Time for tough conversations. Michelle Young came face to face with many of her exes during The Bachelorette: The Men Tell All, and she took the opportunity to teach a few of her most controversial contestants some lessons.
Kaitlyn Bristowe and Tayshia Adams hosted the Monday, December 6, episode. While they mostly focused on the drama between Michelle and her former flames, the season 11 Bachelorette took a moment to ask her cohost about her recent split from fiancé Zac Clark.
“All in all, all I have to say is that I’m heartbroken, but we tried really hard and I still love him very much and I’m not sure what the future holds. I mean, you know how it is — it’s really tough,” Tayshia told Kaitlyn before walking off the stage in tears.
A rep confirmed to Us Weekly on November 22 that the season 16 Bachelorette and Zac were “no longer a couple.” A source told Us at the time that the pair “couldn’t fully commit to each other” and had “been spending a lot of time apart” amid their busy schedules, adding that the breakup would be “hard” because there was a lot of “love” between them.
While Tayshia opening up about her broken engagement for the first time was a noteworthy moment from The Men Tell All, the majority of the episode was spent on Michelle’s former suitors. Nayte, Joe and Brandon were not present for the reunion since they are still in the running for the teacher’s final rose.
Michelle teased in November what fans can expect from the remainder of season 18. “I had no idea I would be in the position that I was at the end of the season,” she exclusively told Us at the time. “[The ending is] something that I didn’t necessarily expect, something that I didn’t think was possible for me. I’m excited for everybody kind of to see what that entails because I think a lot of assumptions are made, you know, of either who I end up with or if I end up with anybody.”
She continued: “When it comes down to it, I came into this knowing that I was just going to stay true to who I was. And that means staying true to what you’re feeling and talking about where you’re at with your feelings.”
Scroll through the gallery below to find out everything we learned about Michelle and her exes during The Men Tell All:
Peter and Will’s feud was still raging when The Men Tell All began. As they started to rehash their beef, Will shouted at Peter, “Tell your sister to stay out of my DMs.” Will claimed he was not aware of Peter’s sister’s intentions when she messaged him. Peter then accused Will of writing negative online reviews about his pizzeria, which Will never confirmed or denied. A man later arrived to serve Will with a “defamation of character” lawsuit, which appeared to be fake. At the end of the episode, Peter gave everyone a slice of pizza from his restaurant. Will conceded that the pizza was better than some he previously ate from Peter’s place, and the two agreed to bury the hatchet. ABC/John Fleenor
The environmental consultant insisted that he was not being disingenuous when he brought his documents of Bachelor Nation research with him. He claimed that he simply did not have a chance to read them before he left for filming but apologized to the other men for taking up so much time during night one with the drama. ABC/Craig Sjodin
The personal trainer admitted that he lied to Michelle during their final conversation, but he claimed that the reason he said he wouldn’t give her another chance was because she did not show him respect when they last spoke. Will then alleged that Martin had a girlfriend while he was on the show, which he denied. “I did date before. She wasn’t my girlfriend,” he said. “I didn’t live with her.” Martin also claimed that he took a break with the woman when he was filming. Martin later apologized to Michelle for the things he said after their breakup. “Thanks to this whole process, I did find my soulmate, and I do treat her very much like a queen,” he insisted. Michelle accepted his mea culpa but urged him to be more understanding of women in the future. ABC/Craig Sjodin
The commodities broker admitted that he came on too strong on the show but alleged that he had genuine intentions. Rick, however, claimed that Chris once told him he had been with “better looking women” than Michelle. While the alleged comment never came up when Michelle was on stage, Chris apologized to her for how he acted during the season. ABC/Craig Sjodin
There was a lot to cover when it came time for Jamie to get in the hot seat, including his remark that Michelle was in “spring break mode” on the show. “There had been this thing where I accidentally walked in too soon while she was having an intimate moment with one of the other castmates, and so the ‘spring break’ comment was more so about me just being one of 20 guys,” he said. As for the rumors Jamie stirred up about Michelle’s pre-show love life, Rodney recalled Jamie telling his fellow suitors to own it if they were the one to mention it to Michelle because the truth would come out on TV. Jamie explained that he did not confess because he didn’t want to take attention away from “what we had gained as a group.” Michelle later called out Jamie for being two-faced, but he retorted that he was just venting when he said negative things about her and his costars. “You cannot sit there and tell me that it’s just a mistake and that you’ve learned from it because I don’t feel like you have,” she fired back. The Minnesota native accused Jamie of saying he was sorry because he felt like he had to, so he rephrased his apology and admitted that he was “in the wrong.” ABC/Craig Sjodin
The fan favorite blamed his breakup with Michelle on his tendency to move at a slower pace in relationships, but he noted that he will always be Team Michelle. He credited his parents for helping him move on from the split, as they reminded him that everything happens for a reason and God has a plan for him. Rodney expressed that he wants Michelle to find her one true love, while Kaitlyn hinted that he may end up on Bachelor in Paradise. ABC/John Fleenor
The season 26 Bachelor was not at the Men Tell All taping, but a teaser for his own journey included several jaw-dropping moments. He confessed that he was “in love with three women” and appeared to say “I love you” to multiple contestants. Clayton then made a shocking admission at a rose ceremony. “I wanna be fully, fully transparent, and I know it’s not easy to hear, but I was intimate with both of you,” he told the women. Three ladies appeared to be in tears as a voiceover asked, “He’s in love with all three of us?” ABC/Pamela Littky
Michelle revealed that she wished she had more time with Olu. She appreciated that he showed emotion when she was sharing her pain with him and regretted not exploring their connection further. Olu had no hard feelings, crediting Michelle with helping him be vulnerable. The Bachelorette returns to ABC Tuesday, December 14, at 8 p.m. ET. ABC/Craig Sjodin
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