Bachelorette's Garrett Yrigoyen Under Fire for Allegedly Liking Hateful, Transphobic Memes
Garrett Yrigoyen, one of Becca Kufrin‘s Bachelorette contestants, has come under fire after allegedly liking offensive posts on Instagram that mock the trans community, a Parkland high school shooting survivor, undocumented immigrants and more.
The California native’s Instagram has since been deleted, but screenshots taken by former Bachelor contestant Ashley Spivey show messages that are claimed to be from as recent as November 2017.
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A contestant on this season of #thebachelorette liked all of these posts on Instagram and I’m thinking it will be very hard to pull for the type of person likes any of this. The pics this dude liked are as follows:
— Ashley Spivey (@AshleySpivey) May 24, 2018
In one post allegedly liked by Yrigoyen, a photo shows David Hogg, a student activist and survivor of the mass shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, being referred to as a “crisis actor.”
While some photos were tightly cropped, others showed Yrigoyen’s Instagram handle among the name of likes on the posts.
— Ashley Spivey (@AshleySpivey) May 24, 2018
One photo mocks Caitlyn Jenner‘s transition; another seemingly calls out young transgender boys.
— Ashley Spivey (@AshleySpivey) May 24, 2018
— Ashley Spivey (@AshleySpivey) May 24, 2018
Huffington Post was the first to report news of his alleged social media activity.
— Ashley Spivey (@AshleySpivey) May 24, 2018
“A contestant on this season of #thebachelorette liked all of these posts on Instagram and I’m thinking it will be very hard to pull for the type of person likes any of this,” Spivey wrote before posting the screenshots.
The alleged activity is particularly surprising considering Yrigoyen is wooing Becca Kufrin, who supported Hillary Clinton and equal rights movements like the Women’s March.
A post shared by Rebecca Kufrin (@bkoof) on Jan 21, 2017 at 12:42pm PST
Bekah Martinez, who competed alongside Kufrin last season on The Bachelor, sounded off on Twitter about the controversy.
most likely to say “No Homo” when hugging a male friend: Garrett pic.twitter.com/ruLQnB4ufV
— bekah martinez ? (@whats_ur_sign_) May 29, 2018
“He’s cancelled,” she wrote. She also said Yrigoyen’s alleged likes are a reflection of his “deeper beliefs and values.”
“Yooo you can say they’re ‘just memes’ but they’re just hateful, ignorant memes. the s— you like/follow on the internet IS a reflection of your deeper beliefs and values,” she tweeted. “If he doesn’ find truth in that ugly bulls—, why would he like/follow those kind of accounts?”
he’s cancelled
— bekah martinez ? (@whats_ur_sign_) May 29, 2018
yooo you can say they’re “just memes” but they’re just hateful, ignorant memes. the shit you like/follow on the internet IS a reflection of your deeper beliefs and values. if he doesn’t find truth in that ugly bullshit, why would he like/follow those kind of accounts? don’t @ me
— bekah martinez ? (@whats_ur_sign_) May 29, 2018
Although the latest installment of the hit ABC show is just getting underway, Yrigoyen has already proven to be a frontrunner of the season: Kufrin gave him the coveted first impression rose during Monday night’s premiere, and the past three Bachelorettes are engaged to the men they chose to receive that honor.
“Since he pulled up in that minivan, I was smitten with him,” Kufrin said during the episode.
Kufrin has not commented on the tweets. ABC and Yrigoyen did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
The Bachelorette airs Mondays (8 p.m. ET) on ABC.