Two sides of the story. Dustin Kendrick and Peter Weber defended Bachelorette season 19 contestant Nate Mitchell amid allegations that he dated two women at the same time before appearing on the dating show.
“First of all, let me say this. Nate is not an angel. He’s not a perfect guy,” Dustin, 34, said during the Friday, August 19 episode of his podcast, “Bachelors in the City,” while addressing the rumors surrounding his longtime friend. “[But] I feel like you don’t go and try to tarnish someone’s name because a relationship didn’t work out. It seems childish to me.”
In a July TikTok video, Kelsey Fankhauser — who says she dated Nate, 33, from 2020 to 2021 — claimed that he “kept his kid a secret from me for one and a half years when we were dating” and later claimed that she learned he had been romantically involved with another woman during this time. Dustin, however, alleged on the podcast that Nate and Kelsey weren’t in a serious, “committed” relationship and claimed she was blowing things out of proportion.
“[It’s] baloney. Nate never told me once he was in a relationship with this person,” the Bachelorette season 15 contestant stated. “They were dating, they were seeing each other … There was a time during this [one and a half years] where they didn’t even talk for six months.”
Dustin added that because Nate didn’t see his romance with Kelsey as a serious one, he didn’t feel comfortable introducing her to his daughter. “He kind of just hung out with her in the scene of going out, and it’s not really [a situation where it’s appropriate] to bring them into the life of [his] daughter,” Dustin said.
His cohost, 31, agreed with that position, explaining that it was entirely up to Nate to decide whether it was appropriate to introduce someone he was seeing to his daughter. “Look, if you’re in a serious relationship and you’re committed and you’re with someone, sure, it’s a little weird to not disclose you have a child,” the former Bachelor explained. “But if that’s not the case — and it seems like this was [not] — in my opinion, Nate has every right hold that back until it’s the right time … That’s totally, 1000 percent up to him.”
Dustin and Peter’s remarks come two weeks after blogger Reality Steve released a podcast containing allegations of infidelity on Nate’s part. In addition to her claims that she didn’t know the Chicago native was a father, Kelsey shared screenshots of alleged direct messages with the 47-year-old blogger that she allegedly received from a woman named Laree Starke, claiming to have been romantically involved with Nate while he was supposedly exclusive with her.
“I wish Nate all the best,” she said at the time. “I don’t want to affect his future, but it’s important for me to try and prevent another girl from being blindsided by his secrecies.”
Nate, for his part, claimed that there are “Two sides to every story 🙏,” when a fan asked him about the allegations on Twitter.
Though the electrical engineer has mostly kept quiet about the situation, Dustin expressed frustration that it might have a long-lasting impact on his image. “I hate could see how [people’s perceptions] could shift. I don’t want people to do these things,” he said on the podcast. “And maybe it’s a good thing if he doesn’t become the Bachelor [after this]. … I think the fans maybe ruined it for him to possibly be [seen] in that light.”
“If that’s the case, America will be missing out,” Peter responded.
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Keep scrolling to see everything Dustin and Peter had to say about the situation:
