Kaitlyn Bristowe reflected on her season of The Bachelorette nine years after it premiered in 2015 — and her relationship with ex-fiancé Shawn Booth.
“I still like to think of my season and the relationship that came out of it — it was somewhat of a success,” Bristowe, 39, shared during the “Bachelor Happy Hour” podcast on Tuesday, July 2. “Even though we didn’t get married, we were together for almost four years.”
Bristowe met Booth, 37, during the first night of her Bachelorette season and was immediately smitten with the personal trainer. It was no surprise when Booth got down on one knee and proposed during the ABC show’s finale, which aired in July 2015. The former couple ultimately announced their split in November 2018.
Even though they didn’t make it down the aisle, Bristowe explained why she thinks their relationship worked for so long.
“I truly believe it’s because I went into that role being like, people are gonna hate me for this, or people are gonna love me for this, but this is just who I am,” Bristowe explained. “If I’m really going to have some sort of foundation for a relationship to thrive, I have to just be so true to myself.”
This is the advice Bristowe offers to new Bachelor and Bachelorette stars before their leading role begins.
“I just always encourage people to — even if they feel messy — America’s not going to like what they say or do,” she continued. “I just think you have to just be absolutely true to yourself in order to have somewhat of a successful relationship after with that person, with yourself, with your following, which Bachelor Nation is very loyal, and they’ll see through it.”
Bristowe also recalled the “instantaneous” connection between herself and Booth the first time they met.
“I didn’t think I would get that feeling on night one. I’ve never met somebody and in the first moment of touching their hands felt like electricity. I’ve never actually experienced that,” she said. “I’ve had to get to know someone really well and like see who they are before. That was like a real standout for me.”
Following Bristowe and Booth’s 2018 split, she moved on with fellow Bachelor Nation member Jason Tartick in January 2019. Bristowe and Tartick announced their engagement in May 2021. By August 2023, the former couple announced they had broken up.
Booth, for his part, has since become a father. He welcomed a son named Locks Joseph in December 2023 with Audrey “Dre” Joseph.
