The Bachelorette alum Ryan Sutter has reacted to criticism about his post regarding Trista Rehn’s well-being that worried many fans, insisting it was never his intention to mislead anyone.
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Over the weekend of May 18, Ryan had uploaded a cryptic post on Instagram that had suggested there was something wrong with Trista and she was out of reach, which many fans interpreted to mean that Trista had suddenly died or they decided to separate.
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After fans expressed their concern or complained about how Ryan’s post was misleading and in poor taste, Ryan took to Instagram again to assure his followers that while Trista was, in fact, “inaccessible,” she was doing just “fine” and their relationship was “great.”
Ryan then reacted to his marriage making headlines in a new Instagram post on Wednesday, May 22.
The Bachelorette alum wrote about how he typically posts about his dog and lives a humble daily life.
“I feel pretty normal because I am pretty normal. But 21 years ago I was pretty famous. I don’t have millions of followers and am not influencing anyone but for some reason, every now and then, people still pay attention. Apparently that has recently been the case?” Ryan wrote.
“I strayed from the safety of the usual dog theme and chose to post a message to my wife for a time when she could eventually read it. She understood the context and so did I. No one else did however, and that’s where things went sideways.”
Ryan acknowledged how some fans assumed Trista had passed away, while others believed their marriage was “in trouble” or he was going through a “mid-life crisis” of some sort.
Ryan called all of these guesses “creative idea,” but he confirmed that none of them were accurate.
Ryan continued in his latest post, “Some thought I was intentionally misleading people in order to somehow benefit from it? It got picked up on entertainment news sites and I started getting texts from friends asking if I was ok. All because I missed my wife and chose to share how that felt.”
“It felt weird to wear the clothes of past fame once again, even if only briefly,” he admitted.
“It reminded me of how crazy life was and of how grateful I am for the life I have. But, to be honest, it also felt good to know people still cared, and worried and wondered.”
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Ryan confessed it “felt good to be noticed,” adding, “[Comments] inspired me to do better at paying attention to others — when they do good or when they need help. In the end, like most things, everything turned out ok.”
But Ryan quipped in conclusion, “I think I’ll go back to posting about my dog again for a bit.”
In Ryan’s initial post, his first of three regarding Trista’s condition, Ryan had written, “I really wish I could talk to you. Ask you how you’re doing? How was your day. I’d really like to hear your voice — just for a minute.”
“So many times I’ve called without much to say, not realizing how lucky I was or how much I’d miss the opportunity if it were gone,” he elaborated.
“I want to support and encourage and cheer you on. I want to be there for you. But I can’t. And that’s ok cause I know you need this time — time to discover yourself again. So I’ll be here for you instead. I’ll be here when you get back… I’ll be here to love you.”
“What’s going on[?] Are they separated having problems?” one person asked.
“Did Trista die? Omg,” another person wrote.
“This sounds like a treatment situation,” an Instagram user commented. “They take your phones for a week or so.”
And another person scolded Ryan for his initial post, writing, “Ryan I say this with love but a post like this is irresponsible. Everyone immediately panicked. Please just be aware of the message your sending.
In a follow-up Instagram post, Ryan insisted he never meant to “deceive or mislead anyone” and he was just trying to share his thoughts on social media.
“Trista is fine. We are fine. We’re great,” The Bachelor alum clarified.
“Trista is at a place in life where she is searching a bit. An opportunity presented itself that may help her on that quest. With her family’s support, she has taken it. Part of that process means that she is temporarily inaccessible to us. I miss her.”
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Last month, Trista gushed about her husband’s strength and ability to overcome adversity on “The Most Dramatic Podcast Ever with Chris Harrison.”
Ryan, who won Trista Rehn’s final rose on The Bachelorette’s first season, was diagnosed with Lyme disease in May 2021 after he’d been suffering from various symptoms for months prior.
Ryan had been desperate for answers after undergoing tests for nearly a year to find out why he had been feeling so ill and fatigued.
Ryan previously explained on Trista’s “Better, Etc.” podcast how doctors said his body had been weakened from exposure to mold toxins and so he was unable to fight Lyme disease.
Ryan had also reportedly tested positive for COVID-19 during the pandemic in 2020 as well as Epstein-Barr virus, which causes mononucleosis.
Ryan graduated from firefighter training in June 2021, just weeks after revealing his Lyme disease diagnosis in Spring 2021.
Ryan had to take time off from his firefighting job in Denver, CO, to take care of himself, but he returned to work in January 2022 after undergoing two major surgeries.
Trista and Ryan have two teenage children together: son Maxwell Alston and daughter Blakesley Grace.
Trista — who found fame when she competed on Alex Michel’s season of The Bachelor in 2002 — chose Ryan at the final Rose Ceremony of her The Bachelorette season over runner-up Charlie Maher.
Ryan proposed marriage to Trista on The Bachelorette’s first-season finale, which aired on ABC in February 2003 and drew over 30 million viewers.
Trista, a former Dancing with the Stars and Fear Factor contestant, changed her last name from Rehn to Sutter when she married Ryan in December 2003.
Trista & Ryan’s Wedding’s two-hour finale — which featured the couple’s wedding ceremony and reception at the Lodge in Rancho Mirage resort in Palm Springs, CA — drew over 17 million viewers when it aired on ABC on December 10, 2003.
Trista and Ryan welcomed Maxwell in July 2007 followed by Blakesley in April 2009.
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About The Author:
Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade.