After viewers watched her date 32 men on The Bachelorette, some might’ve been shocked to hear Gabby Windey reveal on The View Tuesday that she’s been dating a woman.
That surprised Windey, 32, too.
The View co-host Sunny Hostin said she “didn’t see that twist coming.”
“I don’t think anyone did,” said Windey, who later, on Instagram identified her girlfriend as TV writer and comedian Robby Hoffman. “No, not even me.”
Windey then shared how and when she came to the realization.
“I was trying to make the relationship work after Bachelorette,” Windey began, referring to her engagement to Erich Schwer. “And then I had finally had time to settle in L.A. and I think it was always a whisper in me that just got louder and louder and I didn’t really know to pay attention to it.”
The reality star admitted that, at first, she felt a bit ashamed about liking a woman.
“When this happens, there’s some shame, obviously, surround it,” Windey said. “So I think had to a little bit navigate through the shame. Like, what is it? Where’s it coming from? But ultimately, like I said, I always just want to kind of do me, do what I want, figure it out later.”
Now, Windey said of her identity, “I’m proud.”
Co-host Joy Behar asked Windey if she only plans to date girls going forward.
“I think so,” Windey responded. “I think it’s just my girl… she’s the best.”
The Dancing with the Stars season 31 runner-up said she felt she owed it to herself, her girlfriend and her fans to be honest.
“Knowing how much people really care, I just want to be honest,” Windey said. “I don’t want to like, live and not be living my full truth. I don’t want to do that to myself. I don’t want to do it to my girlfriend. I don’t want to do it to other people who really care about me and feel like they know me.”
Windey also wanted people to hear her life update directly from her.
“Because my story’s been told for me so many times, being on TV with editing and production,” she said. “It’s like … but yeah, so, I wanted this just to have a chance to like almost, you know, beat people to the punch. They’re going to say what they’re going to say, but I want them to hear it come from my mouth.”
Windey also said that she hadn’t told her her ex Schwer, 30, about her new relationship prior to coming on The View.
After making the announcement on TV, Windey posted a photo kissing Hoffman on her Instagram Story, as well as a carousel of photos with Hoffman with the caption, “Told you I’m a girls girl!!” The post received a flood of supportive comments from members of Bachelor Nation.
“Love you with my entire heart and soul,” Windey’s co-Bachelorette Rachel Recchia wrote.
Another former Bachelorette, Kaitlyn Bristowe, wrote that she “needed this love story!!”
Becca Tilley, who is dating singer Hayley Kioko, commented, “We love a girls girl,” and Kioko, 34, wrote, “Summer’s for the girls.”
Former Bachelor Ben Higgins commented, “Well son of a biscuit this is real beautiful. Congrats gabby.”
Windey also received support from GLAAD, the world’s largest Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) media advocacy organization.
“As one of today’s most visible reality stars from The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, Gabby Windey’s decision to continue to share her private life with the public as a queer woman is a key reminder to people, including the many millions who watch the franchise, that there are no rules for coming out and that everyone’s journey is different,” GLAAD’s Vice President of Communications & Talent, Anthony Allen Ramos said in a statement. “This should also be an important reminder to the industry that LGBTQ people have a place in mainstream dating and relationship shows and that we must be included.”
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