Trista Sutter Clears Up Marriage Rumors After Cryptic Posts

DENVER, Colo. — Trista Sutter, the first star of “The Bachelorette,” has set the record straight about her marriage to Ryan Sutter after cryptic social media posts sparked breakup rumors last year. In an exclusive interview with E! News, Trista revealed that the couple is stronger than ever and explained the context behind Ryan’s mysterious Instagram updates.

“Everyone was like, ‘Is she having a nervous breakdown? Did they get a divorce? Are they on a trial separation?’ It was crazy,” Trista said. “But it really made me feel like, ‘Aww, you guys still care.’” The 52-year-old clarified that the separation was due to her filming season three of “Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test,” a reality competition show that pushed her to her limits.

Ryan’s posts, which included black-and-white photos of Trista with cryptic captions, left fans speculating about the state of their relationship. “If you read it back now, it makes total sense,” Trista explained. “I was gone, and now you can understand that I was at Special Forces filming the show.”

The couple, who met on the first season of “The Bachelorette” in 2003, have been married for over two decades and share two children: Maxwell, 17, and Blakesley, 15. Trista joked that their kids are “so over” their parents’ reality TV fame but admitted they might be secretly proud. “Our kids will just giggle if someone asks to take our picture or whatever,” she said. “It is what it is. We met on television!”

Trista described her experience on “Special Forces” as “the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life,” adding, “You go through s–t.” Despite the challenges, she said the show helped her gain perspective and gave her family a new story to share. “They’ve known for a long time,” she said of her children’s awareness of their parents’ reality TV roots. “It’s not like they shout it from the rooftops.”

The public’s concern over her marriage, Trista said, was both humbling and sweet. “We don’t have millions of followers—we have a great following, but we don’t have millions of followers,” she noted. “And for people to really be up in arms about what is happening—Ryan’s cryptic posts and all the things—it was a little humbling and very sweet.”

Season three of “Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test,” featuring Trista and other celebrities, airs Wednesdays on Fox. For now, Trista and Ryan remain a testament to lasting love in the often tumultuous world of reality TV.