Haters to the left! In an exclusive clip from The Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous podcast, Ben Higgins opens up about his split from fiancée Lauren Bushnell and slams social media trolls. Listen to the sneak peek above!
“When you really care about somebody and you really love somebody and that has to end — for whatever reason, even for reasons that either person can’t really explain, it’s just a feeling and you have to go your separate ways — it hurts. It hurts bad,” the Bachelor alum, 29, says in the clip.
Echoing a poignant Instagram message he shared last week, Higgins continues, “When you have people continually putting that [pressure] on you and saying things that not only hurt me but also hurt Lauren, I felt like it was time for me to make a post to say one thing, and what I said was this: You can judge me, you can judge Lauren. I can’t stop that. But that won’t affect me because I only have one thing I will be judged by, and that is my belief in a God above. And I will hold myself to that standard.”
In the teaser, Higgins also addresses the people criticizing him for starting a podcast with fellow Bachelor Nation star Ashley Iaconetti fresh off his split from Bushnell, 27. “For anybody wanting to hurt me or to hurt Lauren or hurt anybody out there on social media, I wanted to communicate that you can do that, but know that I believe in something bigger than that,” he says. “And so your words won’t hurt, they’ll just sting a little bit.”
Iaconetti, 29, exclusively told Us Weekly last month that she and her podcast cohost are “totally just friends.”
Higgins and Bushnell, who met on season 20 of The Bachelor last year, announced last month that they had ended their engagement. “It is with heavy hearts that we announce our decision to go our separate ways,” the former couple said in a statement to Us. “We feel fortunate for the time we had together, and will remain friends with much love and respect for one another. We wish nothing but the best for each other, and ask for your support and understanding at this time.”
The full episode of The Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous podcast airs on the iHeartRadio app on Monday, June 5, at 11 p.m. ET.
