Wait, Did Kelsey Really Fake That Infamous Panic Attack on The Bachelor?!

The controversial contestant sat down with Chris Harrison before the new episode on Feb. 15

By Tierney Bricker Feb 16, 2015 4:39 AMTags
Ashley I, Kelsey, BachelorABC

"Am I really that controversial? Really?"

That's what Kelsey, one of The Bachelor's most memorable and polarizing contestants in recent years, said in response to host Chris Harrison calling her "controversial" during their talk during the "Chris Tells All" special on Sunday night. Yes, the woman who was accused of faking a panic attack in order to avoid being eliminated after finally telling Chris Soules that she is a widow was surprised to hear she's controversial. 

Of course, Chris asked Kelsey, who was sent home in last week's episode, the question on every Bachelor fan's mind: did she actually fake the panic attack?

"No! It was such an emotionally tumultuous day, good and bad," she said. "I felt flooded, like when there are too many emotions amassing."

(She really is a mental health professional: she's a high school guidance counselor. Good luck, youth of America!)

And Kelsey is sure it was a panic attack, even though she's never had one before, because "as a mental health professional, I know what they are."

As for her bizarre behavior immediately after the panic attack (cracking jokes about how Chris couldn't eliminate her now), Kelsey explained, "The only way I could really harness my thoughts and pull myself together was to focus on humor...It was bizarre behavior and it was odd and it could've been because I was embarrassed...I'm surprised that I could pull it off so well and fake it. I certainly didn't feel OK."

During the show, Kelsey was accused of being condescending, which hey, might just happen when you keep saying how much smarter you are then the rest of the ladies.

But Kelsey was quick to defend her (big) words and behavior, saying, "I don't want people to think that I'm being narcissistic. A flippant comment was misconstrued as condescending."

The Bachelor airs Mondays at 8 p.m. on ABC.