Podcast #79 is finally upon us and it’s a very open and candid interview with “Bachelorette” #2, Meredith Phillips. In this podcast, Meredith reveals for the first time a story of alleged sexual abuse that happened to her while she was the Bachelorette. You will hear once she tells me this I’m pretty stunned by the story hence the awkward silence and long pauses, etc. She did not reveal the name of the alleged perpetrator, so there really is no way for me to confirm the details. But as with any story where we are hearing only one side, I would encourage everyone to keep an open mind until all sides of the story are told, if they ever are. That said, I am glad Meredith was able to share her story because I’m sure that wasn’t easy. Along with telling this story, Meredith also opens up about her battle with alcoholism which you can see below became national news in 2013. There are some truth bombs she drops during that portion of the interview as well that are quite revealing. It was hard to hear, as I’m sure it was hard for Meredith to share, so I applaud her for having the courage to be so open with me and talk about all this stuff in a public forum.
One correction from the interview that I want to make is that I make reference to Becca’s season being season 15 of the “Bachelorette.” It’s actually season 14.
There was about 1 minute of this interview that had to be edited to remove people’s names to protect their privacy. It doesn’t change anything in regards to her story, but I wanted to let you know ahead of time since I rarely, if ever, edit my podcasts in regards to content. Usually it’s just for any sound issues. I know people will have a reaction to this interview, both positive and negative. Meredith isn’t really on social media, so there’s not a way to really reach out to her, but she knows this story might bring some attention. She knows what telling a story like this could do and she’s well aware of the stigma attached to it. But as you’ll hear, she felt it was something she really needed to talk about because it’s stayed with her a long time and very few people have heard her tell it. Please take the time to listen to the whole interview before passing judgment on anything. I appreciate it.
You can listen to today’s podcast on a number of platforms, but you can also tune in by clicking the player below:
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, RSS, Stitcher, Spotify
Music written by Jimmer Podrasky
(B’Jingo Songs/Machia Music/Bug Music BMI)
(SPOILERS) Meredith joins me to talk about how she got cast on Bob’s season of the “Bachelor,” how did she feel towards Bob (7:28), becoming the “Bachelorette” and how quickly that happened (14:34), Ian being the one she knew immediately (22:25), Meredith then talks about an alleged sexual abuse that happened to her (31:55), choosing Ian over Matthew (43:14), did she think Ian was going to propose (47:12), does she ever think she made the wrong choice (49:42), her engagement to Ian, where it went wrong, and what happened (51:36), is she still in love with Ian (57:45), her People.com story from 2013 where she admitted to being alcoholic & the factors that played into it – her abusive marriage, her father’s infidelity (1:02:20), does she still drink (1:17:50), and what she’s doing now (1:21:08).
People.com – Former Bachelorette Star Opens Up About Her Battle With Alcoholism
2013 Interview with ABC News:
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