Rachel Lindsay Reveals Why She Felt ‘Powerless’ in Her Divorce

Rachel Lindsay was the lead on season 13 of “The Bachelorette,” which aired in 2017. She selected Bryan Abasolo at the end of the season, and the two tied the knot in 2019. Sadly, they called it quits in December 2023, and he filed for divorce. Since then, she has been open about her disappointment with their divorce agreement, which required the reality star and podcast host to pay substantial spousal support. Now, she’s revealing why she felt powerless in the situation.

Lindsay opened up about having the marriage and divorce from Abasolo behind her on the February 12 episode of the “Pop Syllabus” podcast. She revealed, “I’m free, and I feel like I felt powerless that I didn’t have a prenup. He took so much from me, but I felt powerful that I was able to do it in a year, like, ‘I paid you off, I’m still here, I’m still surviving.'”

She continued on the podcast, discussing the divorce agreement. According to Rachel, “He was ruthless about it; there was no compromising. I want to write all about it. I do want to tell that story, but I want the divorce book that I was looking for. I want to talk about another book of essays. … I want to tell [readers] in each essay a story about what happened.”

Additionally, Lindsay wants to go into detail in an eventual book of essays about the community of people she found amid her divorce, as well as untold issues surrounding fertility. She added, “I want to talk about dating in my 40s. I was 39 when I got divorced. What does that look like?”

The podcast episode continued, and Lindsay responded to Abasolo’s comments on Rene Garcia’s platform, where he stated that he and his former wife didn’t spend much time together and that he had begun sleeping in a separate bedroom before the divorce.

Lindsay said, “[He] opened the door, so let’s talk about it. This could have gone completely differently [and] could have been a private divorce. We could have done private mediation, we could have had a private judge [or] I could have given you money secretly, you could have held onto your reputation. All of it, [but] that is not what happened.”

She continued, “My divorce was public and messy for a reason. Learn from me. It’s not as simple as getting a prenup. It’s just the pressures that we feel as a woman at a certain age.”

Lindsay took to her official Instagram account to celebrate paying Abasolo following their divorce being finalized. She did so by posting photos of herself on the beach. She said in the post, “Finally free. Closing one chapter, literally writing the next.” According to PEOPLE, the former couple finalized their divorce on January 7, 2025.

Per the agreement, a judge ordered Lindsay to pay him a $500,000 equalization payment. However, she had already paid him $39,771 in spousal support, so she then owed him $460,229. She made the first payment of $230,114.50 by January 17, with the rest being due January 7, 2026.

Lindsay and Abasolo each kept their wedding bands and split their vehicles. He retained the 2021 Honda Accord, and she kept the 2023 Porsche Macan.

“Bachelorette” fans loved Lindsay and Abasolo on the show and believed they’d have a long-lasting marriage. However, after their divorce, many have weighed in on social media, with most agreeing that Lindsay deserves to tell her story. One person mentioned how she needs to work on her upcoming book of essays, saying, “Yes, girl. Slam the book. You are amazing. Proud of you, sister!”

Someone else said, “May this next one be the best chapter yet.” Another person wrote, “CONGRATS!!! That sh-t was expensive but worth every damn penny.” Finally, a different fan stated on Instagram, “Freedom looks good on you, Sis!!!! Sooooo happy for you.”