'I am not perfect, and I will never be anywhere close, but now I will always be more informed and aware of what I am liking and supporting,' the California native writes in his new Instagram account.
- Jun 1, 2018
AceShowbiz - "The Bachelorette" frontrunner Garrett Yrigoyen has spoken up amid his social media controversy. The medical sales rep fom Nevada has issued an apology for his "hurtful and offensive" social media history, one of which is him allegedly liking a post that mocks Parkland shooting survivor David Hogg.
Taking to his new Instagram account, since he deleted his previous account, Garrett said, "To those who I have hurt and offended: This is all new to me. I went on the Bachelorette for the adventure and possibility of falling in love, not fame. I did not know what to expect once the show aired."
"I am sorry to those who I offended, and I also take full responsibility for my 'likes' on Instagram that were hurtful and offensive. garret_yrigs12 was my former Instagram handle and I decided to take it down and start fresh because I have learned an extremely valuable lesson and am taking steps to grow, become more educated, and be a better version of myself," he continued. "I am not perfect, and I will never be anywhere close, but now I will always be more informed and aware of what I am liking and supporting, not just on Instagram, but in life."
Garrett went on saying, "I never realized the power behind a mindless double tap on Instagram and how it bears so much weight on people's lives. I did not mean any harm by any of it. My Instagram 'likes' were not a true reflection of me and my morals."
In addition to say that he's "a sincere, genuine, loving, light-hearted, open-minded and non-judgemental individual," Garrett said, "Let my mistakes be a lesson for those who mindlessly double tap images, memes. and videos on any social media content that could be many things including hurtful, degrading, and dehumanizing." The California native concluded, "I do not want my social media to define who I am, and I will take better care moving forward to support all walks of life. Again, I sincerely apologize and am sorry for any hurt, damage, or offense I may have caused."
His comment arrives after Bachelorette Becca Kufrin weighed in on the scandal. "I've heard a little bit about it these past couple days. I've just been so busy traveling around the country with press that I haven't really been able to read too much up on it, but everyone is entitled to their own opinions," she said. "I can't fault on anyone for what they believe and who's to say that anyone is truly what they believe in if they just double tap."
She also added that she wanted viewers to be open to everyone. "I want them to go through this season with me and watch my love story unfold with all of these men ... because that's how I went into this journey," she added. "I did things in the past that I'm sure wasn't the best thing, but I just want people to stay open-minded to everyone."
"The Bachelorette" airs on Mondays on 8 P.M. on ABC.
