Perhaps no other teaser for the "Bachelorette" has caused as much uproar as the one that aired after the season 11 premiere on Monday.
The teaser revealed that Kaitlyn Bristowe, who the male contestants chose as their Bachelorette, would have sex with a contestant later this season but outside the designated "fantasy suite." Nearly half the promo focused on Bristowe feeling regret for the sexual interaction that is quite common in normal relationships and caused a split reaction among viewers.
Some of the audience argued that the 30-year-old Bachelorette made a mistake for having sex before the fantasy suite portion of the show while others believe ABC slut-shamed Bristowe with its teaser.
The Bachelorette didn't regret the act of sleeping with a contestant, telling Entertainment Tonight she is "not ashamed" of it but she does "regret the timing." Bristowe also acknowledged that she's likely the first Bachelorette or Bachelor to speak on camera about sex that happens on the show.
"I don't really have a problem talking about that kind of thing. I think when you're looking for a lifetime partnership, intimacy is obviously a part of that," she told ET.
Former "Bachelor" contestant, AshLee Frazier, who competed during Sean Lowe's season 17, also spoke about the lack of sex talk on a show where participants get very intimate.
"Minus maybe Sean and maybe another Bachelor or two, I think they all have sex," Frazier told Us Weekly. "They don't [talk about it], and I don't know why. I saw not too long ago with Bob Guiney, and he was a playboy out of all of them. I don't know why they don't talk about it. I mean, people have sex. It's a natural thing. Why is it so faux pas? I don't know."
Courtney Robertson, who skinny-dipped with Ben Flajnik in season 16, believes Bristowe and others should be able to "live in the moment," not matter where that leads.
"For me personally, I'm like, you go girl!" Robertson told Us. "I talk about living in the moment and it's kind of hard to do that during the show. You have a film crew and producers all watching you, so I give it to her for going after and indulging a bit."
The "Bachelor" and "Bachelorette" participants might not talk about the sex happening on the show, but "Bachelor" season nine contestant Erica Rose thinks the two ABC series are more willing to talk about it now than in earlier seasons.
"When I was on it, no one even talked about [sex] and now they do and it's just becoming a lot more open," Rose told Us. "It's good that they talk about it. In real life, people have sex all the time, and it should be talked about."
She continued, "I think people just shouldn't be such prudes, honestly. People have sex before they're married. Like, everyone does it."
"The Bachelorette" will return this Monday at 9 p.m. on ABC.
