Are Kaitlyn Bristowe and Zac Clark dating? Former 'Bachelorette' slams bullies for romance with Tayshia Adams‘s ex
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE: Kaitlyn Bristowe, a former 'The Bachelorette' contestant, appears to be dating Tayshia Adams's ex-fiance, Zac Clark. As Bachelor Nation reacted negatively to this connection, Kaitlyn called out the bullying without confirming or denying the relationship.
For months, unsubstantiated reports about the two have circulated, but fresh images and videos shot on New Year's Eve purport to show the duo together.
"Turned my house into a 1920s speak easy. No regerts. Happy new year," Kaitlyn captioned an Instagram post with photos from her New Year's Eve party.
Soon after, several photographs and videos from the event surfaced on social media, and observant fans noted Kaitlyn looked to be all over Zac. Although she hasn't addressed the videos directly, she did offer a quote on her Instagram Stories.
"The vibe for 2024 is messy authenticity over fake perfection," the quotation went on to say. Kaitlyn disabled comments on her party photo and subsequently moved to Instagram Stories to reveal a message from a fan implying that the allegations about her and Zac are real.
“You are trash ew,” someone wrote.
“Not some of you treating me like I murdered someone,” Kaitlyn replied.
Following the discovery of Kaitlyn and a man who resembles Zac on social media, Instagram, Reddit, and Facebook erupted with scores of comments regarding the issue.
Kaitlyn quickly returned to Instagram Stories to call out the bullies.
She wrote, "You would think by now I'd be used to the hate. I'm not. Your words hurt. Your shaming hurts. Part of me feels a little sad and honestly embarrassed for you guys because this shouldn't be how you spend day 1 of a new year. You should not be this invested in someone you don't even know or respect. It's actually scary, and I know looking inward might be even scarier for you. But. The bullying is next level."
"You are allowed to have opinions and feelings. But you don't even know the truth, and your HATE should actually come with consequences. I truly worry about some of your mental health. It's not ok. It's. Not."
Please. Please feel ashamed of yourselves for treating someone this way who you don't know. I did not kill someone. I had a party with some of my favorite people."
"Shame. On. YOU. Not me. I am not one dimensional. What you see on people's social media does not mean you know them. And this part might sting... but I would never, ever, want to switch places with you. Your life seems so sad. So I will not take the opinions of someone who I would not trade places with."
Later she added, "I wish I could just share my truth and tell you my side. It's hard to bite my dang tongue sometimes. But you just go and continue to have your own little made up story in your head and believe what you want to believe. Social media la la land. Good lawwwddd."
Although Kaitlyn has yet to officially acknowledge her apparent connection with Zac, several fans have suspected that something was going on between them.
Why did Zac Clark split from 'The Bachelorette' Tayshia Adams?
Zac's "controlling" conduct was a factor. On November 22, 2021, a source informed The Sun that Tayshia was the one who "called things off" with Zac and that the separation was "her decision."
According to the insider, Tayshia believed Zac was "very controlling" and "intense," which "worsened" as she got more popular during her Bachelorette season.
According to the insider, "distance was another issue" in Zac and Tayshia's relationship because Zac "never, ever left New York" while Tayshia and her family live in California.
According to a source, Tayshia and Zac began having relationship problems in the fall of 2021 owing to their contrasting lives. Tayshia is the co-host of 'The Bachelorette,' and Zac is the co-founder of Release Recovery, an addiction treatment clinic and transitional housing facility in New York.
"Things have been strained through the fall. Both of their schedules have been really tough," the person told People.
According to the source, folks close to Tayshia and Zac "didn't see them getting to a wedding." A source also told Us Weekly that Tayshia and Zac "hadn't even started wedding planning" when they decided to call it quits on their engagement.
According to the source, Zac has found Tayshia's public lifestyle "frustrating" because he is unable to partake in it.
"Zac is very into his Release Recovery Foundation work and Tayshia has her own thing going on. With her schedule, they have been spending a lot of time apart," one source stated.
Who is ex 'The Bachelorette' Tayshia Adams dating now?
Tayshia, a former 'Bachelorette,' has sparked significant relationship speculations with Luke Gulbranson, a Bravo's 'Summer House' star. The couple made news in late March 2023 when fans spotted them cuddling during a few New York City trips.
Why did 'The Bachelor's Kaitlyn Bristowe split from Jason Tartick?
After three years of dating, Kaitlyn proposed to Jason Tartick in 2021. In August 2023, they called off their engagement.
"We are saddened with heavy hearts to share that we have decided to end our engagement. Continuing our friendship is incredibly important to both of us. We feel grateful to be ending our engagement with love and respect for each other," Jason and Kaitlyn stated in a joint Instagram post.