"I supported Hannah 100 percent for talking about her fantasy suites the way that she wanted to," Rachel told Women's Health at an event with The Knot celebrating her upcoming wedding to her final pick from season 13, Bryan Abasolo. "She was honest about that. Isnt that what we assume happens anyway? So why is it a problem that shes being forthcoming about it?"
During Rachel's season of The Bachelorette, there was definitely chatter about her overnight dates, too, but not in quite the same way as Hannah's. Rachel has opened up before about how she went into her fantasy suites with Bryan, Eric Bigger, and Peter Kraus armed with a list of questions about everything from their faith to their credit scoresafter all, it's the only time you get over the course of the season to get to know each suitor without cameras pointed at you.
But Rachel also points out that these are looong nights."You only hear whatever version we tell you," she says. "You hear the version of me talking about my list and the questions that I asked, but we were in there for hours. Im not talking about every single hour, minute, second of what happened."
And while she knows that the idea of fantasy suite dates is "sexualized in general," she says that "technically, most of the time they are not sexual. But that's the illusion that the show gives."
This is far from the first time a Bachelorette's sexual activity on the show has come into question. Remember when Nick Viall called out Andi Dorfman after she dumped him for what happened in their fantasy suite? ("If you weren't in love with me, I'm just not sure why you made love with me" is a line forever burned into Bachelor fans' brains.) Or when Kaitlyn Bristowe faced backlash for sleeping with Nick (yes, the same one), weeks before they got to the fantasy suite? Regardless of what Hannah, or any Bachelorette, chooses to do with their time away from the cameras, Rachel says that they shouldn't be judged for it (cough cough, Luke Parker)especially when it seems like that judgment is primarily reserved for the female leads.
"I hate the double standard that exists within Bachelor nation where all of a sudden it's wrong for Hannah to talk about her sexuality," Rachel says. After all, in Hannah's case, she was just being honest about what people already assumed she had done. "Hannahs decided to confront that head on. Why is that a problem? Why is that negative? If she was a man, it wouldnt be that way."
Fortunately, Hannah's got this former Bachelorette in her corner. "Hannah did it. She owned it," Rachel says. "So more power to her."
