‘Bachelor’ Alum Demi Burnett Diagnosed With Autism: ‘There Is a Huge Stigma’
Demi Burnett, who came to fame as a contestant on Colton Underwood's season of The Bachelor in 2019, revealed that she was recently diagnosed with autism.
The Bachelor Nation alum opened up about her journey to the diagnosis in a post on Instagram over the weekend.
"I did a psychological evaluation and I’m autistic," she wrote. "There is a huge stigma when it comes to autism. I encourage you to be open minded and accepting."
Burnett shared several "memes" and helpful infographics in a photo dump that accompanied her announcement. The star encouraged her followers to check them out and said they "might be helpful with dealing with an autistic person."
"All I want is to have a better quality of life," she added in her heartfelt caption. Burnett also said she would explain her situation more in the future.
"I will share more on my story of my evaluation and how I got to this point and all of my pain and struggles along the way," she wrote. "I want to make sure anyone who is/was feeling like me can know you really aren’t alone. It can get better! And most importantly it isn’t your fault."
Read Burnett's full post and scroll through the various memes and infographics she shared about the topic below:
Burnett's announcement was met with messages of love and support from her fans and several other members of the Bachelor Nation.
"I love you so much. I’m so proud of you. You’re the most amazing person ever," Maurissa Gunn said.
"So proud of you always being so brave and strong. A real a-- person and that’s why I love you," Onyeka Ehie wrote.
"My girl," Tracy Shapoff commented. "Proud of you for always being so open, candid and authentic."
Burnett was clearly feeling the love. The reality TV alum was all smiles as she took to Instagram to celebrate her 27th birthday Monday (Feb. 21). She marked the day by sharing several photos of herself dressed up in high-waisted silver pants, a crop top and matching fingerless gloves.
"27 never looked so Lizzie McGuire," she joked in the caption.
Page Six notes that after being eliminated from The Bachelor in 2019, Burnett returned to the franchise for both Seasons 6 and 7 of Bachelor in Paradise.
The contestant made Bachelor history when she and Kristian Haggerty became the first same-sex couple. However, their love story was short-lived. People reports they called it off before the end of the year.