Trigger Warning! This article addresses topics such as mental health, self-harm, and suicide. If you or someone you know is struggling or facing a crisis, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 24/7 at 800-283-8255.
Michelle Young had her first one-on-one date on The Bachelorette season 18 with Jamie Skaar, who opened up to her about his mother's journey with mental health while he was younger. So far, Michelle's season of The Bachelorette is off to a great start. Not only is this a very entertaining cast of guys overall, but there are also plenty of promising men who could get picked by Michelle at the end of the season. Bachelor Nation is keeping its eyes on certain contestants, but it's still too early to tell who gets far and who doesn't.
Going into this second episode of The Bachelorette season 18, Michelle chose Peter, Romeo, Daniel, Rick, and PJ for a group date where she could flex her muscles as a teacher. As expected, the men were very impressed by the lead in a classroom setting. Meanwhile, Michelle chose to have her first one-on-one date on The Bachelorette with Jamie Skaar. As it turns out, some viewers were surprised by what Jamie brought up in this episode.
During their one-on-one date, Jamie opened up with Michelle about how his mom struggled with mental health while he was a kid. Unfortunately, after struggling with mental health for a long time, Jamie's mom appears to have taken her own life sometime around 2013. In an Instagram post shared in 2019 (seen below), Jamie looked back at how far he's come in the years he's experienced without his mother. Jamie acknowledged how hard it must have been for his mom to give birth to him when she was only 18, and explained how he wants to be more vocal about his life's tragedies from here on out. This was clearly a tough conversation for him to have on television, but Michelle made Jamie feel comfortable enough to share his story.
Michelle had tears in her eyes while Jamie told her about his mom, and it's fair to say that Bachelor Nation as a whole was reacting the same way. While this is certainly a pretty heavy subject for certain reality TV fans to watch, thousands of viewers will probably relate to Jamie and his mother's story one way or another. This also further destigmatizes discussions surrounding mental health issues, as it is important for anyone facing those struggles to open up and seek help from professionals and/or loved ones.
Fans will have to keep tuning in to find out what Michelle will do next on The Bachelorette. After all, there are still too many episodes for anyone to safely forecast what will happen. With that said, Michelle has led season 18 like a pro thus far, so Bachelor Nation can trust her to keep making the right decisions for her own journey.
The Bachelorette season 18 airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.
Source: Jamie Skaar/Instagram