Gone for the right reasons! Elyse Dehlbom, a fan-favorite from season 23 of The Bachelor, skipped the Women Tell All reunion special because she had a wedding to attend.
“Women Tell All airs tonight! I would have loved to reconnect with the cast, @coltonunderwood and the incredible @bachelorabc team…” the 31-year-old makeup artist wrote alongside a video from her best friend’s wedding on Tuesday, March 5, via Instagram. “But I was too busy getting slapped in the face by the potential for my own happily ever after 💕.”
In the silly video, the bride hit Elyse in the face with the bouquet as she tossed it to her.
Elyse was among the 30 women who competed for Colton Underwood’s heart on season 23. During the February 4 episode the ABC dating series, however, she left on her own terms after realizing that she would not be ready to accept a proposal from the former football player, 27.
Amid fan speculation that Elyse opted not to attend the Women Tell All because she had issues with production, the Arizona resident clarified that she had a wonderful experience on the show via her Instagram Story.
“First off, I learned more about myself and what I want from a partner in weeks on this show than I have in quite some time,” she began. “It challenged me in ways I never expected. It afforded me the opportunity to take a long look in the mirror and see what I needed to work on, to be the type of person my future partner deserves. … I have no doubts that I was supposed to be on this season of The Bachelor.”
Elyse concluded: ”I am thankful for the lessons, I’m thankful for the tears, I’m thankful for the friendships, I’m thankful to Colton, and I am especially thankful to the [Bachelor] team who allowed me to be authentically myself.”
The two-night finale of The Bachelor airs on ABC Monday, March 11, and Tuesday, March 12, at 8 p.m. ET.
