Justin Glaze came under fire last week for a slew of insulting tweets from a decade ago. He is finally speaking out and owning up to his past actions.
Justin Glaze, who continues to fight for Katie Thurston's heart on The Bachelorette, has officially addressed the slew of problematic tweets that recently surfaced from a decade ago. Fans were shocked last week when a number of Justin's insulting posts from 2009 and 2011 came to light, all of which targeted LGBTQ+ individuals and Black women. With his hilarious facial expressions and seemingly legit feelings for Katie, Justin was a fast favorite among viewers. Now, he's attempting to own up to his past actions and restore his reputation.
As Justin's journey on The Bachelorette unfolds, his connection with Katie grows deeper. On Monday night's episode, he was selected for a one-on-one date. When tasked with donning a suit and writing vows for a pretend marriage to Katie - something many would shy away from - Justin didn't waver. Katie gifted him with a coveted rose, securing Justin's spot in her final seven. But as the show aired, drama surrounding Justin was unfolding in real time as fans not-so-patiently waited for him to speak out on the tweets.
On Monday's edition of the "Bachelor Happy Hour" podcast, hosted by former Bachelorette leads Becca Kufrin and Tayshia Adams, Justin said he is "apologizing from the bottom of my heart for the really hurtful words that I used." Justin explained how, when the tweets were posted, he was trying to fit in with the wrong people. "When I look back at 14-year-old Justin, I was in high school and quite frankly, I was the type of person who, for whatever reason, felt the need to fit in and say funny things and keep up with what my peers were doing and saying," he said. "The folks I had associated with would throw around really hurtful slurs that, at the time, I didn't really think anything of."
Still, Justin isn't using his former acquaintances as an excuse. "Those words shouldn't have come out of my mouth," he said. "The last thing I want to do is run away from it. That's not who I am. I just want to speak from the heart and hopefully, people will get an understanding of where I was then versus where I am now." In response to the podcast's Instagram post promoting the episode, the majority of commenters accepted Justin's apology. One said, "Everyone makes mistakes, so just learn and grow." However, some remain skeptical of his true intentions and feel he's trying to "brush it under the rug."
It appears as though Justin returned to the good graces of Bachelor Nation quicker than past contestants who found themselves in similar positions. A few months ago, franchise alum and mental health counselor Taylor Nolan was dragged for previous racist and homophobic tweets. Fans continue to see her in a negative light because she tried to explain herself out of the situation rather than simply apologize. While Justin did share context on the background of the tweets, he owned up to everything. Unless something else surfaces from Justin's teen years, it's likely he and his meme-able expressions will keep being a highlight of The Bachelorette this season.
Source: Bachelor Happy Hour Podcast
