Kaitlyn Bristowe Tearfully Recounts Suffering From ‘Most Epic Breakdown’ After ‘Handling a Lot’

Bachelor Nation star Kaitlyn Bristowe alarmed fans after sharing candid insight into her headspace.

Bristowe, 40, took to Instagram on Sunday, February 8, to share a series of disturbing images including a candle smashed on the ground, herself in a medical gown and her face drenched in tears. She captioned the carousel, which disabled comments, with an equally cryptic yet emotional message.

“Humor helps, and I believe I have been handling a lot with grace, but … I have to be honest. I’m feeling really down, challenged, stuck, and hard on myself. I just had the most epic breakdown,” she wrote. “Not looking for sympathy, just sharing. I’ll come out of it.”

Us Weekly has reached out to Bristowe for comment.

The post arrived just hours after the reality TV star, who rose to fame as a contestant on Chris Soule’s season of The Bachelor in 2015, shared an upbeat Instagram video that captured her dancing amid a travel mishap. “When border control quietly deducts 10 days from your work visa and now you’re forced to leave the country. Jazz hands anyway,” she wrote over the earlier video.

“And I just got my power back. See you soon Toronto,” she continued. “Missing a wedding and 8 podcasts, but if anyone needs me I’ll be dancing through the curveball.”

The earlier post invited comments from fans, who took to the section to share their sympathy. “You always make the best out of a s***ty situation,” wrote one fan, while another wrote, “Omg you poor thing. I love you for your attitude though.”

Bristowe is no stranger to sharing cryptic hints at her personal life. While rumors of a romance between her and fellow Bachelor Nation alum Zac Clark have swirled for two years, Bristowe shared a public tribute to Clark, 42, via Instagram in January. After Clark shared a carousel of photos that celebrated his recent birthday, one of which captured him hugging a birthday cake that read “F*** fruit,” Bristowe brought Clark down a peg by commenting, “Natures candy. Weirdo. Happy birthday.”

Despite her playful social media activity, Bristowe is not likely to be sharing any official relationship details any time soon. She told Us Weekly in August 2025 that she’s keeping her love life under wraps. “Privacy is so hot, like, I am turned on by being private. There’s something really special and sacred about it,” Bristowe told Us. “Obviously, I had two very public relationships, and I’m an over-sharer and an open book, and it’s very hard to not share certain things of my life, but it feels so right. Relationships from Bachelor franchise or people online, like, it starts to feel a bit performative at times. And I feel like that was where it was going for me last time, and it did not feel good.”

Bristowe had been referring to her engagement to Shawn Booth, whom she met as the Bachelorette and was with for three years, as well as her engagement to Bachelorette contestant, Jason Tartick, which ended in August 2023.