instagram/abbiechatfield

Speaking with Yahoo Lifestyle alongside Darvid the day after her finale, Brooke broke her silence on Abbie and Konrad’s romance and revealed that she had spoken with both of them recently.

“Abbie is my friend,” Brooke said. “Obviously she came on the show last night and that was four months ago. But I guess seeing them together, it makes sense as well.

“Like, they are actually really similar - two Geminis, we love to see it. So I feel excited that that’s come out of the show. I feel very happy for both of them.

“I’m friends with her, we’re civil, we’re mutual. It’s all good, it’s all gravy.”

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