Kaitlyn Bristowe confirmed she’s back on the dating scene following her breakup with Jason Tartick.
“Honestly, I’ve been protecting my peace the most that I ever have in my life,” the former Bachelorette, 39, told People on Tuesday, April 22. “And that’s opened up some really beautiful doors for beautiful humans to enter, and I’m really happy where I’m at.”
Bristowe added that she’s “definitely dating and happy.” While she’s been linked to fellow Bachelor Nation alum Zac Clark, Bristowe remained tight-lipped about who she’s seeing.
“I’ve always been a little too comfortable speaking out about my whole life, so I am trying to reel it in, but I’m also trying to re-approach how I speak about things because in the past, I’ve learned really tough lessons and I’ve been selfish,” she explained. “So now I try and speak my truth while also reflecting and holding myself accountable for things as well, because I do think that’s also part of vulnerability.”
Related: What Kaitlyn Bristowe Said About Exes Shawn, Jason on Her ‘Tell-All’ Podcast
Bristowe was previously engaged to Tartick, 36, who appeared on The Bachelorette season 14. The pair were together for four years before calling it quits in August 2023. While their breakup occurred nearly two years ago, Bristowe recently opened up about her and Tartick’s relationship and the aftermath of their split.
During an April episode of her “Off the Vine” podcast, Bristowe claimed that Tartick stole her “dream baby name,” Teddy, and used the moniker for his new dog.
“It’s not that I’m not over him. I’m very much over him. I ended the relationship. I did not want to be in that. It felt icky to me. It felt like everything was for Instagram and numbers. I did not want to be in it. But to get a dog, name that dog my dream baby name that I’ve had in my baby names for 10 years,” she alleged. “I said, the day I met him, ‘I want to name my baby Teddy.’”
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Bristowe continued: “I know I seem very angry, but it’s more like, I don’t like feeling disrespected. I just have so many gross feelings from that because for so long I was made to feel crazy, and now I’m like, ‘Oh, I’m not crazy.’ I just saw what other people are seeing now. It’s just not aligned. What I want out of life is not what he wants, and two people shouldn’t be together like that. I’m not fully angry. I’m just really grossed out and disappointed.”
Related: Kaitlyn Bristowe Doubles Down on Being Over Ex Jason After Tell-All Podcast
After dropping her tell-all, Bristowe addressed the backlash she received for the episode.
“Navigating a world where sharing your story is risky, freeing and extremely hard. But I encourage everyone to think about ‘yes and.’ I do not wish ill on anyone. I’m choosing now to ‘let them,’ and I’m glad I gave some context,” Bristowe wrote in a statement shared via her “Off the Vine” podcast Facebook group. “I don’t like that I’m still talking about it but it felt good to stand up for myself. I of course have moved on, AND, it doesn’t mean I can’t speak my truth.”
