The Bachelorette’s Nate Mitchell Was Accused Of Cheating & Lying About His Daughter

Viewers of The Bachelorette would be remiss to have forgotten about Nate Mitchell’s emotional exit a few weeks ago in Amsterdam. Starting the season as a fan favorite, Nate seemed to have a real chance at winning Gabby’s heart. However, as we watched in Week 6, Gabby was not ready to be a stepmom and had to let Nate go before Hometowns, despite her respect for Nate’s dedication to his daughter. But in the time since their tearful goodbye on The Bachelorette, some surprising allegations involving Nate’s dating history and his daughter surfaced online.

Nate addressed the rumors during the Men Tell All special, which aired Aug. 29 on ABC. The special was filmed only a few weeks ago on Aug. 11, around the same time the allegations started to spread on social media. Here’s everything to know about the rumors surrounding this season’s fan favorite — plus, his response.

Nate Mitchell’s Cheating Rumors, Explained

The allegations started on TikTok when Nate’s ex-girlfriend Kelsey Frank posted a video calling out Nate for keeping his child a secret during their 18-month relationship. TV blogger Reality Steve got curious and reached out to Kelsey to ask about her claims. Kelsey provided Reality Steve with several months worth of evidence to back up her allegations.

According to Kelsey, she began dating Nate in January 2020. The timeline that Kelsey provided included birthday parties, hometown visits, meetings with families, and talk of having children together. However, she said the first red flag arose during a December 2020 ski trip where one of Nate’s friends admitted to Kelsey that she and Nate had hooked up just two weeks prior. Nevertheless, Kelsey said she stayed in a relationship with Nate.

Another woman, Laree, also spoke with Reality Steve, sharing screenshots of their correspondence and photos as evidence. She said that on Feb. 6, 2021, Nate took a trip and met her on Tinder. The two went on an early Valentine’s Day date. A week later, Nate returned to be with Kelsey when the two had their Valentine's Day date. Two months later, Kelsey explained that she and Nate took a trip to Tulum, Mexico, and at the time, she said she was under the impression that they were exclusive. However, in July 2021, Kelsey said Nate ghosted her for an entire week. Around the same time, Laree reached out to Kelsey, exchanging their stories about Nate and prompting them to discover that he had downplayed his relationships with them.

But Kelsey said she and Nate kept talking and hanging out into November 2021 when their relationship ran its course. In January 2022, Kelsey learned from the same friend from the ski trip that she and Nate had hooked up in late December. The friend also told Kelsey that Nate had started dating someone new and hooking up with another woman. At that point, Kelsey said she severed all ties with Nate and deleted his number. In March 2022, she discovered that Nate was cast on The Bachelorette, which is when she learned for the first time that he is a father. Laree also revealed to Reality Steve that Nate was once married.

Nate’s Response To Rumors

During Men Tell All, Nate addressed the social media reports while in the hot seat with Jesse Palmer. “I went through a pretty traumatizing time when I went through a divorce, and essentially the foundation that was built around my daughter was pretty much crumbled,” he said. “And the one thing that I protect most on this Earth is my daughter ... and so it just made me put a wall up, protecting my daughter from the instability of my dating life.”

Nate also addressed dating multiple women at once. “I’m deeply sorry for the way that I acted,” he said. “I should have been more communicative. I should have been more clear in my intentions.”

Gabby addressed the rumors in a post-taping interview with Bustle Aug. 11 — and made her feelings re: Nate very clear. “It’s Nate and his decision on who he wants to share the information that he has a daughter with,” she says, describing him as a “standout person” among the suitors. “He has treated me with nothing but love and respect, so I’m gonna stand by him.”