‘The Bachelorette’ Alum Dustin Kendrick Called Nate Mitchell Cheating Accusations ‘Childish’
The Bachelorette 2022 is nearing its finale, and fans will soon know which men Gabby Windey and Rachel Recchia end up with. Nate Mitchell is no longer in the running, as Gabby eliminated him during The Bachelorette Season 19 Episode 6. But recent weeks have brought forth cheating allegations from someone claiming to be Nate’s ex-girlfriend — allegations that The Bachelorette alums Dustin Kendrick and Peter Weber were quick to condemn.
‘The Bachelorette’ 2022 contestant Nate Mitchell was accused of infidelity
Back in July — just as The Bachelorette 2022 was heating up — a woman claiming to be Nate Mitchell’s ex-girlfriend took to TikTok to claim that he’d hidden he fact that he had a child from her while they were dating. This same woman — Kelsey Fankhauser — also told blogger Reality Steve that Nate had cheated on her, suggesting he’d lied to the other girl in the equation as well.
With Nate and Gabby hitting it off during the early episodes of The Bachelorette Season 19, the internet blew up with the accusations. Many wondered whether they would factor into Gabby’s final decision during The Bachelorette 2022.
They don’t seem to have impacted her choice to eliminate him, as Gabby cited concerns about becoming a step-mom before bidding Nate farewell. Still, the infidelity allegations have continued to make the rounds online. And The Bachelor and Bachelorette alums Dustin Kendrick and Peter Weber were quick to shut them down.
Former contestants Dustin Kendrick and Peter Weber condemned the accusations
Although some fans of The Bachelorette are feeling skeptical about Nate Mitchell following Kelsey Fankhauser’s cheating accusations, Dustin Kendrick and Peter Weber are sticking by their friend.
During an episode of their Bachelors in the City podcast, the former Bachelorette contestants pushed back against Kelsey’s claims.
“Nate is not an angel,” Dustin admitted. “He’s not a perfect guy.”
Dustin went on to discuss Nate’s divorce and how he was probably feeling “vulnerable” while all of this played out.
“And I’m not saying Nate is in the right,” Dustin said. “He definitely shouldn’t have said these things about love and all this jibber-jabber stuff. He shouldn’t have said it. I’ll say that. He should have communicated better [about] what this was. But there’s not one receipt or photo of them confirming they are in a relationship.”
He continued, “They were dating. They were seeing each other. They were just feeling each other out.”
Peter bounced off of that, guessing it was why Nate didn’t want to introduce anyone he was dating to his daughter:
“I don’t have a child. But I truly believe that you have every right to hold [that back]. Listen, I understand if you’re in a serious relationship and you’re committed and you are with someone, okay, sure, maybe it is a little weird if you don’t disclose that you have a child. But if that’s not the case — which it seems like this was — in my opinion, Nate has every right to hold that back until it’s the right time.”
Finally, Dustin condemned how Kelsey went about the situation, saying, “I feel like you don’t go and try to tarnish someone’s name because a relationship didn’t work out. It seems childish to me.”
Whatever the truth is, The Bachelorette fans are officially split on Nate Mitchell. Some grew angry at those defending him, while others want him to headline The Bachelor.
‘The Bachelorette’ fans are feeling mixed about Nate Mitchell
The Nate Mitchell cheating allegations have blown up during The Bachelorette 2022, and they’ve left the fanbase split. Some seem in agreement with Dustin and Peter, hoping to see more of Nate after The Bachelorette Season 19. In fact, a number of fans are calling for Nate to become the next Bachelor in the comments of his Instagram posts. And given how frequently the shows overlap, it’s certainly a possibility.
Other fans are feeling less generous about the accusations. Under a Twitter post where Reality Steve addressed Dustin and Peter’s reactions to the situation, commenters expressed anger and disgust at their reaction — and the accusations in general.
With that in mind, it’s anyone’s guess if we’ll see Nate again after The Bachelorette 2022. But before we find out about that, we’ll have to learn who Gabby and Rachel wind up with.
The next episode of The Bachelorette airs on ABC on Aug. 29 at 8 p.m. ET.
