The Bacheloretteseason 1 starTrista Rehn Sutter alleged that the producers of the show threatened to sue her if she revealed anything about herBachelorseason before it aired.BachelorNation first met Trista when she was Alex Michel’s runner-up duringThe Bachelorseason 1. Trista was then selected to be the very first star ofThe Bachelorette, which premiered in 2003, during whichshe got engaged to Ryan Sutter. They got married on July 20, 2025, and their wedding was televised.Trista most recently appeared as a contestant onSpecial Forces: World’s Toughest Testseason 3.
Trista then revealed that the situation withSpecial Forces: World’s Toughest Testreminded her of her time onThe Bachelor, when she was allegedly threatened with a lawsuit if she spoiled the show.
On the January 21 episode of Jennie Garth’sI Choose Mepodcast,Trista spoke about the rumors that exploded when Ryan shared cryptic social media posts about missing her when she was away in Wales filmingSpecial Forces.Trista explained that she had to keep her appearance on the show a secret, despite the fact that fans were worried that she and Ryan were getting divorced or that she was seriously ill.
Trista said,“You have to wait.You just sign your life away, and you also sign that you have to keep everything in secret. And it’s not my first rodeo when it comes to that.”
Trista then revealed that the situation reminded her of her time onThe Bachelor, when she was allegedly threatened with a lawsuit if she spoiled the show. She said,“I remember signing the contract for Bachelor, and they were like, ‘Okay well, if you tell anybody, thenwe’re gonna sue you for $5 million.’ I’m like, ‘Good luck with that ‘cause I don’t have it.’ But it’s like the fear of God or the fear of lawyers are put into you, and you’re like, ‘Okay, well. Gotta zip it.'”
You have to wait. You just sign your life away, and you also sign that you have to keep everything in secret. And it’s not my first rodeo when it comes to that.
I remember signing the contract for The Bachelor, and they were like, “Okay well, if you tell anybody, then we’re gonna sue you for $5 million.” I’m like, “Good luck with that, because I don’t have it.” But it’s like the fear of god or the fear of lawyers are put into you, and you’re like, “Okay, well. Gotta zip it.”
What Trista Sutter’s Accusation Against The Bachelor Producers Means
The Leads & Contestants Are Silenced
While it’s understandable that theBachelorfranchise producers demand some level of secrecy from the leads and contestants in order to not spoil the endings of the seasons,it’s shocking to hear just how threatening Trista revealed that they can be. While it’s not known if she meant"$5 million"literally, it’s clear that she was told that she’d have to pay an exorbitant amount of money if she spoiled the show. The problem with this is that it can take a toll on people’s mental health.
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Although it’s unclear what the protocol is forBachelorfranchise leads and contestants in recent seasons, one can assume that there would still be harsh consequences if anyone revealed anything about the show before it aired. It must be incredibly difficult to be silenced, especially for someone likeBacheloretteseason 21 star Jenn Tran, whose fiancé, Devin Strader, broke up with her before her finale even aired. The anticipation of going through such a public breakup was devastating enough, butknowing that she might’ve been threatened with a multi-million dollar lawsuit if she revealed it before the finale is disturbing.
Our Take On The Bachelor Franchise Producers Threatening To Sue The Leads & Contestants
It’s Shocking That They Sign Their Lives Away
Trista’s use of words such as"sign your life away"and"fear of God"is also very concerning. While no one forces the leads and contestants to sign these contracts, and they make their own choices,it’s horrible to think that theBachelorfranchise producers are taking such advantage of them. A show such asSpecial Forces, in which contestants are put through Special Forces training, is completely differentfrom theBachelorfranchise, which is about finding love, and can deeply affect the rest of people’s lives if they get engaged.
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While keeping a secret about one’s journey onSpecial Forcesmight be difficult, it doesn’t compare to being silenced about aBachelorfranchise engagement, especially when that relationship goes terribly wrong.Hopefully, Trista’s revelation about theBachelorshows’ contracts will make people think twice before signing them, so that much-needed change can come to the franchise. On a show about love, there’s no place for threats.
The Bachelorseason 29 starring Grant Ellis premieres on Monday, January 27 at 8 p.m. EST on ABC.
The Bachelorette
Cast
The Bacheloretteis a spinoff show of 2002’sThe Bachelor. First premiering in 2003,The Bachelorettefollows a woman who dates several men to try to find her one true love, eliminating one man each week. Mike Fleiss’ series has endured the test of time by lasting over 200 episodes and becoming one of ABC’s most popular reality TV shows.
