There's no secret that signing up for a reality TV show has its roses and thorns.
On the positive side, Zac Clark was able to meet his fiancée and receive a happily ever after with Tayshia Adams. At the same time, the couple now faces unwarranted questions and scrutiny from social media followers on a regular basis.
For this Bachelor Nation couple, it's all about drowning out the noise while also celebrating each other's accomplishments.
"Any time you're in the public eye, there are going to be people that want to start s--t and say things," Zac exclusively shared with E! News before being honored at the Caron Treatment Center's 27th annual gala on Sept. 9. "I think one of the things we've done a really good job of as a unit is filter through what's real and what's not."
He continued, "At the end of the day, there's going to be haters and people who are going to try to drum s--t up and we choose not to give that energy."
Instead, the couple continues to support each other long after ABC cameras stopped filming their love story.
Before being honored with the Richard J. Caron Award of Excellence for his significant impact on families affected by substance disorders, Zac expressed gratitude for his crew and all of their support over the years. And while Tayshia was unable to attend because of work commitments, Zac was quick to share his appreciation for her.
"Look, I work in the field of addiction recovery and what that has shown me is that I am very lucky to have the family that I do," he explained at the event held at Cipriani New York City. "They're healthy as can be in terms of supporting me and understanding this process and doing their own work and I don't think I'd be here today if it wasn't for what they had done for me."
During season 16 of The Bachelorette, Zac made quite the impression on both viewers and Tayshia when he opened up about his sobriety. In December 2020, fans would watch the couple get engaged after a romantic proposal.
According to Zac, he never hesitated to share his story especially with a woman he would grow to fall in love with.
"At this point in my life, at that time nine years into it, it's a core piece of who I am," he shared. "So anyone I'm going to date and get to know, whether it's a friend or romantic partner, it's something they're going to have to know and it's something, quite frankly, I'm proud of and it makes me a better person."
Zac added, "Tayshia saw it as a positive from day one and I think she took the good out of how I explained it to her and how it's going to allow me to show up and be there and be clear-headed and I think ultimately that was something that was really attractive to her. So she's really taken an active role in my recovery and learned about it and it's been amazing."
As the 36-year-old co-founder of Release Recovery celebrates 10 years of sobriety this month, Zac is looking forward to the future that may just include a dream wedding. And while he's not the biggest fan of a televised ceremony, nothing is finalized just yet.
"I don't know what she thinks about that but I'm a pretty private guy," he shared. "We're looking forward to her wrapping up and getting back to New York. I miss her. We're taking it a step at a time. That conversation we'll probably pick up in the near future."