Kaitlyn and the Men Get Candid About Sex on The Bachelorette

"I found out when you guys found out. You hear things in the house, like something happened, things went a little too far, but my whole goal through this was to keep it as normal as possible. I knew that if Kaitlyn and I could continue to move forward in our relationship those things wouldn't matter.

"It's Kaitlyn's decision to do that; I think she feels bad that she did it when there are other guys still around, but it happened, and there is nothing any of us can do about it. Was it the perfect decision on her part? No, and I think she admits that, but should she experience any criticism for it? Personally, no. I was just thinking, 'Oh wow, that had to be hard for her. That added a lot of stress on her.'"

"It was a big leap from anything they have done in the past, and I think it's fine. Sex exists. It's how we all got here. I think it’s been appropriate. There has been a lot of negativity surrounding it and that's unfortunate, because I don't think it should be something that is shameful."

How about Nick and Kaitlyn?

"I found out just before it aired what had actually happened. So they have that connection; I didn't, why am I mad about that? The thing is, this happens in real life every day. It's just one of those things that happens in modern relationships, but when you put it on TV and everyone is forced to watch it and talk about it, then it's a lot harder."

"I did want to speak up about the bullying, because it’s such a negative thing, and it holds a deep place in my heart. No one deserves that, nobody at all, and seeing that hurts. [When] you have this protective personality you want to go out there and protect everybody. That is something that should be stopped and it's wrong. People need to think twice before they post something to social media or just say things in general."

"At first I was upset that I had to be the guinea pig. I was like, 'Why do I have to break the mold? Why do I have to be the one that steps out of the box? Why do I have to be the one that takes all the heat?' And I was really upset about it at one point, but then I had a turning point where I was like, 'What if I made a difference?' I had 1,000 negative comments, but if one person's life has changed . . . I think that's more powerful than any negative comment.

"I am who I am, and I am going to own it, and I don't care about what people think."