'Bachelorette' Star Trista Sutter Was Reportedly Filming This TV Show During Absence
In Bachelor Nation, Trista and Ryan Sutter are royalty. Trista was the first-ever star of The Bachelorette—and she's been married to Ryan, the winner of her season, for more than two decades.
So naturally, fans were a little concerned when Ryan posted some cryptic IGs a few weeks ago about Trista missing Mother's Day (more on that in a minute). But according to a new report, Trista was just off filming season three of Fox's Special Forces: World's Toughest Test.
Fellow Bachelorette star Ali Manno (née Fedotowsky) will also be starring on the series, according to the TMZ source. Phew!
Ryan and Trista have since cleared some things up, and fans have theories of their own. So, what was going on? Here’s what we know.
What happened to Trista Sutter?
This all began on May 11, when Ryan shared a cryptic Instagram post about his wife being "absent."
"I cannot imagine loving her any more or any more fondly," Ryan captioned an IG photo of Trista looking out onto a body of water. "But I guess we’re gonna find out…. I miss her already."
In another post, Ryan shared how difficult it was for Trista to not be with her family on Mother's Day.
“Sometimes being a mom means letting go of their hands, granting independence and stimulating their courageous spirit,” he captioned a May 12 photo of their family. “We’re proud of you mama pajama for everything you do for us, near or far, Happy Mother’s Day!!!”
So...where was Trista? Well, according to Ryan, she was off to find herself. “Trista is at a place in life where she is searching a bit,” he clarified in a May 18 post. “An opportunity presented itself that may help her on that quest. With her family’s support, she has taken it. Part of that process means that she is temporarily inaccessible to us.”
Basically, this was all super mysterious. But some fans speculated that Trista was off filming a reality show with fellow Bachelorette star Ali Manno, who also revealed that she was away from her family on Mother’s Day. This was later confirmed by TMZ, who reported that they were off filming Special Forces.
"It's not Mother's Day where I am right now," Ali explained in a May 12 Instagram Story.
Are Trista and Ryan Sutter still together?
Although Ryan's posts caused a ton of confusion, Trista and Ryan are still together.
Their last public appearance happened in January at the wedding of Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist. But according to Ryan, they're still happily married.
“Trista is fine. We are fine. We’re great,” he wrote in his May 18 post.
Ryan missed Trista a ton.
While Trista was gone, Ryan was sweetly pining away for his wife. “I miss her. We miss her,” he shared in his May 18 post.
The day before, he penned another adorable note, adding, "I’d really like to hear your voice - just for a minute. So many times I’ve called without much to say, not realizing how lucky I was or how much I’d miss the opportunity if it were gone."
He also wrote, "I’ll be here when you get back. I’ll be here to listen to you, to smile with you, maybe cry with you—I’ll be here to love you… I’ll be here… forever."
Trista returned with her own mysterious IG post.
Over Memorial Day weekend, Trista shared an IG photo of her family reunited on the beach.
“Geez people. Can’t a girl have a nervous breakdown/trial separation/midlife crisis/death/divorce in peace around here?! 😜🤣” she joked in a May 25 post.
She shared that "an opportunity for perspective and personal growth presented itself," and she "chose" herself. Trista said she’ll share what happened “in due time"—after her family trip to Mexico, of course!
She gave a shoutout to her hubby for supporting her while away from her family. "To me, [his posts] gave me exactly what my Words of Affirmation love language needed to get me through some serious self doubt and fear…and that’s all that matters. He doesn’t owe anyone any explanation or require permission to post what he wants to post and share what he wants to share. 💯"
Days later, Ryan reflected on her absence.
"We do our best - to do and to be good, to live and to treat others well," Ryan captioned a May 29 post of the two watching the sunset on a beautiful beach. "We make decisions not knowing the outcome but hoping we’re on the right path - hoping the questions will be answered in time. We try to be a positive example, to care, to trust the process and to believe others will trust our intent is not malicious or misguided or mean."
Adding more context to his posts, Ryan added that he tries his best to remain "honest in deceitful times and to be open when it’s safer to stay closed." He concluded his note simply, writing, "#love."
Where was Trista?
As noted, Trista kept coy about her recent travels. But fans connected the dots after Ali reemerged right around the same time.
"I have so much to share and so so so many emotions and thoughts that I wish I could talk to you guys about now," Ali said in a May 26 post. "I will once I’m allowed. I promise. Just know that I truly wish I could confide in you guys. I love you all."
Trista and Ali reportedly are both starring on the new season of Fox's Special Forces: World's Toughest Test, according to a June 11 TMZ report.
The series follows a group of celebs who undergo a series of military training challenges. Previous winners include soccer player Carli Lloyd, Olympian Erin Jackson, and Bachelor Nation's Hannah Brown, Tyler Cameron, and Nick Viall.
Can't wait to watch Trista and Ali!
You Might Also Like
