February 03, 2026 bachelor insider
Zac Clark Reveals His Addiction to Something He’s ‘Always Hated’: ‘It’s Time to Come Clean’
Getting candid.
Bachelor Nation met Zac Clark on Season 16 of “The Bachelorette,” and as fans remember, Zac shared his struggle with addiction and journey to sobriety with Tayshia Adams on-screen.
Since his time on the show, Zac has continued to share resources for addiction, mental health, and more through his company Release Recovery Addiction Treatment Center.
Last fall, Zac celebrated 13 years of sobriety and has continued to speak openly about his recovery online.
Now, the Bachelor Nation star has “come clean” about his addiction to something he’s never liked in a new post on Instagram.
Over a series of slides, Zac wrote, “It’s time to come clean… I am addicted. I’m addicted to something I always hated. I hated it growing up. I hated it in high school. I hated it in college. I hated the people who did it. I even made fun of them. I hated it.”
Zac continued and opened up about his addiction as well as why he holds onto it, despite never liking it growing up.
“I am now 42 years old and addicted to the one thing I hated. I’m addicted to running,” he confessed. “Because the truth about running is: It brought me community. It gets me naturally high. It pushes me to set goals and achieve them. It teaches me discipline and resilience. It’s free and available to all. It makes me stronger physically and clearer mentally. It feeds my competitive fire while also allowing me to root for others. It’s the greatest mental health tool I have found.”
The Bachelor Nation star then made an apology for some of his past actions. He said, “It continues to save my life. P.S. sorry to all of the guys I made fun of on cross country, I wish I found running when you did.”
Followers and loved ones filled the comments of Zac’s post with their support and stories of also being addicted to running.
We are so proud of Zac’s continued advocacy for addiction recovery, and we’re so glad he found support within running. We know his continuing to share his story will help so many others.
