A thorn in her side. Bachelor season 27 finalist Gabi Elnicki swiftly shut down social media criticism after her fantasy suite date with Zach Shallcross ignited drama.
The Vermont native, 25, shared photos from the annual Houston Rodeo via Instagram shortly before the Monday, March 20, episode of the ABC series aired. “Haw yee!” she captioned the pics, one of which showed her tipping a black cowgirl hat toward the camera.
Following Monday’s bombshell episode, one eagle-eyed follower called out Gabi for deleting comments left on the post. “Yes I am,” the reality star clarified in her response. “Because I don’t need negativity and hate on my page. It’s so unnecessary and unkind. There is NO reason to put others down, get off my page if you don’t like me.”
The social media user assured Gabi she meant no harm, writing, “I like you queen just here for the drama 🫶🏻.” More fans chimed in with supportive comments, with one adding, “Preach sweetie don’t let ignorance bother you ! ❤️.” A third follower reminded Gabi, “Screw the haters.”
The senior account exec’s clapback came shortly after viewers watched Zach, 26, grapple with the highs and lows of fantasy suite week — or “sex week,” as he called it while speaking with host Jesse Palmer. Zach and his remaining women — Gabi, Ariel Frenkel and Kaity Biggar — arrived in Thailand with high hopes for how their relationships would grow after their overnight dates. However, the week didn’t go according to his plan.
Going into the three dates, Zach declared that he would not be physically intimate with any of the finalists. Ariel, 28, was up first and seemed slightly taken aback by his decision but promised that she’d make Zach “feel supported.”
When he met Gabi on the beach the next day, she confessed that it was challenging to know he was spending the night with the other women. She also revealed that she’s been “chosen second” in previous relationships and has been cheated on, which has hurt her self-confidence. Zach, meanwhile, told Gabi that she’s “special” and not to dwell on the order of the dates.
During the dinner portion of their day together, the California native expressed his concerns about being physical. “Did I think I was going to get engaged to somebody that I’ve never had sex with? Probably not,” she replied with a laugh. “But we’re gonna work on it later.”
She later told the camera: “Zach says he’s not having sex, but I don’t know. Maybe he will.”
Zach confessed to Jesse the next day that the duo were intimate in their shared suite — and that he planned to tell both Ariel and Kaity what happened. The revelation did not sit well with Kaity, who was visibly upset during her conversation with Zach before their overnight date. While she debated not showing up, the travel nurse ultimately opted to stay in the fantasy suite — and accepted Zach’s rose during the ceremony.
Gabi also received a rose, with Zach sending Ariel home. During a moment alone, Kaity turned to Gabi and whispered, “I know you were the only one.”
As tensions continued to rise, Gabi noted in a confessional that she was feeling uneasy about the week ahead. “I thought I would be in a much different state of mind. I thought I’d be a lot happier. Right now I feel like I am wearing a big A on my chest. … I have questions running through my mind that I need answered before I can confidently move forward with an engagement,” she said.
The Bachelor season 27 finale airs on ABC Monday, March 27, at 8 p.m. ET.
