How did Abigail Heringer become deaf? 'The Bachelor' star shares how hearing impairment caused ‘insecurities’
Matt James’ season of ‘The Bachelor’ is soon concluding with the final three suitresses vying for the heart of their potential future partner. However, before he picks his life partner, Matt will be seen meeting with all the eliminated contestants tonight, on the March 1 episode of ‘The Bachelor’. The ‘Women Tell All’ segment will see all the ladies share their experience with Matt and one another, but what touched us most from the preview is the heart-wrenching story of Abigal Heringer’s hearing impairment. She became the first deaf contestant in the history of 'The Bachelor' nation franchise.
During the 'Women Tell All’, Abigail first talks about the bond she shared with Matt. She’s heard saying, “He just gave me so much assurance, every time I was with him. I kind of came in saying, ‘You know, I don’t believe in love at first sight.’ Just having the first night go the way it did, I think that’s the closest I’ve ever come to that sort of feeling.”
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How did Agibail lose her hearing ability?
For the uninitiated, the 25-year-old financial manager from Beaverton, Oregon, was born deaf. According to Good Morning America, she was born with congenital hearing loss and received a cochlear implant at age 2. The day she met Matt for the first time, she told him, "So there is something a little different about me. That is that I am deaf. So I will be reading your lips a lot tonight."
While talking on ‘The Bachelor Happy Hour’ podcast, Abigail explains why she was so vulnerable when she entered the show. "Going into this whole process, I was like, 'no, I'm just going to go all out. I'm just going to lay it out there and just see how he takes it,'" she said. "It was something I had been so insecure about. And so to open up about it and not to not only have him acknowledge it but to actually see it as a really attractive quality. And it was just a really special moment for sure,” she says.
The audience’s response has been ‘incredible’
During the 'Women Tell All’, Abigail reveals that she was a tad bit nervous about getting on the show as she was apprehensive about viewers accepting people from the deaf community. She says, “I was really scared kind of when I decided to come on. I think people kind of view the hearing community and the deaf community … as black-and-white, and I’m kind of that gray space, because I don’t use sign language and am able to communicate vocally. I had no idea how people were going to receive me, but no, the response has been incredible.”
'The Bachelor' airs on Mondays at 8 pm ET on ABC.