Demi Burnett opens up about having the first same-sex relationship in 'Bachelor in Paradise' history
She said she wanted to be honest and follow her heart wherever it led.
Demi Burnett dropped a "Bachelor in Paradise" bombshell that sent Bachelor nation into a frenzy, and now she's opening up for the first time after she came out to fans as bisexual.
Burnett sat down with ABC News and said "it means a lot" to be in a position to have been able to come out on the show.
"I was just being myself and living my life and loving who I loved," she said. "I just wanted to be honest with who I was and follow wherever my heart led me."
Burnett told host Chris Harrison during the show that she had been dating a woman named Kristian Haggerty before coming to "Paradise."
"We were just enjoying each other's time and I didn't realize how serious she felt about it until she came on the show and expressed that to me," Burnett said of the surprise moment. "I also realized how serious it was for me and how much I really cared about her, too."
And now that the news is out in the open, Burnett has been able to share more details of her life on social media.
"It's fun now being able to show her off and tell the world, like, about this person that nobody has ever heard about because she isn't a part of Bachelor Nation," Burnett said. "So we fun to be able to show off our relationship now because it does mean so much to both of us."
But the overwhelming response has been both good and bad.
"This was a super a tough time for me, that being criticized does hurt. But I know that there's nothing that I can do to change how people are perceiving it or how they feel about it," she explained.
Burnett also explained the personal moment of coming out to her parents.
"My parents love me very much," she said. "The way that they handled it was so beautiful. Like, them just saying, 'You're always gonna be our Dems, and we're gonna love you and support you no matter what.' It was really special."
The fan-favorite has been applauded by fans for finding her strength and following her heart.
"There are so many messages in my DMs on Twitter, on Instagram, everywhere, of people who are thanking me because they have been struggling with the same thing that I went through," she shared. "Knowing that I helped somebody just by being who I was -- that's amazing for me. And it feels really good."
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