May 05, 2020 • bachelor insider
Julia Opens Up About 'Brutal' Cyberbullying After 'Listen to Your Heart'
Julia Rae knows full well that she made decisions on "The Bachelor Presents: Listen to Your Heart" that audiences weren't pleased about, which has led to an onslaught of cyberbullying and negative comments.
Julia spoke with Rachel Lindsay and Becca Kufrin on a new episode of "Bachelor Happy Hour" about her time on "Listen to Your Heart" and the aftermath of breaking up with Sheridan for Brandon.
Rachel asked how Julia's been handling everything, and Julia did not hesitate to discuss how difficult everything has been for her.
"This is the first time I’ve been able to get my act together since this all started," she shared. "These have been some of the darkest days, honestly. I’ve felt so misunderstood."
Julia choked back tears, adding, "I’ve been attacked online and I have never experienced cyberbullying to this level. I’m not sure if it’s because of COVID-19 and they have all this anger they want to express and I’m just the target. It’s been brutal. I don’t wish this feeling on anyone."
After the third episode of the show, Julia posted her takeaways on Instagram, such as admitting she should have "confronted Brandon instead of Savannah" and that her connection with Sheridan was "real." She added, "Do I deserve death threats and harassment and the assassination of my character because I had poor judgement in an incredibly high pressure situation? No. And I won’t pretend there isn’t hypocrisy in the cyber bullying I’m getting - which is far more vicious than my conversation with Savannah."
She went on, "At the end of the day, it is a reality TV show. With so much darkness in the world right now, I hope making fun of my poor judgement can be an escape — it’s there for your entertainment, not for your insanely harsh judgements."
Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.
Rachel and Becca are both vocal advocates against the detrimental effects of cyberbullying. Rachel even joined Chris Harrison onstage at Peter Weber's "Women Tell All" to shed light on the harassment and the hate women on that season of "The Bachelor" received. Blake Horstmann, too, touched on the same subject after "Bachelor in Paradise."
Julia's decision to couple up with Brandon resulted in not just Sheridan leaving, but Savannah, too. Savannah spoke about her conversations with Julia on another episode of "Bachelor Happy Hour," saying she felt "blindsided" by the whole thing.
Julia also explained to Rachel and Becca that she feels as if she hasn't been portrayed correctly. She said, "Even when I say the sassy things, I never imagined it would come across like this. I’ve cringed, I’ve been mortified. I’ve been heartbroken. I didn’t come across the way I live my life. It’s been heartbreaking."
The Pennsylvania native admitted that she wishes she stayed with Sheridan and thinks that they could've "taken it all the way" had they remained a couple.
"Quite frankly, my heart and I have lost sleep over this. Had Sheridan and I stayed together through it, we could’ve taken it all the way. I do believe that," she expressed. "Musically, we so fit well together, and we worked well together. It’s heartbreaking for me and for me to think of him feeling that way."
To hear what else Julia has to say about her time on "The Bachelor Presents: Listen to Your Heart," be sure to listen to the full "Bachelor Happy Hour" episode now. Don't forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.