I'm So In Love And So Engaged!
People|June 5,2017

The Dallas Native Opens Up About the Pressure of Being the First Black Bachelorette in the Franchise’s History and Looking for Love in Front of Millions 
 

Christina Dugan
I'm So In Love And So Engaged!

Shortly after she was left heart-broken by Nick Viall on season 21of The Bachelor, Rachel Lindsay,32, was given another chance at love—and a new chance to break barriers—after being cast as the series’ first black Bachelorette. Now the lawyer from Dallas, who says she’s found her “forever love” through the show, talks about the highs and lows of her emotional small-screen journey, saying, “Nothing could’ve prepared me for what I was about to go through.”

Your first experience with Bachelor Nation was as a contestant on the 21st season of The Bachelor, fighting for Nick Viall’s heart. Was there anything you learned about your time there that you brought to The Bachelorette?

I was actually a little hesitant to go on The Bachelor because you never know what to expect. I like to be in control, and I was entering a world that I knew nothing about. Believe it or not, I’m also pretty private when it comes to my relationships, so it was completely out of the norm. But going back and watching myself, I realized how much I was closed off. I can put a wall up, so during this journey I promised myself I wouldn’t be that way. I wanted to be more like Nick and just be very vulnerable and put myself out there.

When Nick sent you home during the rose ceremony in Finland, you seemed completely blindsided. Is there anything you wished you’d done differently?

This story is from the June 5,2017 edition of People.

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This story is from the June 5,2017 edition of People.

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